Party Dress

My eldest is "graduating" from a Montessori program tonight so she needed a special dress. I used the Party Dress tutorial from The Cottage Home along with the bodice from Butterick B4282 (view A, cut short).  The material is Anna Maria Horner voile -- Coloring Garden in Dusk and Solid in Water -- ordered from Hawthorne Threads   It is so soft and flowy!

I am a little concerned about the voile holding up but I used full 5/8 inch seam allowances and all of the seams are enclosed (the bodice is lined, the skirt has french seams on the sides and the hem is enclosed by the skirt band) so hopefully it will be okay.  Following the tutorial, I added covered buttons on the back.  Aren't those a fabulous invention??  I love how elegantly they finish things off.  Why have I never used them before?

My daughter is really excited about this dress and can't wait to wear.  My littlest wants her own version but I've run out of time plus I'm a little gun-shy with her -- for reasons I'm not aware of she hasn't deigned to wear either of the last two things I've made for her (an Oliver + S Ruffled Halter and a Reversible Kimono dress.)

School Quilt

This week my eldest will be completing her last year of a three-year Montessori program so I volunteered to make a quilt with artwork from the "graduating" class. 

I ironed a square of fabric to a piece of freezer paper and sent it home with each child along with a set of Pentel Fabric Pastel Sticks.  I asked the kids to draw whatever they wanted and send it back to me.  The sashing is Kona Coal ordered from the Fabric Depot, the binding is a made up of scraps, mostly from this quilt.  I embroidered the year on the bottom (I had visions of re-creating the school logo in applique but seeing as I only just finished this, I'm glad I scrapped that idea!)

The kids will present it to the director of the school tonight!

I have a sneaking suspicion that one of the kids did not do their own artwork.  Very uncharitable of me, I know.  Can you spot the one I'm talking about??