A Belle Dress

Don't you just love it when something turns out well, especially when you have your doubts as to how you might pull it off?  Last week I shared the Everest of works in progress on my table - perhaps you remember some deep yellow/gold fabric patiently waiting to be made into a Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) dress?

Our little girl's brief for some time has been an "off the shoulder dancing dress" and I must admit to being a tiny bit flummoxed as to how I might achieve that and still be practical for a 3 year old.  So on our "home day" last week, we sat together over breakfast and chatted more about what she had in her mind.

The details to come forth were quite surprising, and truly gave quite an insight into her mind and what she notices and takes in.  From the position of the dress on the shoulders, to the shape of the neckline, the swag, and even the gloves.
Without her being able to draw what she wanted, she explained to me while I drew - with some trial and error on my part...  It has things on it mama. No mama it doesn't have roses on it, or flowers, it has things! What kind of things sweetheart? Things, mama!  Eventually she fetched a picture to show me the gathering detail on the skirt and was so excited when I finally got it and drew just what she wanted.

Phew!

A few hours of cutting and sewing and just like that, we had a Belle dress.  I'm so stoked.
The smile on that wee girl's face says it all :)
Although she is prone to surruptitiously slipping the sleeves slightly more off her shoulder because "that's how Belle wears it".



Mama, can I go down into the jungle in my new Belle Dress?
Sure! Lets go pick some things for lunch...  and off we went.

A bunch of pictures to follow because, well, who doesn't enjoy seeing pictures of a happy yellow Belle dress, in a New Zealand "jungle"!  Enjoy xx