I had a number of options on my to-do list that were good possibilities for Easter, but since we went on an extended family trip and got home just a week before Easter (plus dealing with sickness that week) I opted for the easiest, more low-key option. One that I had a better chance of actually completing before Easter.
I had already cut out and started on this dress before we left on our trip, so it was a relatively quick finish. I used the same 1950s pattern used for the gray cherry dress, but left out the collar option this time.
(Yes, the sun was bright, but the hills are GREEN again and I'm so excited to take outside photos again!)
I made a few tweaks, including doing a wide sleeve facing so that the wrong side of the fabric isn't visible when I lift my arms, since the sleeve is wide.
I also added a few neck darts to make the neck a better fit in the back.
Otherwise it was quite simple and straightforward. The large floral is from a lovely new quilting line called On the Wind, and I thought this print had a definite 1950s vibe, but also needed a simple pattern. This was a good match, especially since I realized while working on it, that both the fabric and the kimono-type sleeves conspired to give it a slight Oriental influence, which was fun.
Yellow is not my usual color, so I was happy to have such a cheerful addition to my wardrobe. I was surprised how much the coral belt picked up the scattered coral flowers. Again, not my color, but as a touch of accent it works well and gives me more variety.
It will be a quick zip-and-go comfy dress for this summer. I brought back a number of fun vintage finds from my vacation, including this lovely midcentury white purse, so of course I had to use it right away.
For the girls, I had already saved the 1950s floral dress I made earlier for the oldest's Easter dress. For the baby, I used the same print in another color way (from a fabric line appropriately called Easter Parade), and used my single baby pattern that is smaller than 1 year old. It turned out pretty cute!
I had made this one before for my oldest daughter, but this time I added the bow and love it.
To close it, I stitched snaps on and added the buttons just for show, and to cover up where I had sewn the snaps.
They were so cute in their coordinating dresses. We were blessed to have a sunny Easter, since the previous day (and several other days that week) we had awakened to inches of snow. But Sunday was a beautiful day!
Now home and mostly caught up from our long vacation, I'm looking forward to getting back to my sewing list. I have some fun things planned.
But meanwhile - Happy Easter!
