Thursday, March 26, 2009

easter dresses

This is the dress that always comes to my mind when I think of Easter dresses. My mom made it for me when I was 2, I think. It had a matching cape, and my parents have photos of me hunting Easter eggs while wearing it.


The fabric is a cotton poplin with flocked dots on it. I always thought this was Swiss dot until I requested Swiss dot at B&J a while ago and discovered that Swiss dot is actually a semi-sheer and very light-weight fabric (like voile). So I don't know what you would call this fabric, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. And that's a shame.

My sister brought this dress into the city last weekend when she came for a quick visit, and seeing this dress made me so happy! I didn't know it was still around. It's a miracle it survived five girls and still looks this good.

Obviously it's a bit too small for four-year-old S, so a new Easter dress was in order. This one gets to rest and will just be admired by me for a while instead of being worn.

So here's what S will be wearing for Easter: a Birthday Party Dress in silk dupioni. You can read more about it (and the inspiration behind it) at the Oliver + S blog, if you're interested.

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:41 PM

    Beautiful dress! Love the polka dot tights.

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  2. Anonymous11:13 PM

    So beautiful! Do you make patterns for adults too? Or do you know of some good ones? I'm new to sewing and I haven't yet come across anything that has the fabulous feel that Oliver + S has for kids. Thoughts?

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  3. Anonymous11:23 PM

    she's such a cutie too!

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  4. Oh oh, I can distinctly remember the feel of that fabric - I loved playing with it when it was fresh from the fabric store, before Mom washed all the starchy sizing out of it. And those dots!

    I think my Easter dress from this was pink. I'm going to have to dig for a photo of it now!

    Thanks for the memory. My mother also called this swiss dot, so I'd be interested to hear what it 'really' is. Or maybe it was a regional name?

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  5. Your post brought back wonderful memories of the Easter dresses my grandmother sewed every year for my cousins and me...three matching dresses in three different colors. Yours is wonderful. And yes, I love the tights.

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  6. Anonymous8:23 AM

    Very beautiful dress...and the girl looks so beautiful.

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  7. I love that dress-- I had one so similar (also yellow.) But the new Easter dress-- how fab. So very, very modern-- navy blue silk dupioni would never have occured to me, but how perfect.

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  8. Not enough little dresses come complete with capes these days :)

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  9. I have some yellow flocked dot vintage fabric. Want some? A little more lighter color - but happy to share!

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  10. Ironically, I took a photo of what I have a week or so ago - I could probably spare a yard or so. Here's a link:

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3548/3372505321_7302903fec_o.jpg

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  11. she's precious. adore the dress. and I had a white easter cape when i was little that i distinctly remember. with a little perfume broach from Avon (you opened up the back and there was a little pot of creamy perfume to swipe your finger through). hope you're well! :)

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  12. I love Tsai's dress!!! How cute!

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  13. Anonymous8:42 PM

    Hi found you from Portabellapixie. Ah Easter, when you got a new dress and dressed all up.

    Your yellow dress brings back memories...I made myself one back in...guessing 1972 or 73--I was in HS. same yellow, same dot, same neck, same sleeve but with a drop circle skirt, and no lace but that SAME lace on another culotte dress. Isn't that funny?!

    I know I still have the dress and probably the scraps! LOL

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