A Forgotten Project Run & Play Season #17 Sew Along

Harper's Blue Birds of Happiness

"Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels, 

bending beneath her;

still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings"

Victor Hugo

Edited:  This post was written back in September 2018 but never posted.  

This sweet little dress was to be my entry for the Sew Along Challenge Contest for week #2:  "Flights of Fancy" but I didn't get it finished in time.  If only I had just two more hours in each day!  I decided to enter it into this week's Signature Style challenge as it fits some of the criteria for my style. (See this POST for an explanation of my two 'Signature Styles'.)

I really did love this challenge and sketched out several different designs that I would really like to make.  However, most were more time consuming than I have as a full time kindergarten teacher so I decided to use what was in the stash and go for a more simple (but I hope charming) design.

Patterns:  Ruby Jean's Closet for Simplicity #8565 (also known as D0911), size 4.

Ruby Jean's Closet PDF pattern (on Etsy) "Pretty Bird" (pockets)

Fabrics:  1748 Heartwood Songbird by The Henley Studio (Makower UK)

Unknown Stash Scraps for Pockets and neckline frill 

Changes to the pattern:

*Omitted the ruffle on the bottom, thereby shortening the dress to above the knee.

*Omitted the frills on the sleeves and the bodice/skirt seam line.

*Finished the bottom edge of the bodice lining and left it free, only tacking at the vertical seam lines and the center front.

*Switched out the bunny pockets for the "Pretty Bird" pockets.

 The pattern has lovely sleeves that have plenty of room to move about without constriction.  I love that the designer chose to have them lined.  (I would have done it anyway.  :) )  I also love the sweetheart neckline and shaped lower bodice with a corresponding shaped front skirt piece.  It would be easy to make this a high/low dress if one just made a straight rectangle for the front skirt.

The little recipient of this dress is my dear friend and co-worker Rachel's daughter, Harper.  Harper is a petite five year old with a thirst for learning.  She is already phonetically writing little stories with beginnings, middles, and endings!  

When I brought the dress to school to give to Harper she was wearing another dress I made this past summer.  She immediately hugged this one and shouted, "I love it!" and asked to change and wear it right then.  Warmed my heart!  

Harper really loved those Blue Bird Pockets!

What a cutie!!!

"Be like the bluebird who never is blue,

For he knows from his upbringing what singing can do."

Cole Porter