Waves top and dress- Mother/daughter outfits

I spent my Mother's Day sewing! What could be better!

This gorgeous fabric was just calling out to be a summer top for Mom (me!) My favorite pattern right now comes from Simplicity 2404. What, it doesn't look like the pattern envelope? Well, yes, this is a dress pattern... but I traced the bodice and extended it into a top and it makes a fantastic princess seam top.

The fabric is from Marcy Tilton. It is cotton, but a luxurious cotton that almost feels like washed linen. The pattern is a vintage kimono print that makes me think of Hokusai. Any excuse to think about Hokusai is a good thing.

Both sides of the fabric are lovely... one is more blue, one is more of a warmer palette. I sewed down the seam allowances as a seam finish and I liked it so much that I made it the right side of my garment.

The neckline and armholes are bound with bias binding made from extra fabric. It is almost reversible, except I didn't finish the shoulder seams as neatly as I should have.

In a previous version I made the sides longer, in this one I gave it a bit of a 'tail'- I made the back longer than the front.

Little bug's dress uses the bodice from Simplicity 2237, traced and extended into a simple shift dress/tunic.

She loves it! She wore the muslin for the dress all afternoon, and was so excited when the dress was done.

A 21-inch square of fabric turned into bias binding using the continuous method was just enough to bind both the dress and the top.

Of course her dress has pockets! Sort of a necessity for toddler garments. I'm sort of just lucky I got them in the right places since she refused to try on the dress at the critical point. The dress has a back zipper too for quick dressing of a wriggly toddler.

One funny story. When I finished her dress she put it on right away, totally excited that Mom had made her something. So while she was occupied playing with her new pockets, I was trying to finish my top and not watching her too carefully. But then I got that feeling... you know, that little nagging feeling that it has been quiet just a bit too long.

When I turned around and she has my seam ripper in hand and was busy altering her dress! "Sewing" just like mommy.

So there's a hole right in the front of the dress, in between the pockets!  I patched it on the back with a piece of fusible and it isn't too noticeable. You can't really even see it with the pattern. Whew!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!