Remnants from the past.

Dress no.8 completed and attached to the ruffle you saw on my desk on Wedensday. I have added applique hearts and also some little heart shapped butttons that I made myself from shrink plastic and coloured with watercolours pencils in pale pink and light brown mixed together (I do so like using this stuff.)

Close up of the bodice hearts and on the straps.

And the little lace pocket.

This dress has been made using 20yr old lace and pale pink lawn (from an old nightgown) and a remnant of pink and beige shirt material that is even older (40yrs) both from my late MIL.

The patchwork dress from an earlier post and this one are now in the post to Louise of Sew Scrumptious who is the UK co ordinator for the African dress a child appeal. I like to send them wrapped in tissue paper and have been using up old dress patterns as I have found them ideal.

Searching through my old patterns I came across the two below.

Each yr when Fluff was small (much much smaller) I used to buy 3yds of dress fabric from the local market stall and make a skirt for myself and a matching one for her and these are the patterns I used. You can see where I get my love of ruffles from! Having us matching did had a dual purpose as there were many a time out shopping I would get a tap on the shoulder and a lady returning Fluff to me from where she had wandered off in the supermarket.!! Fluff having delivered her standard patter of " Mummy is dressed same as Me".

A certain store staring with M and second word S sold childrens white tee shirts for 99p but if you went to the market stall just outside in the high street you could buy 2 seconds(with the well known label half cut out) for £1.25.

This is when the fun began because Fluff would choose a picture from her colouring book (flowers, elephants?, toadstools, butterflies, you name it)which I would trace and then cut out from the material fragments and applique to the tee shirt so she would always have a matching outfit. Those were the days. I miss not having my little girl to make clothes for . Didn't realise quite how much until I started doing these for Louise. Off to make a few more . Now where did I put the colouring book!