year no. 3

Of course, she got her dress. You knew she'd get the dress, right?  After her not-so-subtle plea, she never let up (such is the plight of the youngest child), asking each and every time she popped into my studio, "You makin' my Christmas dress, Mama?" followed by an incredulous "Why?!" whenever the answer was 'not yet'. When it was finally complete and I tried it on her, her immediate response was, 'My no like it. Take it off." Oh, yes, that's just what she did. Thankfully though, with the allure of new tights on Christmas morning (it's official that all my kids think tights are the most fabulous clothing article of all. And if I had tights with snowflakes on them I would have to agree), she happily wore the dress long enough for Christmas brunch, and even for one more party after that. Yay!

The fabric is by Maywood Studio. The pattern is a vintage one. I eliminated the lace, and added a little bit of baby rickrack instead. Because red baby rickrack belongs with the holidays as much as eggnog does, as far as I'm concerned. I can't resist these things.

And to continue our matchy holiday outfit tradition for the third year in a row, I made myself this apron. The pattern is the Apron Overlay from the Amy Butler Barcelona Skirt pattern. It's a great pattern - easy to follow and quick to whip up, and I was quite happy to wear it Christmas morning, but I'm not such a fan of how it fit - perhaps my sizing was off. Or perhaps my waist has moved. Surely it was the pattern. Ahem.

I know I swore a zillion times over before having children, that I would never do this matching clothes thing to my kids. But whatever, I'll happily eat those words now and continue sewing for just a few moments of fun, silly, and sweet with my baby girl. We like it.

Comments

[kelly]

totally gorgeous! i love how you girls matched up : )

[shari]

you two are cuties. happy new year. xox

[Christi]

So, so cute! And I LOVE the snowflake tights!

[Alix]

So it was the tights that did the trick... lovely sewing and lovely story

[grace]

I love the dress Amanda! And you to look darling matching together. I would go with it as long as you can. There could come a day when your kiddies might not go with the flow. So until then match away!!
Happy new year!

[Monika]

Tights rule for boys and girls!... It's an old Swiss tradition to put the poor cold little boys into tights to keep them warm. I always shudder when I see a little one all dressed up in a snowsuit, being carried on mom or dads arm, with the little calfs exposed in minus 10 celsius weather... My little one loves his tights (he's 3 1/2 years now), often we just bounce around the house in them and a nice warm sweater, then if it's not too cold, he can just put on his snowsuit and be fine outside. In Switzerland, boys in Kindergarten all wear tights and play in them, no silly stigmas attached. So it's wonderful to find somebody else who also thinks so... I even say that doing laundry is so much easier... one piece to fold, not socks to find and long johns too... Love the snowflake ones...

[brandie]

such a cute dress for A!! and the apron overlay over jeans...love that! so going to steal that idea :)

[heather]

adorable dress and matchiness, amanda! may you continue matching until your little heart's content...

i love the apron too, and i'm sorry about the waist issue - surely it was the pattern. ;) (and what a pretty pattern it is!) reading your confusion about what could have gone wrong made me think of alicia palson's post yesterday... "wha happened?" hee hee

[Barbara]

Gorgeous dress and pinnie. Such a great idea to make a dress specially for Christmas. Little children have such a need to dress up special don't they, even if it doesn't stay on for long! My daughter had a lovely red dress and sparkly tights on for the Day but ended up pulling new johdpurs on over the whole ensemble about an hour in and stayed that way all day.

[Mary Beth]

Yes, I love the apron overlay piece too--I'd love to make that--let's just not worry about the whole waist having changed after multiple babies, shall we? You both look so adorable--happy new year!

[bigbucketgirl]

Keep with the matchy matchy thing?! If my little girl wasn't standing tall (so tall for 7) up to my shoulders and only 1/2 a shoe size smaller than me...i'd be making matching.
One of the first posts my husband read of yours was march 20th 2006 where you had a top to match Adelaide's kimono. There was proof that i was not the only one wearing an old sheet and other people matched their offspring! Now if I make a skirt then she gets a matching scarf or hairband! She assures me that this is ok...she knows it won't be too long before she fits the skirt. Then she will already have accessories to match!

[jean]

ah for the love of grey and red. beautiful. and don't those curtains looks fab? They'll help get you through to the other side of winter, for sure.

[Jen]

Yes, tights are awesome...love hanna tights and so do my girls! I was the same with the matching thing, but when it's done right, then it's very cool. Happy 2008!

[Suzanne]

Keep matching, I think it is wonderful:-)

[Danna]

Ah, the power of tights. That's how we pottytrained my eldest. We were teased, of course, since it was summertime in Arkansas...

[bex]

Nice...Xxx

[Monika]

Everything so matching, yummy! Yes, in Slovakia, we dress boys in tights as well.

[Julie]

Before I had kids I swore I wouldn't be one of those mothers with 20 million photographs of their child all over the house - and I am. I totally am. So you just keep on making matching outfits. You do it so well! Happy 2008!

[Meredith]

Oh I absolutely love the matchy-matchiness of it all!!! So sweet!

[Wendy]

That's an adorable dress. And fantastic tights.

I wish they made them in our size!

[Melissa]

Oh what a cute little dress! I love the apron, too. The matching is so very sweet - I'm glad everyone had happy holidays!

[Trina]

I just found your blog and it is so refreshing. Happy New Year.

[Wendy]

That's an adorable dress. And fantastic tights.

I wish they made them in our size!

[Trina]

I just found your blog and it is so refreshing. Happy New Year.

[Wendy]

That's an adorable dress. And fantastic tights.

I wish they made them in our size!

[Amanda]

I swore I wouldn't matchy match either.
But how many times in your life can you convince your children to do it? I say seize the moment! Happy New Year!

[Lisa Clarke]

I think the matchy thing is sweet when you make it yourself. After learning to sew this past summer, I've made two sets of matching pajama pants for my boys and me. And I'm pretty sure I'm in for at least one more set in the coming months :-)

[Anne]

I think the dress is sweet, and even sweeter with the tights.

[Anne]

I think the dress is sweet, and even sweeter with the tights.

[Anne]

I think the dress is sweet, and even sweeter with the tights.

[Anne]

I think the dress is sweet, and even sweeter with the tights.

[Anne]

I think the dress is sweet, and even sweeter with the tights.

[Nicole]

Too cute. I like the matchy. Plus, I always think it's something that little ones don't want to do forever so take the chance!

I have been debating on tights on my little one. Especially since it is so cold. I'll have to post about the outcome! Maybe I will even get the gumption to knit him some legwarmers... can't go wrong with those!

[Emily/ Five Flowers]

Sweet! I have that butler pattern waiting for me to make it... now I cant wait! happy new year!

[Natalie]

I think your outfits compliment each other in a charming and sincere way... yours reflects a creative mother, and hers a small and playful girl. The matching outfits I find *too much* make a *mini-me* of little girls.

[cloth.paper.string]

great dress and apron, amanda. baby red ric rac is perfect, and of course i'm now inspired to finally make that apron -- you have a way, i tell you!

and tights, oh tights. they're just about the best thing going. the selecting of tights to be worn each day is big doings around here...

[Anne]

Sorry about the repeat messages; I will blame it on Typepad.

[Chelsea D.]

Love the sewing goodies Amanda, and the photo of you in the room looks exactly like my living room-color, table, and heater included!

[Caren]

Happy New Year Amanda! Finding your blog (and other crafty mama blogs) was one of my highlights for 2007. It is inspiring and encouraging for me to find mamas with similar values as I live in rural NH and often feel a little odd. ;) I love the new banner picture! Yeah for all this snow, eh?

[Rita Joiner]

Ah, the things we do to our kids....but matching clothes makes for good pictures. And they'll understand when *they* have kids.

[Grace]

Elle had the same tights this year.

The apron looks great! Actually, so does your whole outfit, and I like your hair up like that! It's so fresh looking. Happy new year to you and your whole cute family.

[kate]

"Before I had kids I swore a zillion times over I would never...." Isn't that the very definition of parenthood? Never say never! I learn that lesson every. single. day.

Darling dress, apron and tights. Oh, and you're both pretty cute too! :)

[amanda e-j]

so adorable, Amanda! You know, I swear up & down that I'll never match clothes with my kids, but you always pull it off so beautifully! You totally make it look doable and funky! So, go you :)

[LauraJ]

I think matchy matchy with one's kids is cute! I have a boy and sometimes I colour coordinate our clothing on special occasions, I wear the pink he wears the grey but we end up matching anyway! :D
I absolutely adore that fabric that you used to trim your apron with. I have some in my own stash of it and haven't touched it yet. It's just so delightful and colourful!

[Ali]

Cute, cute, cute Amanda. Love that print. Started working on that apron pattern here too (my Mom is helping me finish it as time just keeps slipping by)...will be interesting to see the fit :)

[Carrie]

Feeling happy is what makes life worth living. If matching outfits makes you happy then you should keep on doing it! I love how the little dress turned out(and the apron),and you're right-red ric rac is so part of Christmas!

[Ericka B Traven]

Thank you for last year's blogs. I have followed your crafting and been inspired to do more with mine. Thanks. I look forward to another great year of inspiration.

[Amber]

Beautiful! I think it's the mom hormones that force moms into make matching clothes---we just can't help it.

I love that "me no like it!" Gosh, how many times did I go through that with my own kids? It's not just clothes, too. I would spend hours (days even) on some intricate dinner, only for us all to sit down and my kids proclaim, "YUCK! I'm not eating THAT!" But in the end, it's wonderful that they feel comfortable with their own opinions (she said through gritted teeth)... ;-)!

[stacey]

I love the matchy matchy - I so it to my own children every year:) What a funny response to her dress - but ah, tights - they are magic. The dress is adorable to the adult eye:)

[molliegreene]

i, too, swore against the matching thing . . . but now that i have a girl i have completely warmed up to the idea.

hooray for tights -- i hadn't thought of them until said girl entered the picture. everything changed after that discovery . . .