Winter dresses for little girls

This year, I've made Christmas dresses for all the girls. The last ones I made for the three oldest, were in 2015. 

I haven't done this now for three years, as the oldest subsequently refused  flatly to wear a dress of any kind. But it seems she's warming a bit to the idea, as long as it's not pink and frilly - perhaps it's because she's started school and all the girls wear the same uniform skirt. So she doesn't feel so bad about skirted garments. 

So here are the new ones (now there are four of them!)

You can find out more after the jump.


I used several different patterns, and I'll write reviews and tutorials on all of them. You'll find the links to the patterns in each of my posts on these dresses.

This is the tutorial for the two cream patterned dresses, made from patterns from Sew Much Ado, and Shwin and Shwin.

I started Rose's  blue dress, from Elysium's Goods Deeds dress, but I used the sleeves, adapted to fit, from the Sew Much Ado Ruffle dress. It's lined, so more complicated than the basic Good Deeds dress I've made previously,

The last one I made, probably the most challenging overall, was Fleur's Tartan dress . For this, I used Shwin and Shwin's DIY Holiday dress, with multiple modifications.

I wondered after I'd made them whether dresses with big sleeves are actually that practical for winter, given the need to wear a coat or cardigan over them outside. And if not for cooler weather, why would you need sleeves at all? However, I think they will love them indoors. Photos in wear will hopefully follow, afrer we've opened their Christmas parcels.

Postscript: I promised photos in wear. There are more on the posts for the individual dresses.

Sisters:

Story time!

This may go some way to explain why I find it so difficult to photograph them - they are rarely still!

Well, sometimes they can be persuaded to pose.....

..... but it's not long before excitement takes over again!