I schedule my blog posts to go live at 5:00am in my time zone. I like that they go up early in the day like this, so that people who subscribe to the blog are waking up to my newest post in their mailboxes as they start their day. I like that I wake up to it, as well – I put in the work beforehand, and when I wake up, my content is there and ready to go! One year and 4 weeks ago to the minute at the time this post goes live, I was about 7 ½ hours into labor, and still about 17 ½ hours away from meeting my sweet girl. It was the longest and most wonderful day of my life. And 4 weeks ago today, we got to celebrate that sweet little girl turning ONE!
We did a lot of celebrating throughout the month of October. We had told little miss that her birthday was coming up enough times that she started saying “Butt Day!” excitedly (though I’m 99% certain she has no idea what either a birthday – or a butt day – might be!). We threw a Halloween Costume party on the Saturday afternoon before her big day so that we could celebrate with all of our friends and family. On her actual birthday, we spent the day enjoying the last few hours of having almost everyone that we love most in town all at the same time – a rare occasion, reserved for only the most special of days! But the weekend before her birthday… Now, that’s what we’re all here to discuss. Because on the last weekend of 0 years old, we celebrated by taking some family photos in matching outfits.
You guys know that I’m no stranger to Mama / Mini matching sets at this point. Give me the opportunity and I’ll make sure me and my tiny best friend are dressed alike at any given time. But this time, even Daddy got in on the action (you can read more about his handmade garment on his very own blog post here!).
This fabric was really the catalyst for this whole matching set. I have been very particular about limiting my fabric purchases this year, focusing on decreasing my stash at home and strengthening my partnerships with some great fabric companies. However, I got a JoAnn giftcard for my birthday back in August, and while I planned to use it primarily for stocking up on basics, I couldn’t resist this beautiful monarch wing crepe. I grabbed a cut large enough to make a dress for myself, but when I got home I realized I had the perfect coordinating gingham in the tiny girl’s fabric stack, so I went back for another small cut for her. I decided what could possibly be a better opportunity for beautiful matching dresses than her first birthday? So here we are!
For myself, I chose to make a Deer & Doe Myosotis dress. I made this dress once last year, and it has become a favorite in my closet. It is breastfeeding friendly, and I love the flowy yet flattering fit. I wanted to make something that would translate through the cooler months, and decided that the best way to do this was to modify the sleeves. I love the shape of the sleeves on the Orchid Midi dress I made earlier this year, so I pulled the Orchid sleeve pattern, laid it over the Myosotis sleeve pattern, and created an Orchisotis franken-sleeve! It turned out beautifully! This dress worked great with flats on this day (it was almost 90’F when these photos were taken!) but will also look great with some taller black boots now that it is starting to cool down.
For the birthday girl, I used the Simple Life Pattern Co. Baby Ayda dress. I’d used the Ayda back in the spring for a Minerva make that will come to the blog eventually, but in a totally different form – a sleeveless romper! This time around, I chose the elbow-length sleeve option and the circle skirt. I finished the skirt hem by serging and turning under for a narrow hem, which was the easiest option on the circle skirt but also yielded a pretty result. I’m still not entirely sure I love the elbow length sleeves – they seem a little wide or bulky? But overall, I love the look and can’t wait for her to wear this dress more! I’m thinking I will sew up a little pair of black leggings so that she can continue to wear it through chillier weather.
So there you have it! I’m off to continue celebrating my all-time favorite human, who will be 13 months here in just a few days! I don’t imagine it ever slows down, huh? I hope you’ve enjoyed our wonderful matching outfits!!!
Dress: handmade by me
Pattern: Deer & Doe – Myosotis Dress (with modified sleeve)
Fabric: JoAnn Fabric – Monarch Silky Print Textured Fabric – Multi Butterfly
Dress: handmade by me
Pattern: Simple Life Pattern Co. – Baby Ayda
Bodice Fabric: Cottoneer Fabrics – Gingham in Gold Trixie by Heather Ross (now sold out)
Skirt Fabric: JoAnn Fabric – Monarch Silky Print Textured Fabric – Multi Butterfly
Tee: handmade by me
Pattern: Ellie & Mac – Men’s Basic Tee
Fabric: StyleMaker Fabrics – Designer Cupro Modal Jersey in Ocean
Pocket Fabric: JoAnn Fabric – Monarch Silky Print Textured Fabric – Multi Butterfly
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Schmetz Jersey Ballpoint Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Heat & Bond Soft Stretch (Lite)
Schmetz Universal Machine Needles – Size 70/10
Though two of the patterns used in this post were generously provided to me as a Sew My Style 2018 Leader and by the awesome team at Ellie & Mac, all words and opinions expressed are my own, as always! Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
