A Dress for Dayle

This is Dayle.  I met Dayle when I first started going out with her uncle.  She was five years old, a tiny, precocious, hilarious girl.  We hit it off right away.  She was the cutest junior bridesmaid when I married her uncle a couple of years later.  That little girl turns 17 this month.  

The cheeky little kid I used to play with has turned into this gorgeous creature.  A clever world traveller, she is the idol of all her little cousins.  There is the same age difference between Dayle and Joss as between me and Dayle.  I have a feeling they will have a very similar relationship.

Last year I asked Dayle if she would like me to make her a dress for a combined Christmas and birthday gift.  She gathered pictures of the styles she liked and we picked out some patterns from my collection.  Then she found some vintage style circus print cotton in my stash and we were set!  The contrasting fabric is plain cotton that picks out the teal in the main fabric print.

The bodice is from BurdaStyle 04/2013 #116.  The collar is based on an eighties Butterick pattern, 4969, and the skirt is from the Retro Butterick B5708.  I made two muslins for this dress.  The first to figure out the best way to attach the collar and then another to do a proper fitting.  

When I cut my finger I didn't think I'd get the dress finished in time for this visit, but when Dayle and her mum, along with my In Laws came up to visit just after Christmas it was nearly done.  She supervised the final stages and then let me take a bunch of pictures!

I thoroughly enjoyed the process of this dress, from Dayle's ideas to finished project, it was a wonderful collaboration.  There's nothing better than a happy customer!