Monday, December 27, 2010

Grand designs

I achieved about a third of the preparations I had planned for Christmas. The lemon tart filling was turned into lemon butter when the pastry went a bit wrong, the gifts (except the kindle cover) were store-bought instead of handmade and I forgot to do my hair (or the girl's) before the entire clan of in-laws arrived for lunch.....

But the wee girl got her Christmas dress.

She designed it herself (read: no excuse not to wear it). She expressly asked for it to be made 2 sizes too large so that it will fit her for two years. It had to be sleeveless, down to her ankles, with owls on the top and bottom and flowers in between. And it had to be very twirly.Once again, I used the Tulip Dress pattern for the bodice and made a new skirt. Turns out, it was a good multi-functional dress - perfect attire for running about with cousins, doing countless craft kits and playing totem tennis (as well as for twirling).
Luckily, the in-laws brought food and organised all the things I failed to do, so the day ran smoothly. I think I ate my bodyweight in king prawns.
And the girl loved her dress. All in all, a good day.

15 comments:

Fiona said...

No wonder she loved it!

Gay McDonell said...

Perfect dress - perfect twirls ... and your body weight in prawns ... hmmm 2 kilos????

Sheeprustler said...

That's exactly the sort of dress I used to make for my daughter when she was little! It is beautiful. And twirly is very important, especially if it can also be worn with gumboots :)

Andi said...

Perfectly twirly and just what she ordered!
You're a lovely mum. You are!!!
xx

Cath @ chunkychooky said...

why do they even bother making non twirly dresses for little girls? Only twirly will do here too.

Judi said...

I would have loved that dress. Twirls and all. Happy New Year to you and yours!

Kate said...

Love, love, love the dress! So very perfectly twirly.
Designer/wearer dresses are all the go here at the moment too. I think its the only way.
I hope you have a wonderful last week of the year.
I had a dream about you last night. We had a big knit a long in your new studio and it was brilliant fun but I left my knitting behind when I left and couldn't find anyone to pick it up and I was panicking. XX

Melanie said...

Brilliant! Niamh loves it too :-) Sounds like a fun Christmas despite what you didn't do. I'm all for more relaxed Christmases, myself. And lots of prawns!

posie blogs Jennie McClelland said...

Nothing like a twirling party frock to play totem tennis in!! Ah, our trick was to stay home, just we 6 here, we can see our massive families in January, it was bliss & i did manage to my hair & all the girls too!! We had a ball, it was all about handmade, the children, home baking & peace, i loved it. Love Posie

seabreezequilts said...

I had problems with my lemon butter this year. Wanted it for my 4 quilting friends and it only made 3 1/2 jars so decided to do the next batch in the microwave .. just didn't work so I have 3 jars in the fridge and now I can't eat it because I have vowed to diet the day after Xmas. Love the twirly dress very pretty.

A Peppermint Penguin said...

I'm just waiting for the day she realises that other people's mummy don't make them *exactly* the dress they ask for...lucky twirly girly.

Hope you are having a rest amidst!!

Or a long walk to work off the prawns!?

Cheers,
AJ

Little Cooties said...

Gorgeous Dress! and LOL about the not being ready when the inlaws arrived. Hair is always the last thing I do with my two and most times walk out the door without remembering at all!
Merry Christmas

Tania said...

Consuming your body weight in king prawns is Entirely excusable. That's what king prawns were invented for. Glad things came together so beautifully in the end.

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas Nikki....I figure there's always next year for all the Christmas things that didn't get done this year!!! Hope you are settling into your new places.

Elizabeth said...

Love that dress!