8.18.2010

pioneer princess

Sometimes when I say things like, "I'm going to go home and make a dress with my mom this weekend" to Timmy, I don't think he quite understands me. It's not that he doesn't believe I'm capable of making a dress, he just has a hard time with the concept of suddenly deciding to make a dress. And he has an even harder time picturing a home made dress that doesn't look like something a pioneer would wear. How do I know this? Because when I told him that I was going to make a dress he said, "Oh... just like the pioneers did." Yup. Almost.

My mom would have made a good pioneer, because she knows how to do everything. And when I said to her, "I want you to help me make a dress out of a tank top and some fabric" she came up with a plan of how we'd do it. 


 We actually ended up making two dresses. Version one was the easiest, as we just chopped the bodice off an existing dress (an old dress I had never really worn because it was too low cut), gathered, and re-attached the skirt portion to a new white tank top. I added some white lace along the bottom, just for prettiness. Half an hour later, I had a whole new dress to wear.

 Price: old dress - $0, white tank top - $5, waistband elastic, $1.25 = $6.25
 
Version two turned out to be my favorite. 


 A yard and one quarter of gorgeous fabric, wide waistband elastic, and a black tank top - all cut and sewn and pieced together to make a cute black dress. We cut the skirt material on an angle to give it a little flare - meaning it twirls out beautifully when I spin. My favorite kind of dress.

 Price: 1 1/4 fabric - $8, black tank top - $5, waistband elastic - $1.25 = $14.25

Timmy was impressed. He told me that he liked the black one best when I wore it Sunday, and he told me that he liked the white one best when I wore it Monday. (Even my daddy, who has become somewhat immune to girly projects over the years, seemed genuinely wowed by my dresses.)

And I feel like a pioneer princess whenever I wear them. There are some old dresses in my closet that are about to get a makeover! 

5 comments:

  1. these are AMAZING, becki! and your post was hilarious.

    ReplyDelete
  2. yay! make me one! i felt very pioneer-y this week. i dyed a (stained) skirt and made my own laundry soap! tell tim he's just "behind the times." or something.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It was fun making dresses with you Sweet Bea. For some reason whenever we get together we work and work and work. That project didn't seem like work...just fun! By the way, Dad told me that I should make myself one of those dresses so I guess he did like them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. hahaha!

    You are soooo the cutest most beautiful girl babe! I love your little pilgrim dresses! This is such a funny post babe.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like being a pioneer!!
    dad

    ReplyDelete