Dressed up Play Top

Doesn’t this look cool and comfortable for a Florida toddler?

I seem to be stuck on the simple, free, gathered play top pattern from The Purl Bee.   (See Mountain Sewing Getaway and Free Patterns~Summer Play Top)  There are so many variations dancing around in my head that I doubt this will be the last one I make.  I  really hope to make some for Operation Christmas Child.

For this version, the top is cut to a dress length–at least for an 18 month old– and given a more elegant look with the  a finer fabric.  The contrasting casing of which I am so fond and is embellished with stacked  yo-yo’s, a single leaf and a tiny pearl button.

The good quality domestic dress fabric has been hanging around my sewing room for such a long time.  Some was used on the Troublesome Diaper Shirt made for #1 granddaughter, Laurel, more than 10 years ago.

The floral print is a lovely lawn.  I love the tiny pink flowers.

This little outfit just looks so breezy, especially nice for our hot Florida summers.  With Vivian Rose’s curls and big blue eyes, she will look fresh and  sweet in this.

When we were in North Carolina, Bob and I stopped at a craft fair where I saw a rack of these garments.  I had just finished this little frock and was interested to see how they were made.  Almost all were dress length, many with contrasting hems and all with a gathered, ruffled strap, rather than ties.  There is no limit to the variations you could come up for this cute little stash buster.

But I’m moving on.  Laurel needs new church clothes so I have nearly completed a simple white linen shift style Children’s Corner Lillian for her.

Sadly, I think there are no more smocked dresses in her future.  My Rebecca will declare that I made her wear smocked dresses until she was 14, but don’t believe her.  She wasn’t a day over 12.

Thank goodness I have 8 more years to smock for Vivian Rose.

At what age did you stop smocking for a daughter or favorite little girl?