Fit For a Princess

Scissors have been my go-to favorite crafting tool for as long as I can remember. Ever since my mom gave me my first pair of bright pink safety scissors when I was around five years old, I could not create fast enough. I made paper dolls, made my own little storybooks, cut out pictures in newspaper ads to use as food and merchandise for my Barbies, even gave myself a haircut once (I'm so sorry, Mom!) and when I started to learn how to sew as a child-- my Fiskars were invaluable to me and continue to be to this day.

Sometime during this past year of craziness, I decided to dive into my fabric and crafting stash to create a costume dress for my niece. I sew regularly but I felt like I was making the same type of things over and over and began to feel like I was stuck in a bit of a rut during quarantine. I wanted the distraction and joy that comes with creating just for the sake of creating. My niece, Evie, is three years old and obsessed with princesses. When I started to make her this dress, she was in a Cinderella phase and watching the movie on repeat. She would even act out certain scenes along with the film. So crafting her a Cinderella princess dress just seemed like the obvious choice to me. Plus, dresses are my absolute favorite thing to make. There are so many styles and eras to draw inspiration from when sewing a dress. I love combining old patterns with my own patterns to create one-of-a-kind unique fashions, and if I can gift the end result to someone I love, then that is even better.

I used fabrics and tools I already had on hand to make this dress, and luckily I am a craft hoarder so I had lots of resources! It was so much fun using different fabric patterns and embellishments to piece together into this gift for Evie. I used a few yards of royal blue tulle as an underskirt layer to give it some fluff, gathered it, and sewed it on top of a silkier sky blue poly lining so that the dress wouldn't be itchy. The outer layer of the skirt was made using a shimmery white crystal organza. I loved that the organza was transparent enough so that you could see the blue layers underneath and I think it gave the whole dress a more ethereal look-- like it could have been made by a fairy godmother. I used a delicate icy blue embroidered lace for the skirt side draping. I had just enough of the lace to use for the skirt and one small extra piece leftover that I cut up and appliqued onto the bodice. Using my tweezers and fabric glue, I decorated the bodice flowers with crystals that I found in my notions stash. I also fashioned a headband to go with the dress out of a scrap of blue satin, a plain plastic headband, my hot glue gun, and some matching rhinestone butterflies-- like the one I fastened to the center of the bodice neckline for a little extra sparkle.

When the dress was completed and I gave it to Evie, she LOVED it. I remember her sweet little gasp when she saw it for the first time. I don't know what was more fun for me, making the dress, or seeing her wear it. She often asks to play dress-up with it and it makes my heart so happy.

I'm so thankful to have the ability to carry out my creative endeavors because of dependable tools like my scissors and their endless possibilities!