The little dress that (almost) wasn't!

My poor daughter Fern is constantly asking "is that for me?" She's surrounded by my sewing projects and perplexed that few are ever for her. Even my boy's bow ties are held up with hope and a questioning brow - "is this for me? Is it?". Nope, sorry Fern.

So on Saturday I took her to buy some fabric and promised her a dress. A dress all for her very own. A dress that I would whip up while she had her afternoon sleep and present to her by afternoon tea time.

But I should have learnt by now - under promise over deliver.

Would I state on my Etsy site that orders would be made by afternoon tea?!!?

I think not.

But I naively set about the task; in fairness I can normally whip up a quick dress in a couple of hours. But of course - not this time. I had no pattern and was experimenting with a new idea. After two hours of cutting and recutting, sewing and resewing I found myself with a pile of scrap-metal fabric shards and no idea what to do with them.

Fern materialised from her bedroom and enquired about her dress.

I placated her with a packet of my-little-pony biscuits, a bowl of grapes and some bits of crushed ice while I contemplated what to do next.

I considered throwing the lot in the bin. My husband got home and suggested I put it away and try again later. But I knew if I put away this project it would sit in a cupboard until the end of time; there was no way I'd ever come back to it again. So I went back to the drawing board. Actually I went back to my tub of fabric bits and grabbed an old lacy pillowcase with frilly potential. I ripped it apart.

And sat at the sewing machine.

At about 8.30pm I had a dress. Ok, I didn't meet my afternoon tea deadline, but Fern was still pretty chuffed on Sunday morning when I showed her her new frock.

A bit of blue fabric. A recycled pillowcase. A little singlet. A LOT of determination.

And a dress just for my little Fern.

Phew.