Cutest thing ever?

It has come to my attention that is probably a very good thing that I never had children, particularly a little girl.

I would spend so much time making things like this that I'd probably forget to feed her.

My friends' baby is due around the 10th of October. I missed finishing this before the shower deadline - then again, I missed the shower because I couldn't get there - but I'll still be done before she arrives, unless she's a very early girl.

When I found out they were having a girl, I told them I wanted the privilege of making her very first Easter dress. After receiving the ladybug dress a few months ago, they cleared this with both grandmothers and I was given the go-ahead to make something in a 6 month size.

I've had this fabric since the day after their wedding in November, 2007. The next day was a Saturday, and also a PR Weekend in NY. I bought this candy-pink embroidered velvet at Metro Textiles thinking that sooner or later two of my favorite people would be bound to have a little girl. It only took 3 years - not bad, considering the age of some of my stash.

The dress is an older BWOF pattern (it started out as a christening gown, which I shortened and changed up a bit). The bonnet yet-to-be is from the same issue, as are the shoes that I'm still debating to go with it.

Making stuff for little people is both easy and complicated - easy because everything is so small and can be done with scraps and remnants, and hard because they're . . . well, delicate, and every seam has to be encased, and the petticoat has to be between the dress and the cotton lining so it doesn't scratch. I don't think this hard about my own clothes, and I've definitely made dresses for myself that have taken less time.

And I have to say I would never fold and stitch rayon seam binding on the edges of petticoat net for something I intended to wear.

I had today off from work but ended up running downtown for an hour because somehow in all my accumulation of notions, I didn't have any ribbon the right color, and I had no snaps at all. I got this sea-green ribbon in two widths, one for the dress and the other for the bonnet ties. Clear plastic snaps so as not to clash with the pink velvet. And the little rosebud appliques for the neck, the sleeves, the bonnet and anyplace else I can think of to stick them.

The dad knows that something pink and ruffly is coming their way; he doesn't know precisely what. The only thing this dress will require is a pair of ruffle-butt panties, and I think I'll let the parents provide those. I've had enough with sewing on lace already.