Third Birthday Drop-Waisted Dress

  For Becker's recent 3rd birthday, I sewed something super-simple:

  As with Booper's and Gaiw's third birthdays, I made some quick additions to a inexpensive ready-to-wear shirt, and sewed an accessory.

  I actually couldn't find a plain shirt in Becker's size, so I ended up buying one size up and slimming the sides down with my serger. The extra length gave me the idea for a drop-waist, but I thought gathers in this fabric would end up really bulky so I settled on a circle for the skirt portion.

  Which of course Beckers loves because it's twirly! ;-)

  I lettuce-edged the hem, then lettuce-edged an oval and a strip of the fabric (also used here) and turned them into a bow, which I sewed on by hand at the neckline.

  The headband is a long strip of knit (I think it was 27" long) lettuce-edged all the way around, and tied in a knot! I think it's super-cute on her!

  I'm having a hard time believing this little girl is three! She's my snuggler, and in a funny little voice says, 'Mama, I need you.' before climbing in my lap.

  Beckers is a bashful little girl, and loves to look at picture books and make up stories to go along with them.

  That doesn't mean she can't play with the best of them though! She's full of mischief and loves to make people laugh.

  When she's happy she has the cutest little squinty-eyed smile, and she has a penchant for climbing things and jumping off!

  She is the politest little girl I've ever met, and the one who needs the most hugs. She loves make-believe, and is much more likely to respond to a request if you pretend along with her!

  We are so happy that she is a part of our family.

  In addition to the dress and headband, she received a yo-yo (which subsequently became a 'pet turtle'), a recorder, and, at her request, a green flashlight. I also made her a cake! I planned to carve it into a teardrop shape, so I baked a cake from scratch thinking it would hold up better, then managed to drop one layer and break it. I decided I could just make it smaller, but when I tried to crumb-coat it, the layers crumbled all over the place! So I mixed the crumbs with the frosting, popped it in the freezer to firm up, then molded it into the right shape like a cake pop. ;-) I made marshmallow fondant, rolled some into sort-of circle shapes, and added it around the cake. I also added fondant leaves. It ended up like this:

  I'm pretty happy with it, although there things I'd change if I were to do it again! First, I'd freeze the cake layers before the crumb coat, as suggested by Sarah! Second, I would try using regular fondant instead of marshmallow fondant, as I think it's a little firmer, and I would make more of it so I'd have enough for a full-blown rose. I would set the inner petals lower, so they don't rise above the tip of the cake, and I'd make them shorter, so the base of the rose wouldn't end up with so much fondant on it! But still, it's much better than a lot of my cake attempts! ;-)

  Beckers loved it- she kept saying, "It's my birthday, because I'm the birthday girl! And I am three!"

Thanks for stopping by,