Zany to the Max

Before there was Ohana, there was Animaniacs. I bought this fabric in February thinking to make dresses for R and C - since their mother and I were Animaniacs fans together in middle/high school.

The fabric itself is pretty busy, and panels are always a challenge. But when I ran across the Candy Castle Patterns BubbleGum Dress on Etsy, I knew I had a winner. There are SO MANY stunning dresses made with this online!

Of course, it's also a more ambitious dress than most of the ones I've tried so far. Puffed sleeves, bias tape hems, a wrap closure... I printed & taped the pattern, read through the instructions and... promptly realized I wasn't going to be churning 2 of these out in the week and a half before I went to visit the girls, no matter what all the reviews on Etsy said. D'oh! 

Instead, I made my Ohana dresses that week, which worked out well. But I was still left with  a gorgeous, taped out pattern, a craving to learn puffed sleeves, and some fabric for which I had a vision. Oh, and plenty of time to shop for bias tape.

I picked this beauty up at Charm Cottage Fabrics on Etsy. I loved the crochet edge and thought the polka dots were about perfect. Cutting these dresses out took a while (there were lots of parts) and as with every sister set I have made, having to do everything twice can turn even a short project into a long haul.

I'm not entirely happy with the way the sleeves turned out (I forgot to take a picture, but let's just say you can tell the direction I sewed from where the gathers on the puffed sleeves ended up; and I am a consummate pin-er), and making sure that the second row of bias tape stitching covered the first was harder at some points than others. So, anyone online who ensures me this is a delightful and easy beginner dress will from now on earn some instant side-eye from me. Like, it's a beautiful dress. the construction steps are straightforward. But it is NOT a beginner's dress by any stretch of MY imagination. Oh, and bias tape isn't *cheap*, either.

That said, will I make it again? Absolutely. It wasn't EASY, but it was GORGEOUS. The wrap construction makes it flexible for all sorts of body types. The shape of the skirt is great for showcasing a panel. Being able to use a different fabric on each side of the bodice made for a nice/fun touch, and toned down a fairly wild print. despite the imperfections, I was happy with how they came out.

And as for the recipients? Well, they're looking sharp in their new dresses!

I get the impression these dresses come out about once a week. And R (the eldest) dresses herself, so I *know* that means her dress is well loved. C also looks cute as a button in hers, and that I have to admit when I see those kids so cut and happy, I can't help but take pleasure in a job well done.