Sandcastle Dress

Here's my week 2 project for Project Run and Play. The theme this week is "Spring Break - design an outfit inspired by your favorite vacation spot."

My favorite vacation spot: the beach - almost any beach will do. But my favorite beach is Cannon Beach in Oregon.

My inspiration: building sandcastles at the beach. Here's a little trivia for you: this year Cannon Beach, Oregon will celebrate their 50th year hosting a sandcastle contest. Although my sandcastles will probably never be contest worthy, I still enjoy building with sand whenever I'm at a beach. Below is a photo of one of my sandcastles I built while vacationing in Fort Myers, Florida a few years ago. The other photo is me working on a sandcastle somewhere on an Oregon beach as a child.  

Psychologists say that a little sand therapy is good for adults.  No wonder I can't resist a little sandcastle time when I'm at the beach!  I'm hoping to instill this skill in my grandchildren.  

Fabric:  Navy blue knit, refashioned from one of my dresses (the front bodice was always a too low for my style), plus a little white seam tape to give this dress a nautical feel.

Pattern inspiration: this dress from J.Crew Kids, which retailed for $69.  I like my price better - about $1.50 for the seam tape...OH YEAH!

My favorite part about this design is the detail on the pocket; an embroidered mini sandcastle (which I embroidered myself).

I even found the perfect button, a Nautica brand one for the top, back closure.

My granddaughter loved looking at my collection of seashells and the magnifying glass made this whole experience even more fun for her.  

When I finished taking these photos, she proudly declared to her big brother that she was having fun playing with Grandma.

I only wish I could have taken her to the beach and built a sandcastle with her... sigh! One day...xoxo Grandma