Knotty Red Smocked Sundress

So glad for sunshine and cute children! This darling little lady is modeling my latest creation... a knotty red smocked sundress. 

To create this dress, I started with a free pattern from Me Sew Crazy. This free pattern is March's Project Run and Play challenge.  

The goal was to sew the pattern as designed or to remix it.  I chose to remix the pattern, starting with machine smocking on the front bodice. I used the ties from the original pattern but rounded their ends, cut them out of dotted Swiss on one side and a light white gauze  on the other side. The final touch was adding black and white trim between the seams. This trim was also sewn on the top of the pockets and as a finishing touch to the hem.  I also added two rounded pockets to the front of the dress.  

A kind neighbor let me borrow her darling daughter to model this sundress and snap a few photos. Thank goodness for kind neighbors who help me with my projects! This sweet girl is about the size of one of my granddaughter.  She's a little shy, so I had to do some bribing with her favorite treat... plain milk chocolate (don't worry, it was mother approved).

Good thing for cute pockets to hold the candy while this sweet girl got her photo taken.  

I had what I thought was a great idea for the back of the dress but after I took the photos, and looked at them, the knot on the back looked goofy.  Which was confirmed by one of my daughters not my nice neighbor.  So I unpicked that knot and removed it from the dress and now I like it.  As I was doing this, my memory whisper the Bauhaus philosophy, "less is more".

I like the crisp red, black and white color combination and the adjustable straps on this sundress.  It supposed to be a high of 70 degrees today.  I love when the weather gets warm because then it's sundress time.

In June, my granddaughter will be visiting for a whole month - triple YEA!   Her family will be moving this summer a lot closer to her grandparents, putting their family within a full day's drive from us. I'll save this dress to give to her when she arrives at Grandma's house. Even though this sundress isn't her favorite color (pink, of course), I'm hoping she'll like wearing it anyway.  xoxo Grandma