Easy Breezy Summer Dress

While this adorable two year old was visiting a few weeks ago, I found the shirt shown in the photo below.  That's my oldest daughter wearing the teal shirt when she was pregnant with this little munchkin, pictured above. The shoulders hung on her so poorly, even when she was pregnant, that she never liked wearing it, so she donated it to my refashion efforts. Good thing too, because it makes a much cuter sundress than it ever did a shirt! 

After a little consulting with my daughter, this easy breezy summer dress was created.  The shirt transformed into a comfortable light and airy dress perfect for a 100 degree day, pockets included. Any dress that has pockets gets some serious bonus points. 

When it's 100 degrees, an ice cream cone is the perfect prop for a two year old. At least it was the only thing that kept her interest for longer than two minutes while her mom snapped a few photos. 

As you can see, I kept the original shirt's pockets in this gauzy dress.  I think you'll agree that pockets are perfect for little hands.  For this dress, I used one of my favorite patterns from Shwin and Shwin called Black Bird Tunic.  Instead of a tunic, I lengthened the pattern's skirt by about 10 inches to turn it into a dress. And see that cute button closure on the shoulder? It makes it so easy to slip on and off. You know how toddlers like approximately 10 costume changes throughout the day? This one is no exception. 

Last summer, I used the same pattern to create the Toddler Cascading Ruffle Dress for this same granddaughter. And if the shirt style looked familiar, it's because it happened to be the exact same style shirt in a different color. Occasionally, my girls and I have the same taste in clothing. Well, the fit never worked quite right for me either. I guess that's what happens when you order shirts online. And while we both liked the shirt, we both LOVED this dress. 

I love how this dress looks so comfortable and cool making it a perfect summer dress.  xoxo Grandma