someone in our house is sure excited to get a new dress and this mama is sure excited to see her daughter wear it!  i can't tell you how hard it is to get my daughter to wear handmade clothes. she is extremely picky when it comes to what's on her body and let me tell you...it drives me bonkers...lol.  she's always picking out fabrics for outfits for me to make her but only a rare few actually get made for her and even then, she will wear it once or twice and never again. it kills me. luckily harper is much easier going and will no doubt love all mack's hand me down frocks.  but in the meantime mackenzie is head over heels in love with her "ruby ruffle dress" from my lovely friend lindsay of the " the cottage home". 


i've known linds since she first started blogging and let me tell you what a sheer joy it has been to watch her bloom and grow.  it's been amazing and i'm so thrilled and proud of her!  when she asked me to be part of her " cottage mama pattern tour" i of course said you bet!
 
i chose to whip up the adorable ruby ruffle dress.  i knew it was right up mackenzie's alley and the bow and ruffles would win her little heart :)  and sure enough when i showed the pattern to her she went right to picking out her fabrics.  and yes, my wee one loves amy butler just as much as i do.  i used " deco dots in astor" for the front panel and " cutting garden in linen" for the main body both from the gypsy caravan line by amy butler supplied by our sponsor stitchsimple.com (all my fabrics come pre-washed & pressed!!!).


i found lindsay's instructions really easy to follow with clear instructions and lots of photographs.  the dress was quick to sew up with lots of finishing details.  only mods i made were to topstitch the neckline and armholes and also the tie.  i know...i have an obsession with topstitching..lol.  oh well...lol...could be worse things right?  i made mackenzie the size 4.  she is 5 years old but very small for her age and seriously her chest size would have fit a 2 but i decided to go with the 4 and give her room to grow into it and extend it's wear.


i love lindsay's little special touches she adds to patterns.  it's fun to put your own spin on things and to also have the ability to choose from different finishes or techniques used in the pattern.  i love that with the ruby dress i could make mack's with ruffles and a bow but if i want to i could easily just do the a-line version for her or for harper.  the patterns cover a huge age range and are high quality.


are you crushing on the ruby ruffle dress too?  well you're in luck - i'm giving away a copy of this gorgeous pattern for part of the cottage mama sewing patterns blog tour.  would you like to win one?  simply clink on the link below and enter your info! easy peasy!  good luck!

CLICK BELOW TO ENTER TO WIN:

- giveaway is open until july 2nd, 2012 (midnight PST).
- you must have a valid email address or you will be disqualified.


thanks for letting me make one of your awesome patterns lindsay and for having me be a part of  your blog tour!  i had a great time making this dress and see many more in my future :)


you can find all things the cottage mama here:


and make sure to check out the rest of the tour:

Week 1: 
Stef from Girl. Inspired (Charlotte Pattern)
Jessica from Me Sew Crazy (Ruby Pattern)
Christina from 2LittleHooligans (Run Around Pattern)
Jess from Craftiness is not Optional (Ruby Pattern)

Week 2:
Maureen from Maureen Cracknell Handmade (Charlotte Pattern)
Liz and Elizabeth from Simple Simon (Run Around Pattern)
Andrea from The Train to Crazy (Ruby Pattern)
Destri from The Mother Huddle (Ruby Pattern)
Beverly from Flamingo Toes (Charlotte Pattern)

Week 3:
Shannon from Luvinthemommyhood (Ruby Pattern)
Mama Reita / Amy from Positively Splendid (Charlotte Pattern)
Susan from Living with Punks (Ruby Pattern)