Continuing with Project Run and Play, though this week was more of a challenge than the last one at sea. The Puppy and the Nanny were sick, so lots of misery. And working 10 hours a day with another hour of commute time isn't super conducive to sewing either.
This week's theme is "Crafting a Story" and asked the designers to design something inspired by a favorite story. Well, Puppy loves her books, and I probably could have picked something based on that, but I kept going back to one of my favorite childhood authors, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and A Little Princess in particular. I always identified with Sarah Crewe...despite all of the portrayals in the movies (Shirley Temple in one and someone else in a more recent rebelling), she was described as having brown skin and black hair. She lived inside her head and tried to always be a good person.
I pulled the book out and re-read it, only to discover almost no descriptions of clothing and I realized that I wasn't really fond of the drop waisted styles of girl's clothing of that era (written in the early 1900s). I decided on a modern little Princess' look and drafted a pattern for a dress that Princess Charlotte would wear...delicate floral lawn lined in voile, with pink piping, puffed sleeves, and a full skirt. I got as far as drafting the pattern when we returned to port and real life (see above: sick household). I found a pretty pink blouse on clearance at the exchange when I went to pay our rent and it struck me as suiting the color description of the dancing dress Sarah Crewe wore when she struck up her friendship with Becky the Scullery Maid: "Today a frock the color of a rose had been put on her...in which she had been skimming and flying about the room, like a large rose colored butterfly." I bought it in an extra large size and envisioned a little slip dress with flounces and something to match for her very first doll, as Sarah might have had for her beloved doll Emily.
I worked from pictures of bias cut slip dresses and did some draping and came up with a pretty little dress. It's trimmed with some vintage lace that I bought on Portobello Road last summer, and it adds just a touch of trim to such a simple dress. The flounced sleeves are gathered to create lots of volume from the top, and trail down her back like butterfly wings. Nanny liked it, so I know I'm not completely out of my mind. She liked the doll dress, too. Sadly, the important one HATES it. This was about the best I could get...I never even managed to get the tights on or the shoes that her previous Nanny had given her, that somehow exactly match the color and style of the dress (they're from a Disney Princess line, so I guess it's not all that surprising.)
Not only does she hate her dress, but she demanded I remove the dress from the doll, too.
Ultimately, my own Little Princess more resembled Lottie, "When she wanted anything or did not want anything she wept and howled", than Sarah. But it's still inspired by the book, so it's a win, right? (Ha, NO. But I'm still linking it because I did the work and toddlers will be toddlers.)
Lest you think this response is mostly because she's got a cold, this is her moments after I removed the offending garments.
The fabric is a new addition to the house from Cali Fabrics and was meant for me. She claimed it out of the box yesterday evening, took it to bed with her, and has been hauling it around all day. I guess we'll be sharing.