A Frock for Rosa

It's been a little while since I made a dress for Rosa. Quite frankly, she hasn't needed any extra clothing lately, and other projects were clamoring for attention. But after finishing up my second Sew Over It Penny dress (which I'm eager to share once I get photos!), I was browsing my stash for my next project and came across a piece of fabric full of memories.

Here is what it has become:

I couldn't resist including Rosa's Adelisa & co. Cosecha Mary Janes -- I have a
pair in the adult size, so we enjoy our matching shoes!

But here is what is used to be, back in the summer of 2007 when I was nearly nineteen:

Montacute House, filming location for the Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility.

And here it is again, a little less dignified, as Louisa Musgrove from Jane Austen's Persuasion on the Cobb at Lyme Regis!

Supposedly Alfred, Lord Tennyson was as devoted a fan as Persuasion as I am -- while visiting Lyme Regis, his request
was to see the spot where Louisa Musgrove fell!

That dress just didn't fit quite right, and I only wore it a few times. But I kept it for the fabric and it's been in my stash for years. I'd even used some of the leftover yardage to make a little dress for Rosa years ago, but the Regency gown remained untouched.

To "reincarnate" this fabric, I chose Burda #145. In the end I rather regretted this choice, but all's well that ends well! I always forget how bare bones Burda patterns are, and while I generally don't stick to pattern instructions very closely, I do like having seam allowances included. Also, I paid $6 for a handful of pieces, with basic dimensions for everything else (sleeve bands, skirt pieces, ruffle, etc.). Still, I didn't have a good bodice pattern in the right size, so this pattern will likely come in useful for "pattern hacks" in the future.

I also didn't realize when I bought the pattern that it had a side zipper. I personally find side zippers a bit annoying, and thought a six-year-old would probably feel the same. I decided to make the dress button up all the way up the front, and I also added a waistband.

I had some vintage rose-colored ric rac in my stash (yards and yards of it, actually, thanks to an estate sale), and it matched the color of the roses perfectly. I can't say I enjoy applying ric rac, but I do like the effect.

It was a bit of a challenge figuring out how to best cut out the pieces, since I was using an existing dress. I did have a tiny scrap of the original yardage left, but since Rosa had declared her desire to make a matching dress for her doll, I was trying not to use that piece. In the end it all worked out, in spite of my cutting the skirt a bit short and needing to add a ruffle (which I'd originally planned to omit out of sheer laziness).

It's been a while since I've made a dress this detailed. Eight buttonholes? What was I thinking?! But the time passed quickly between the quiet satisfaction of sewing and the audio of North and South to keep me company.

There's a feeling of redemption in taking an old, unused dress and turning it into something new. And best of all, Rosa is thrilled with her new frock! She helped me make her doll's dress with the leftovers, too, and I'm enjoying teaching her a bit of sewing.