Family Fashions

It all started with Aunt Bert showing me funky little mismatched outfits and patterns for baby Hattie (her granddaughter).  The more we looked at them, the more we realized these fun, free-spirited fashions were right up Maggie's alley!  Grammy Karen Dutton has been sewing Maggie skirts for several years now and she wears the dickens out of them; one is almost transparent and still she loves it.  We're all about unique, one-of-a-kind couture, especially if it's made by someone we love and admire.

So, Aunt Bert decided she'd work with Maggie on a design for an outfit.

They started with a basket of fabric and loads of enthusiasm....

Maybe these two pieces would look good side by side.  (You can see Maggie just got home from school because she's sort of frazzled.  You can ALSO see that her fashion choice that day was a little Bohemian, anyway!)

Here's the preliminary drawing, with the tiny little swatches attached.  This would change in about 10 minutes...

Ooooooo! I know it's supposed to be mismatched chic, but this is actually coming together sweetly!

Considering the options....

They worked really hard at making every piece of fabric work in the design.  One of the funny things was that Maggie was big into the symbolism of the fabrics.  "This one is an animal print, because I love wildlife."  and "I think a summer fairy would be better in this fabric, don't you?"

Each swatch was numbered and each number assigned a layer in the design.

Taaaaa-daaaaa!  

Here's the final design, all sewn up with love by Aunt Bert, modeled by her co-designer Maggie!

It's absolutely perfect for this little girl!

(And she feels beautiful when she's wearing it.)

Last night, we played "Fashion Show" and this is Maggie's pose.  She is so proud of the design and the process!

See the skirt?  There was fabric left over from part of the outfit, so Grammy Karen sewed a little skirt to go with it!  It's PERFECT with the top and adds another option for summer...

A more sedate picture of the same ensemble...

But wait...there's MORE.
We found this fabric in Billings at the end of our family vacation this year and Grammy Karen sewed it into a wonderful twirly skirt that matches the tie-dye.  You can't imagine how fun it is!

Happy girl with new duds and ideas for more...except this time I'm going to work with her on sewing her own.

Thank you, Aunt Bert and Grammy Karen!

(She's wearing the designer duds today to the Art Center to show her friend and artist Jordan.)