I knew I wanted it to be something different and fun, so I decided to try a pattern that I've been eying for a while now. For the bodice, I used McCall's 4814. For the dress, I used a tutorial for a patchwork circle skirt.





The bodice is a size 2, but it still seems kind of big to me. I'm not complaining though, because it means she'll get more wear out of it. I used "happy birthday" fabric for the bodice, but made it easily removable so that after her birthday I can replace it with something more neutral.



(By the way, this would be a good time to mention that in all of the pictures with Megan wearing the dress, she has it on backwards. The big "happy birthday" is actually front and center. By the time I realized it was backwards, I had already taken all of the pictures, and didn't feel like starting over. Check back later for pictures of her actual party, when I'll be sure that the dress is on properly.)

For the skirt I used 12 different fat quarters that were cut into 4 inch squares and pieced together into long rows. The gathering posed a problem to me, because I am not any good at the baste and pull method. Thankfully, I found a wonderful lifesaver at the Just Tutes blog that showed me how to use clear elastic to gather. That method saved me so much time and it completely saved my sanity. In all, I used 100 squares for the skirt. It's very twirly, and she loves to spin in it.



I also made little bloomers for her. She hasn't yet learned how to sit like a lady, and she doesn't need to be showing her underclothes to the world. I had planned on making the dress one row longer, and changed my mind when I actually got to that point. But, of course, I had already made the row of patches. So I used those patches (59 of them) to make the bloomers using Butterick 5439. This picture of the bloomers isn't the greatest, but you get the idea.



I'm really pleased with how the dress turned out. I think it's a fun party dress, and it seems comfortable for her as well. More pictures later after we have her party!