Sewing for Clara

Today I cut out a project I should have started earlier--a fancy cold-weather dress for Clara. I am blessed in having daughters who will wear what I sew! A good thing too, as this daughter is *very* hard to buy for. I have not yet found the jeans that are manufactured for young ladies who are 5"1' and weigh 72 pounds.

Clara has tickets to a lesser-known Gilbert and Sullivan production this weekend. She has suffered from a love of G & S almost her whole life. Her fifth birthday celebration was a ballet party--all her guests came in their tutus, and danced to the special music she had picked out: "O False One, You Have Deceived Me," and "Climbing Over Rocky Mountains." So this is really a treat. And she needs a dress.

I started sewing this dress today out of a dusty rose satin with chocolate brown accents. It's a pattern I've used many times before--lengthening sleeves, adding flounces, substituting binding for lining, etc. I can never find girl patterns I like in the casual sections of the book, but I do find that the "fancy dresses" patterns can easily be made in cotton, flannel, etc. and look charming for everyday. This one's going to be fancy though!

Clara also has a grown-up musical event to attend next weekend with her grandfather, at the symphony, and in addition, will be giving a solo cello recital the *next* weekend of Suzuki books 6 and 7, so her dress will get plenty of use!