I made a dress. It was not a hit.

Right after New Year's, with a friend's encouragement, I decided to attempt to sew something with a pattern for the very first time. I decided to make a little dress for S's niece for her birthday. The friend helped me choose a pattern and all the necessary items and showed me how to cut out the fabric pieces with the pattern. We put the interfacing on the top and sewed two pieces together that first day. Then I procrastinated for about a month and before I knew it, it was just two days before the birthday party and I had not done anything else to the dress. What can I say? Zippers and piping are just scary-sounding. Anyhow, the friend came over to help me those two days and guided me through the process, zipper and all. When I finally finished at midnight on the night before the party, I was excited that I actually succeeded in making a real-looking dress! Something that was actually wearable in public!

We wrapped it in a cute color-coordinated pink pastel striped bag with pink tissue paper for S's adorable pink-princess-loving niece. She opened it and was underwhelmed.* Maybe I should have stitched a Disney princess appliqué on it? Sigh.**

*As in, she covered her face with her hands, about to cry, when we helped her try it on over what she was wearing for me to measure where the straps needed to be stitched into place to properly fit her.
**At least I accomplished my goal of learning how to sew with a pattern and to make inverted box pleats, put in zippers, do top-stitching, etc. The next project will be something for myself. Less stressful since it won't be a gift for somebody, and I already have some fabric S's aunt gave me that I think will make a cute dress.