Semi-Handmade Spring Wardrobe Series: Part 2

So today I am revealing the first two looks in Savannah's new semi-handmade spring wardrobe.

Both of these outfits just shout spring to me.  One of these outfits was made from a repurposed shirt and the other one was from cotton fabric that I had in my fabric stash made to match a store-bought shirt.

The first dress, what Savannah likes to call her "Beautiful Butterfly Dress," is made from a terribly stained polo shirt.  I really loved the fit of this shirt and I'm not quite sure what spilled all down the front, but it is definitely not wearable anymore......until now.......

This dress took no time at all to make.  I simply cut off the shirt and added a skirt with a ribbon tie.  I wanted it to be a little more empire waisted, so that is how I based how much of the shirt to cut off (not to mention that I needed to cut off all the stains).

I love that this dressed can be dress-up or down.  Here I have Miss S. in the dress with her pink glitter sneakers which are perfect for running around outside.  But pair it with some tights, dress shoes and a cardigan and we've got a perfect look for Sunday Mass.

I thought this butterfly fabric was just perfect for this little dress.  The polo shirt already had a sweet butterfly and the fabric contained just the right shade of pink to compliment the shirt.

I used a gingham ribbon that I happened to have to make the sash for this dress.  The yellow was the perfect shade. You could certainly make a sash out of fabric, but this ribbon made very quick work of creating one.  I stitched the ribbon to the front of the dress and all the way to the side seams and left it loose in the back.

I think the trim is what makes this dress special and unique.  Again, the yellow was just the right shade to match the fabric and the ribbon sash around the waist.  I stitched it all the way around the bottom of the skirt piece before attaching the skirt to the shirt.

I actually created this bumble bee skirt to go with a tank top that I purchased from Old Navy.  I purchased three of the same solid color tank tops to mix and match with different outfits for Savannah.  The rose-ish, pink-ish top that arrived in the mail was a unique color, but I was really excited when I saw that it was just the right match for Sandi Henderson's "Meadowsweet 2" fabric line.

I made the top of this skirt more narrow and then added a gathered skirt to it.  Sometimes I find too much gathering up top makes the skirt look really bulky on a little girl.  This skirt is somewhat fitted through the hip and flares out.  Perfect for twirling! 

I used a woven bumble bee trim around the bottom of the skirt to add a bit of whimsy.  Then, rather than do a normal hem, I used fabric to bind the lower edge.  Basically this is just like creating double-fold bias tape and attaching it to the bottom.  The only difference is that it doesn't have to be cut on the bias because you aren't stitching around any curves.

Both of these looks were created just by using my daughters measurements.  The first dress was so simple because I just needed to know how long to make the skirt piece.  And for the second look, that really was just a basic skirt and you can make that whatever length you like!

So, that's it for Part 2 of the "Semi-Handmade Wardrobe Series" - I hope you enjoyed it.  Get ready because tomorrow I will be revealing some super-cute capris and my cupcake dress.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!