Five years ago Natalie Chanin made her daughter a Tea Party Dress. We’ve blogged about that dress, and that dress has inspired many other similar dresses, including one that I made for S. Something about that pattern and Natalie’s techniques just mesh really beautifully together, and each of the dresses that I’ve seen using the pattern and Natalie’s method has turned out just beautifully.
The funny thing is, I never would have recognized that dress now. It’s been worn and loved and repaired and transformed so many times. It’s still the same dress, but it has taken on a completely different appearance. And Maggie, Natalie’s daughter, still wears it. Only now it’s not a dress; it’s a top. (I’m amazed that it still fits her at all after five years!) Here it is now.
Natalie wrote a beautiful, touching post about this dress on her blog. Much as she had intended to pass it along to her granddaughter, the dress has become such a precious item to both her and her daughter, they’re considering framing it so they can continue to enjoy it.
Do you save your favorite sewn pieces, or do you pass them along to someone else who can enjoy them. And have you ever considered framing a favorite dress?