Happy Easter 2012! Only a few days late but for a good reason as we were visiting my family out east and just returned home yesterday! The car trip was a whopping 12 hours and the kids did fabulously, I am still shocked. I think we made a good call when we decided to forego the long drive through the night we normally do and go for the drive during the day instead. Last year, even though Eloise did awesome sleeping through the night, Noah and Penelope just did not sleep well in their carseats (hello uncomfortable being strapped into those darn 5 point harnesses, I think their long legs kept falling asleep on them!) So this time around we decided to leave in the late morning so that we were at my parents doorstep by midnight. It meant stopping for a few more breaks than usual but it wasn’t so bad in the end, especially considering Clif and I weren’t sleep deprived by the end of the trip!
My kids love visiting my parents, heck so do Clif and I, it’s the closest thing to heaven on earth I think. We had so much fun, my parents are seriously the best Camp Grandma and Grandpa a kid (or grandkid) could ask for. There were non-stop activities to keep them all busy so Clif and I could relax a bit, awesome! I really wish they lived closer…sigh. Maybe one day?
{Eloise’s Easter Dress}
I was able to speed sew a few Easter dresses for the girls’ the night before we left, seriously just in the nick of time. I decided to do a coordinating set based off of a pair of pretty vintage pillowcases I picked up last year at a flea market. Unfortunately I didn’t get around to making a matching tie for Noah but I don’t think he would have been too keen on me making him a pink tie to coordinate with his little sisters this time around, lol 🙂 If you want to see last year’s outfits, click here and here!
Isn’t the hand embroidery on these pillowcases just gorgeous? There is no way I could ever put the time into doing this myself. I have to admit I felt a little sad cutting into them but then figured they would get more use as sweet little dresses, plus the only people that would see the pillowcases would be us and this way we can show off the beautiful hand embroidery to the world. Do you ever feel that way when you use vintage goods?
I found this beautiful vintage lace trim at another flea market I visited almost 2 years ago! I’ve been hoarding it for what seems like forever but felt this was the absolute perfect project to use it on. Don’t you love when things come together like that? It was just meant to be a part of this dress for Penelope.
{Penelope’s Easter Dress}
I made Penelope’s dress a sweet little A-line with stretchy elastic at the top for easy on and off. I added the vintage lace as shoulder straps to balance out the lace at the bottom of the pillowcase. I love the sweet girly nature of it all.
And here it is on my little girlie. She loved it so much and called it her ‘Princess Dress’ because of all the lace details. She couldn’t wait to put it on and twirl for Grandma and Grandpa.
Here is one of the pictures I was able to take before the big Easter Egg hunt at my parents’ house started. We were supposedly going over the rules but let’s be honest, Easter Egg hunts have no rules! It was just our way of trying to get them all to stand still for a moment.
Eloise loved carrying around her new ‘purse’ ha!
It was so warm out that after awhile she decided to just bask in the sun.
Penelope was ecstatic to find that some of the easter eggs contained lip gloss. Eeek! I thought her head
was going to explode.
Noah had quite the haul by the end of the hunt. He was such a nice big brother that he shared his finds with his sisters. I love that about him, he really does have such a good heart.
I hope you had a wonderful Easter too. Ours was perfect in every way, it always makes me happy to be able to spend time with my family…there is just something about being around your own family for the holidays isn’t there!
We’ll talk soon!
XOXO,
They are darling! Glad you had a fantastic Easter!
Thank you so much!!!
The dresses look fantastic! What a great flea market find. (By the way, I am so glad it is flea market season again). 🙂
Glad you had a great Easter!
Me too! I was just thinking that the closest one to me starts up in just a few weeks…hooray!
I have those EXACT same pillowcases, somewhere in my house. I love handstitched things!
How cool! I love the tiny embroidery on them! Can’t wait to hear what you do with them!
What great outfits and beautiful children!
Thank you Emily! Hope you had a lovely Easter!
Awww so cute! Love all the pictures. It really looks like you had a fabulous Easter! Thanx for sharing.
Natalie
http://www.projectdowhatyoulove.wordpress.com
Thank you 🙂 And we totally did, I want to go back….now!
Can I just tell you how absolutely awesome that was that you made those wonderful dresses out of vintage treasures! Also-make sure to save those dresses forever!!!
Oh I will! Nothing better than having them to give to their children some day!!
You are amazing Maggie, seriously?! Pillowcases turned Dresses!? You are so stink’n creative, I love it! Your kids are pretty stink’n adorable also!! So glad you had a happy Easter with your family! I am feel’n ya on wishing they were closer! I feel the same way about my family! We’re going back in June for a visit and I can not wait!
Aww, thank you Mel!! OMGosh, I am so excited that you get to see your family this summer! Will you fly out? We have a 15 hour drive this summer with the new babe….eeeek!
LOVE the dresses!! I especially love the little one with the sleeves, I’ve never seen the sleeves done like that, is it hard to do?
Super Cute!!
Chris
chrisgreedy@gmail.com
Thank you 🙂 The sleeves are pretty easy just widened at the ends for a fluttery look!!!
Maggie, Can you put instructions on how to do the fluttery sleeves? I have a pattern for a pillowcase dress, but have never seen those cute sleeves. I am sewing-challenged, so I need things spelled out for me.
Thanks,
Peg
Love the Easter dresses, adorable!!
Thanks dude!! hope you had a super Easter too!
Maggie, I saw this on Pinterest and love the dress with the fluttery sleeves. Do you have instructions somewhere on how to do this? Our church group does pillowcase dresses for Mercy Uganda, and this style is so pretty!
Hi Julie! I’m sorry but I don’t have a tutorial on the sleeves! Maybe after baby comes I can get something up on the blog for you!!
thank you so much ^_^
Hello, I LOVE the dresses they are Adorable!! I am totally stuck on how you did the one with the sleeves. Is there a tutorial anywhere on how to do it yet?
Thanks So much,
From a mom who has 3 girls to dress!
Hi, Maggie!
Hope all is wonderful! I just saw these lovely dresses and was hoping you now have a tiny bit of time to share with us “pillow case challenged” sewers who love your fluttery sleeves! I have two granddaughters I sew for, but without a pattern or tutorial I am lost. I can and will do the lace one you posted for the older granddaughter. She is such a girly girl, she will LOVE it! But the younger one will need the sleeves as she is 18 months old, very petite, and it would fall off her tiny shape without the beautiful structure you created! So…If you are able, please help us out and show us the way! 🙂
Sincerely yours,
Danita. A follower from Pinterest! Love your logo!!!
Hi Danita!
Thank you for the sweet comment! Regarding the flutter sleeves, that is just a self drafted pattern, I don’t have it on PDF but will try to do so and post about it, you are definitely not the only one asking about them! Happy Holidays to you!!
XO,
Maggie
Just another mama asking about those flutter sleeves. I’d love to see how you did it.
please, oh, please do a tutorial on how to make a pillowcase dress like you did for your daughter eloise. the sleeve is so sweet but i can’t figure it out on my own without your help. thank you, deb
I’m not sure if there is now a tutorial for the ruffle sleeves. But I have a few questions if not. Are the sleeves separate pieces of fabric that are attatched? And you cut the corners off to attatch them and the top off for the elastic neckline. Or do you cut an opening in each side of the corners and hem the edges in? And then cut a semi circle for the neck and create a casing for the elastic.
hello again. i sent an email question about the pillow case sleeves back in june 2015 but never received a reply. i noticed that there are several followers with the same question. a couple of yrs ago you replied that you would post instructions on how to construct it after your baby came but i can’t find it. i just had my first grand niece a few months ago and would love to make her one from my grandmother’s pillow case. hoping all is well with you and looking forward to the tutorial. deb
Hi Deb!
I am so sorry about this, life is just busy and gets busier with four little ones. I plan to share the pattern and post about it but honestly cannot say when at this point in time, please forgive me but motherhood calls first!
xo,
Maggie
did I miss the link somewhere of how you cut out the dresses to make the sleeves for Eloise dress????
Would also like the pattern or at lease the instructions on how to make the pillowcase dresses. The flutter sleaves are so cute but need to know how to do it. Please let us all know. Thanks Joan from New Jersey