Flower Girl Dress for Jane

Jane is very excited to be a flower girl next month and the occasion called for a special dress.  I chose a luscious ivory silk shantung to smock a VERY simple sleeveless yoke dress.  The fabric was challenging to pleat ( a BIT of an understatement!) but I  was very  pleased with the finished results.  I did iron on a layer of very lightweight interfacing to the back of the pleated area prior to running it through the pleater.  The fabric is amazing.  It does not crush or wrinkle as many silks would.  Should be perfect for an active, never stand still, kind of a girl.

I chose Marlitt (rayon) floss to do all the smocking and embroidery because of it's beautiful sheen.  It's a bit of a nightmare to work with but I love the end result.  I was lucky to find Swarovski crystal beads in just the right colors to complement the smocking.  In the daylight the front of the dress really sparkles.

The back of the dress is finished off with a large silk organza bow - only a cute four year old could pull that off!  I also added a touch of sparkle to the back of the dress with beaded sash carriers.

The dress is lightweight and should not be too fussy for her to feel comfortable wearing.  I will post pictures of Jane wearing the dress next month.