Nicole's Perfect Party Dress (CKC)

Today is finally the day, the long awaited release day of Nicole's Party Dress by Create Kids Couture.  I usually don't start a post off with just a picture but this time I had to, this particular picture is one of my FAVORITE's of my girl, and she's a beauty so I have a hard time picking usually...this one is actually framed and on display :)

The day we took this picture it was really windy and an icy cold wind at that, she's like her Mommy, grumpy in the cold so I wasn't dare going to torture her and make her go outside, it was during that Polar thing, I think that's what it was called! I know that lots of others had worse, but the Texas cold is just COLD for us because we aren't used to it, it's also different then the cold elsewhere.  We went skiing once (not that I did very good at it) and I was able to go without a jacket some and I know the temp was crazy cold, here...no way...when it's cold, it's cold. 

Point is, we had a pretty awkward set-up!  A fishing line strung from the bunk bed to the curtain rod with a piece of fabric clipped on it, the door wide open, me out IN the cold and her right in front of the door with the little cabinet heater pointed right at her!  She thought it was hilarious and gave me the prettiest smiles I coulda ever asked for!  I know I should've already re-done pictures in this dress, but I haven't...no excuses, just haven't done it, probably because I don't think I could ever beat the ones I have! 

Anywho, back to our dress!!!  I had a few different fabric choices, what you see, a red and green plaid, and our red velvet even came in time, but I wanted the blue.  It ended up being more of a WINTER dress, I was working on her "Christmas" dress at the time and looking for embroidery and came across these gorgeous scenes done in blue and designed for blue and I just couldn't help myself!  If you can't see it well, it's just a little wintery scene of a carriage and Christmas trees, probably not at all designed for a dress, but I sure got away with using it for one! 

I made the size 3 with flutter sleeves.  The Nicole comes with 3 different sleeve options, none, fitted and flutter.  The petti on this dress is also attached so that we aren't having to layer to get the fullness, which is great!  It's actually the first dress I ever made that way and I love it!  One thing I may personally do different next time for us is to add another strip of tulle above the one your instructed to do, and it may not even work.... With a heavier fabric it may not be an issue, but this was a lightweight woven so if she touches her skirt it indents and BOTHERS me, I'm sure as a 3 year old it's very high on her list of worries :) 

She's even already worn it out!  Remington's Pre-K class went to choose a tree at a local tree farm so ofcourse our "Party" dress was the most obvious to wear and play in because it had a tree on it!  This was by the way the tree she chose, Remington was lucky enough that out of 30 little kids, his teacher took HIS tree back to the church, so she decided she could tell his teacher she wanted this one too...she was quickly instructed that she would have to ask her Daddy...pictured there in the tan shirt, and he said NO!  We aren't happy with him because he wont let us have a real tree...darn allergies!!!  And no, we never have found a white sweater we liked this year and she's a goof that makes me button anything that has a button so you couldn't see her scene!  Regardless she had a ball and played in the Nicole with ease and looked beautiful while she was at it!

The front of the dress if you haven't noticed has 2 beautiful pleats that gives it a distinctive look, and the back...I just LOVE the back...

Isn't it gorgeous?!?  I love how deep the neckline is, I think that might be one of my favorite parts of the dress.  Nicole has 3 buttons,  if you can't tell, and ofcourse a sewn in sash so that you have that beautiful bow to adorn the back of your dress as well!  

And you all may look at this dress and think that it took a super long time to make...well if so your WRONG.  I was pleasantly surprised myself at how quickly this one went together.  I never try and time myself and I always have 2 little people needing this and that or fighting or "helping" me and I have to stop to go get this one or that one from school, but I know that even after I sewed the bottom skirt on wrong side out...so that the tulle touched her skin, which is a big no-no...and then fixed it, that this one still probably only took me 3 hours if that!  Kristen, the most wonderful, fabulous designer of this dress, timed herself and she got under 4 hours as well, and if I'm correct she has, not 3 like me, but 5 kiddos!  She made a post in the CKC Pattern group (which you will have to request to join) and had everyone guessing!  It's so much fun over there...if you aren't a part of it you should consider joining.  You will find some more fabulous versions of the Nicole and be able to get help on anything you may ever get stumped on!

I love this picture too, not sure why, but it's pretty to me!

Anyway, thank you all for stopping by and taking the time to read about my version of the Nicole.  I'm not sure what else there is that I can say about this dress since I have already professed my love for it!  Kristen and CKC have once again hit it out of the ballpark with this one as always so be sure you grab it while it is 30% off...they also always have tiered pricing over there too so take a look around and see what else you can find :)

Nicole's Party Dress

Happy Sewing!