an extravagant welcome--fashion forward children

To mix things up a bit, try making some changes in the clothing.
I find it easiest to take graph paper, make a 6 by 4 1/2 inch grid block, fill in the head and arms, then sketch in some alternate lines.

Don't overdo this. There is a primitive feel to the block, and by messing too much with embellishments and such, you will lose that appeal.

I've made shorts, apron, skirt and blouse, robe, empire waist, swim suit, suspenders, belt, and short sleeves.

The simplest change to make is to give the child short sleeves. This works with both the shirt and the dress.
Everything is cut and sewn the same except the sleeves are cut 1 inch squares and the arms are 1 by 1 1/2 inch of the skin fabric.


Changing the silhouette:
Because I really, really hate paper piecing, I don't go that route.
Instead, to have a different silhouette of a dress, I make a mark at a certain point on the back of the 3 by 2 inch background rectangle and draw a line from that point to the outer corner. I then take an oversized 3 inch square piece of dress fabric, sew and flip, and trim to the 3 by 2 inch size. Then do so as a mirror image on the other side. This works best with a non-directional dress fabric






These three silhouettes were with marks made at 1/2 inch, 3/8 inch, and flush with the top corner, then down to the bottom corner.

Coming next, swim suits!