Thursday, April 8, 2010

Matching dresses.

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McCall made a comment on her blog about matching Easter dresses. She wrote: "I used to just love getting a new Easter dress ... and until I was about 12 and started to complain ... my Easter dress always matched Haley and Chloe's."

Now as her mother, how could I possibly resist posting this picture after reading that? There are many, many more pictures of these little girls in matching dresses, but this was a particularly glorious Easter for "da mama." I thought they were out of this world adorable!

(Disclaimer about Chloe's hair: She had just woken up from a nap and we dragged her out of the car to get a picture. We also pulled her pacifier out of her mouth - notice the rash under her lip - and she wasn't real happy about any of it.)

I don't think mothers really dress their girls alike anymore, but for a REALLY long time, we did. (I have pictures of me dressed just like my sister too.) It was mostly on holidays, namely Christmas and Easter.

By the time I had the three girls in a row it was getting really expensive to buy them all new dresses and tights and shoes at the same time. But it was also one of those gotta do things - so one Easter I decided that I would try to save some money and make their dresses. But of course, I couldn't just go to a regular fabric store. NO! I had to go to Calico Corners to find fabric that would be different and more luxurious that cost $12.99 a yard instead of $4.99.

So that particular year, I went ahead and bought the $12.99 a yard fabric (times three dresses) and the zippers and patterns and thread. I also had to buy a sewing machine, since the one I had wasn't really any good and was making me a little crazy during the project.

I remember staying up on Easter-eve until about 3:00 am, trying to get those darn dresses done in time for church on Easter Sunday morning. I also remember being sore, tired and cranky by the time I got through.

All totalled, I had spent about $500 getting those 3 little dresses made.

There was a lesson learned that day, and one I am going to share with any of you young mothers who think it might be less expensive to make something ... it isn't. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

Definitely do the math. And take into consideration the frustration of shopping for the supplies, redoing countless seams, having them not turn out exactly as you had hoped, and the countless hours of time you spent doing it - when you could have just gone to the store, died over the cuteness of a dress on the hanger, and swiped your debit card.

Seriously - learn that lesson by someone else's experience, not your own.

(And as a side note: These weren't even the dresses I was talking about. This was the year before ... I hadn't learned my lesson yet because after I was frustrated enough with the project that year, I enlisted the help of my sister, Leslie, to finish the sewing. She actually enjoys sewing and is good at it. And I was expecting baby #4 in a couple of weeks and had had it. The lesson came the following year, when I didn't enlist any help.)

8 comments:

  1. oh my. oh my. oh my. that is exactly what i'm talking about. love it!!!

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  2. Oh I love your post...I have 3 girls too and would always dress them the same...never did sew though...just bought and that was expensive. But I so hear what you are saying.

    Just wanted to thank you so so much for your sweet caring comment you left on my blog the other day concerning my daughters migraines...I soooo agree with you that diet can play a big part...so so sorry to hear how you suffer and your daughter. I read your last post on Excedrine...we can not get this in Canada but I am always off to the US {we live only 30 mins. away} so will put his on my list. What a blessing you are...thank you so much for taking the time to help me out. Hugs to you for a wonderful weekend. xoxo

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  3. love that picture! being the only girl, my mom made an easter and christmas dress for me every year until I was about 12 or 13. Each dress of course had to have puffed sleeves, loads of lace, and of course, big flower patterns. *sigh* I can only imagine if I had a sister to share in the holiday dresses!

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  4. oops- i'm logged in under my hubs- this is shannon!

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  5. This is Shannon's mom! I used to love using the nice, home decorating fabric when sewing for Shan! I always used extra fabric for even fuller gathers and deep hems thaqt made the skirts stand out so full! It was the 80's after all!
    I enjoyed your picture!

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  6. oh gosh the matching dresses!! you ARE my mothers sister. this picture brings back SOOOO many memories {some good, and some not so}. and even though i hated it back then, its soooo cutie! :)

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  7. Remember when we had matching Eatser dresses...the lond light blue ones with the flowers on the front...in eighth grade????
    Isn't that cute...cause I never had a real sista! Love you Pol

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  8. That would be LONG light blue ones...fingers weren't working properly!!! =0)

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