Roses and smocking

My mom and sister, who put together my reception, bought lots of different blue fabrics for the tables, and afterward my mom gave them to me.  I am using most of the fabric in a quilt for Dan and I (to be finished someday).  And, I've used some of it for other projects, including a new born dress. 

I originally cut out the fabric for this dress back when Emily was a newborn (or maybe before she was born, I don't remember).  I cut out two dresses back then, and only made one.  I meant to make the second dress for my sister-in-law, when she had a little girl about a year later (the fabric is covered in roses, and she's a Rose).  But that never happened.

So, when I geared up to make Emily dresses, I decided that I needed to finish the newborn dress for her little sister.

I've used the pattern before (Simplicity 4709--the same one I used back in January to make Emily's nightgown), so sewing it up went fairly quickly.  Except for the part where I decided to add some smocking to the front.

First I had to learn how to use the smocking function on my sewing machine.  This required lots of tests, and eventually figuring out that it looked a lot better if I smocked it up-side-down.  And then the first color I used didn't look right, and I picked the whole thing out and did it again.

I think it turned out pretty cute.  And now Emily's sister has a dress made just for her.  (At least, we think she is having a sister.  We will find out in a few weeks.)