I’ve been sewing up a Scottish National dress, or a lilt dress, for a good friend’s daughter.   It’s due on Friday, and includes a separate petticoat.  I’ve made several petticoats over the last few years to go under all the dresses that I’ve smocked for my daughters.  Little girls smocked dresses just look that extra bit more special when they’re supported by a petticoat.

I usually go by the guidelines in Australian Smocking & Embroidery #50 for girls’ petticoats.  They have 3 options: a petticoat with a lycra bodice, half petticoat, or a petticoat with a purchased singlet (tank top).  In my experience with girls and their petticoats, the version attached to a tank top stays in place guaranteed, and since this one will be used for Scottish dancing competition, I thought it would be the best option.  No one wants their petticoat sliding down around their knees in the middle of a dance!

I worked backwards for this petticoat, beginning with 6 metres of eyelet trim, and calculating down to determine the length of each tier.  In other words, 6m for the bottom ruffle, 4.5 m for the 3rd ruffle, etc.  Petticoats are simple to make.  It just takes a lot of thread.  This one is of the same poly-cotton broadcloth that the dress is made of.

And I finally finished the embroidery on a UFO, which has been languishing in my life for the last 18 months or so.I used to smock all my girls’ dresses when they were small.  Some of the ones I bothered to photograph can be seen at my Tia Dia Needleworks Flickr site on the left.  Some I sent to Haiti with my mom, who goes for about 6 months every year.  But now that DD3 is 8 years old, the smocking just doesn’t seem stylishly appropriate somehow.  I do miss it, though.  I find it strangely calming after a stressful day of “mom taxi”.  This particular dress was supposed to be for Easter a couple of years ago.  It’s of white linen, and I have no idea whether DD3 will wear it, or it will go into storage for some other little person in the future.  It’s supposed to have a peter pan collar and tulip shaped sleeves with embroidery, but I’m in doubt about both.  I may make this into a sundress, or leave off the collar and bind the neckline.  If it doesn’t have a peter pan collar, DD3 just might wear it next spring.