For a sweet missionary girl

A few months ago, Q received an e-mail from a friend who is a missionary in Africa. The Winkler's asked family and close friends for hand-me-down clothes for their children. They mentioned certain sizes and asked if they could be sent to a relative's home so that when they arrived on furlough, it would be easy to get everything. Q forwarded the e-mail to me and we happened to think the same thing. The family has four boys and a little girl, so we thought it would be fun to make her a dress.

I made this dress using fabric I bought at Joann's during a red tag sale. The fabric is light blue with red roses and yellow flowers. I used Simplicity pattern #5226 and made a size 5 so that she could grow into it by next year. It is lightweight for the hot weather in Africa, but yet pretty enough for her to wear to church. I'm so glad I was able to finally get it done as I was very busy with all the end-of-the-school year stuff!

The dress didn't take me too long to make. I didn't time myself, but I think that if I had started it first thing in the morning, I would have been able to finish it by evening with minimal interruptions. The tricky part for me was attaching the top to the bottom. It isn't perfect, but all in all, I think it turned out well. This pattern also allowed me to learn how to make button holes and a collar for the first time. I love this dress and hope I can do it again some time in the future. I can't wait to hear our missionary friends' response after they get this gift in the mail. I know it will bless their hearts as it has mine in making this for their daughter.