A Birthday Dress for Haylee

Last year, my niece's birthday sneaked up on me (Side Note:  Did you know that "snuck" isn't really a word?).  As a teacher, the time from mid-May to mid-June is nothing less than crazytown flies quickly by.  My niece's birthday is June 6th (nice planning, sis)... Now, I'm not trying to make excuses, but work was really busy and I sometimes drop a ball or two.  Big surprise, I know.  The long and the short of it... I forgot to get a gift for my niece, Haylee. 

At the time, Haylee was only turning two and probably wouldn't know that auntie didn't bring her a gift, but my boys love giving gifts and I would never live it down.  As life gets busier, I'm getting really awesome adequate at improvising (I'm humble too).  Que brainstorm session... What can I do well?  Cooking, canning, crafting, reading, sewing...

• Cooking:  No, Haylee probably won't appreciate my latest culinary triumph.  She's turning two.
• Canning:  Nope, Haylee loves applesauce and jam, but what kid wants this as a gift? 
• Crafting:  Too many small parts.
• Reading:  I'm not sure Anna Karenina upholds the morals my sister wants to instill in her daughter.  Besides, she has a short attention span and cannot yet read.
• Sewing:  I could probably make this one work.

Once I had my medium narrowed down, I had to pick an item.  Where do start?  Etsy, of course!  Did you know some shops on Etsy sell PDF sewing patterns?  They are pretty awesome.  Most patterns are less than $10 and are instantly downloaded and ready to print.  With each Etsy shop I entered, I got more and more giddy about this project and decided to sew Haylee a dress for her birthday.  I have two boys at home and never get the opportunity to sew little dresses.  Eeek!

Finished Product.  Pattern found on Etsy by Little Bird Lane.

Happy 2nd birthday, Haylee!

Happy 3rd birthday, Haylee.  Pattern found on blog, Craftiness is Not Optional.

It only took some major slacking, a quick scramble, and one dress to create this new tradition.  Now, every year,  I make Haylee a dress for her birthday.  I love to create something for her and she loves to wear pretty dresses.  I'd say it's a win win.

Until next year...

Psst... I still have a few dresses available on my Etsy shop, LAnnaBanana Handmade.