Two Frannie dresses

I made both these dresses (from a Lyn Weeks/Especially for You pattern called Frannie) last summer. I like this pattern because it protects my kid's shoulders from the sun but seems really cool. And it's got such a cute, vintage-y feel. It's fun to make because there aren't many pattern pieces and the sleeve construction is unusual. It goes together pretty quickly -- very few pattern pieces and only two buttons on the back -- but the piping (which I love) does add to the time and complexity of the pattern.

The pink & blue fabric is from a line called Hello Betty.

The red gingham dress was more work because of the embroidery. I used Floche for the padded satin stitch and got the P pattern from a French embroidery book called Alphabets. It has red & white picot trim on the sleeves & collar and the piping fabric on the yoke seam is white with tiny cherries.