Under the sea...

For my niece's recent birthday (she just turned 6!), she requested new clothes for her doll, Ariel. Ariel is Makayla's favorite Disney princess, and the doll is one of Mak's most prized possessions. (The picture to the left is from the year that Mak first got the doll from her Uncle Keith. I think she was 4.)

My SIL passed along Mak's request for new clothes, along with some crucial measurements, and I got to work on a design. I still had some fabric left over from the Ariel apron I made for Makayla earlier in the year (do you seem a theme here?), and I thought that would make a perfect dress!

I made the dress in two sections, plus the straps at the top. I designed it as a smock-type dress with a snap closure at the back. (I wasn't sure how big Ariel's' head was, so I figured it was better to make something that didn't have to pulled over her head.) Even though I found out later that my measurements were a little off (apparently Ariel is a little more "gifted" in the "fin" region, so the top fit, but the bottom of the dress didn't cover as much as it should have), I think it was a good learning experience. I'm planning on making a new-and-improved version of the dress soon...hopefully one that will cover everything!