You know the saying, April showers bring flowers. That is definitely what is happening in our neck of the woods. We are currently on Spring Break and it is going to rain the entire week. I am trying not to complain because I am hoping that everything will start to bloom and it won’t look so bleak anymore.
This week we are talking about outfits for Easter and Passover. We celebrate both holidays. My husband is Jewish and I am not so, our kids get the full benefits (toys/candy) of all the Jewish and Christian holidays. Because of this my mother refers to us as “double dippers”. Easter and Passover combined with this week being Spring Break means that we have a jam packed week full of travel, eating, family & fun.
I celebrated Easter growing up and it was one of the bigger holidays in our family. It definitely ranked up there with Christmas. We didn’t go to church, but we would celebrate with a big family dinner at one of my grandparent’s houses. That meant every year my older sister and I got a new Easter dress. My mom would go all out. Not only did we get new dresses, but there were usually hats and gloves and maybe even some cute little purses involved. We would get all dressed up and off we would go to grandma’s house.
Needless to say those days are long gone and since we don’t live near any family we usually end up celebrating Easter and Passover with just the four of us. It’s usually very casual. I’ll cook dinner, but it’s never anything fancy because I don’t really like to cook and my kids are terrible eaters. Because of this we usually don’t get dressed up either.
This year I decided to change that! I thought I’m going to sew something anyway, why not make something for the kids too. I’m sure they will wear everything for about 10 minutes and then my son with complain that his tie is too tight and my daughter will want to put on shorts. However, I’m making an effort this year and taking photographic proof that we dressed up for the holidays.
Spring Outfits My Dress
I made this dress using Simplicity pattern 1609 and it is my new favorite pattern! I have had it for a while, but I’m now just getting around to making it. It’s such a cute, simple, timeless style. I’m guessing that’s why they decided to re-issue it. It’s one dress with a few fun variations. You can add a bow to it or a Peter Pan collar. I opted to leave the neckline as is. I didn’t love the seam down the center front so I cut the front on a fold instead. I also cut 6 inches off the bottom and added a self drafted double flounce. In case you can’t tell I have a thing for a double flounce. I have used it on my red seersucker skirt and my Chanel inspired suit. Not sure what it is, but it just makes clothes more fun to wear.
Spring Outfits Fabric
This is a simple cotton fabric I have had for years. I don’t remember where I bought it, but I love the flower print. It’s perfect for spring. I had over 3 yards so there was plenty for my dress, the skirt for my daughter and my son’s bow tie.
Spring Outfits Casey’s Skirt
My daughter’s skirt is a simple self drafted a-line skirt with an elastic waistband. I measured her waist and added 8 inches. On a piece of fabric folded in half I measured down 30 inches at an angle.
Next, I stitched the back seam closed and serged the waistband. I used 1.5” piece of elastic and sewed a 2” casing by folding over the waistband with wrong sides together. Then I inserted the elastic and stitched it closed.
My daughter is always asking me to make her things, and when I do she never ends up liking them. She says she will and then I never see her wear it. We’ll see what happens with the skirt.
Spring Outfits Sam’s Bow-tie
I think my son’s bow-tie is adorable. I made this using a tutorial I found on Pinterest. It was very simple to make and took about 20 minutes. He actually doesn’t mind getting dressed up once in a while. He is the type of kid who wears a shirt and tie for school picture day.
When I told me kids I was taking pictures of them for the blog they really decided to ham it up.
Whatever you are up this week and weekend I hope you enjoy it. Happy Easter and Passover to those who celebrate!
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Thanks for reading. Hope you are off to a great holiday week!
Photos by Chloejane Photo + Film