Project Recycle - Winner

So, I went to find this post to add to a linky party and realized I'd never published it!!!!!  Then I went back and realized, I have a few posts that are written but I did the same thing, saved it but didn't publish it!   If you missed this over at The T-Shirt Diaries below is my winning entry - shower curtain turned Easter dresses!  Thanks again to Robin for such a great contest, I really loved participating.

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April Showers bring Easter Dresses?!?!?

I am so excited (and surprised) to have made it to the final round!  For this project I started with a fabric shower curtain that I picked up for $5 at the thrift store.  Aside from it being a large amount of nice fabric, I loved the top panel with embroidered flowers.

Every time I laid the curtain out to take a picture, a little boy tried to roll up in it, so this was the best I got...

I talked with my girls about what they wanted their dresses to look like, we sketched them out and then I cut... first, I cut out the front of one dress, using a similar style dress as a guide.  The back panel is the same shape, but 4 inches wider and only the solid color.

Since I'm too lazy to deal with zippers, I used elastic thread to shir the back panel.  I used white thread to contrast since I didn't have the perfect color on hand, and I didn't want to take 3 kids out in the cold to go buy more.

Originally designed as a skirt, the second dress came about when I was fitting my daughter for the skirt length.  I jokingly told her it was long enough to be a dress... She took the idea and ran with it giving me a new sketch.

The lining of the flowered fabric was the green, we used this to make the ties for the first dress.  When I tried it on my daughter to hem, she thought the serged edge was embroidered to match the white flowers... so it stayed.  If it bothers me enough, I'll hem it later.  A few straps and the girls' Easter dresses are ready to go!

Two dresses for only $5, works for me!

I still have about 1/3 of the solid coral fabric left over.  I'm hoping to make a vest and bow tie for my little man, but he says he doesn't like the color and I don't want to waste the fabric if he won't wear it!  Plus, he's requested a fedora to wear for Easter... at least I have a few weeks to figure that out!!!