Signature Style Special Occasion Wear

This week's project for Project Run and Play is the signature style challenge.

My signature style has always been special occasion wear.

This may seem like an eliminating factor to some since most people wouldn't let their daughter play in a pageant dress, but my girls have the pleasure of playing dress-up in their dresses after pageant day. 

I found my signature style when I found my calling for sewing.

As a child I wasn't able to wear the dresses I longed to wear because my family was pretty poor.

I wanted to wear dresses like Carolina's Lucille Ball dress every day of my life.

I got hand me downs and wore the heck out of the prettiest dresses, to gather the eggs out of the hen house, chase down the ponies, and feed the hogs.  

When the county pageant came around each year I couldn't enter because we couldn't afford the dress.

So, I just knew I would learn how to sew so my daughters could enter the county pageant every year if they wanted to.

The first dress I ever made was my little sister's prom dress.

I wish so badly I had a picture of it.  

That was over 20 years ago though.

I might have to make a replica of it someday.

The second dress I made was for the Homecoming Queen.

It just goes on from there.

A few weeks ago I made this dress for Kai to wear in the county fair pageant.

She's really into Barbie dolls right now, so I made her Barbie a matching gown.

Kai said all of her friends told her she reminded them of a Disney Princess, which makes this dress a total winner in her eyes, and therefore mine as well.

Afterall, she is my inspiration. 

I think the curly ruffles is what sets this dress apart from the others.

I made them by adding 80lb test fishing line to the hem, as can be seen in my tutorial here.

The best part about looking at these pictures is knowing she just got through winning first place in the bicycle race right before slipping into her dress and sashaying out onto the stage.

Atta girl!