A new dress

I have made a new dress for a dear friend. Yes, it is another Mary De. One of these days I'll venture out to another pattern, but for a Christmas gift I'm sticking with what I know. I did use a new plate, designed by my cyber smocking friend, Shannon. Here are her instructions. I absolutely love this design!! I am so pleased with how it turned out:
I didn't have room to finish with additional 1/2 step waves in gold and green as per the plate.

Look at these great buttons!

Overall, I am quite pleased with this--it may be my favorite one yet. Sadie's birthday dress is the most sentimental, but it certainly wasn't made quite as well as this one. Practice makes perfect, though this is far from perfect. I did however, get some French seams in this. I also had to contend with an idiotic 3/4 inch selvage, on a fabric that wasn't a full 45" width to begin with. Fortunately, in this toddler size, that doesn't matter much.

Here is a shot of the inside: hand-hemmed lining and the french seam.