Petiteboutdechou – Mini Mara Dress

Hello everyone, I am Leen and I am blogging at http://petiteboutdechou.blogspot.com/
I am really happy to present you my version of the Mara-blouse today. From the first moment I saw this pattern, I fell in love with it especially because of the cute yoke-part. Also, the pattern is really inspiring and allows personal adaptations so easily.

For this blog-tour I also chose to alter the pattern a little bit by adding a little personal touch. Since July and August can sometimes be a little chilly here in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) because of the rainy season, I decided to make a dress version with elbow-long sleeves. In the end, I shortened the dress length so it became a mini-dress (or tunic) so my girl can both wear it as a dress on those sunny days and also wear it with some leggings or even some cool pair of jeans on those rainy one’s. I have to admit I adore the way the mini-dress shows her cute baby-legs!

When Marte announced the Mara blog-tour, I was tempted at first to sew a really African version of the blouse using one of those colorful wax-prints. But then my eye spotted this nice fabric with a blue and orange diamond-shaped print and my idea totally changed. The search for matching piping turned out to be a real challenge. I first wanted to add a zigzag around the yoke but I couldn’t find a matching color so in the end I worked with some synthetic lace, with I cut in halve and used only for the nice border. My personal touch to this version of the Mara, was added in the very end. To spice up the elbow long sleeves, I decided to add sleeve covers and a little overlap with the same orange buttons I used on the yoke.

After measuring my girl, I sew the two year version for my eighteen months old girl. It turned out really well, don’t you think?

At last, I would really like to invite everyone to sew their own version of the Mara-blouse and join the sew-along. The pattern is really fun, not at all difficult and there are some great prices to win!! I already participated with a second Mara, so come and join me …