I finished this ensemble for Gracie last week, and have been much too busy to show you, sorry.  We helped my daughter pack up her dorm room this past Friday (I don’t know how everything fit in our car!!!) and brought her home for the summer.  It goes without saying how nice it is to have her back!  I think she is a little bored right now though.  Her high school friends haven’t returned home, and her summer class at the community college hasn’t started, so not much to do but relax.

Here’s my beautiful Gracie modeling her new dress/cardigan ensemble.  The dress is made with a Japanese rose print in a very pretty, and unusual color palette.  The roses are in a deep terracotta-ish red, peachy melon, and cool pink.  There are some muted pastel yellow and peach bell-shaped blossoms scattered amongst the roses.  The greenery is in a muted mint green and turquoise.  The flora is outlined with a green-ish gray.  It is very colorful, but sophisticated.

I made Gracie’s dress with my newly drafted bodice that has a wider neckline.  Doesn’t this style look pretty on her?  The hemline is fancied up with ivory French cotton lace.  Matching ivory English nylon Cluny lace is used for the waistline sash.

Gracie’s short sleeved cardigan is made with summery cotton/Modal yarn in natural.  The nine color embroidery design is all free form, no planning; I simply stitched, adding motifs here and there until the composition was completed.  It coordinates perfectly with the dress fabric.

Gracies slouchy crocheted cap is made with matching bamboo thread.  A handmade bow that matches the waistline sash decorates the band.

A matching crocheted drawstring bag is a nostalgic touch.  A pearl looped tassel hangs from the bottom of the bag.  The bag opens and closes as Gracie finds little treasures to add to it.

The colorful and unique bracelet decorates Gracie’s wrist.  The bracelet is made with a coordinating resin rose, green heart, and links of silver-toned branches.  It closes with a handmade wire hook.

Underneath are a pair of coordinating cotton Lycra® tights.

“Natural Beauty” will be available tonight at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

I hope you all are having a beautiful day!  Thanks for stopping by, my friends!