I love the new 'color block' dresses I'm seeing on celebrities. The patterns they use give the impression of hourglass figures, or waistlines where there aren't any! I found one pattern online from the 1970's, but the seller only has a MUCH smaller size, and it would require my adding sleeves, changing size, changing neckline, so...meh. Has anyone seen a good currently available pattern for colorblock dresses?

I love to sew FOR the little girls in my life - nieces, friend's daughters, little girls from church - and always the same thing - sundresses. Something about little girls in floaty, summery colors; it's my favorite thing to sew. More importantly, I love to sew WITH my niece, Ali. She's learned to use the machine to sew a simple quilt pattern we devised together, and I hope this summer to start her on simple clothing patterns. I didn't have a daughter, so it's a wonderful gift to be able to pass on my grandmother's lessons to Ali.

I was attracted to this contest by the book's cover; I had a rag doll my great-grandmother made for me with a purple gingham dress. I called her Grape. When she was lost in a house fire, I always told myself I would make a new Grape doll one day. Maybe this book would tell me how!