Now that the sewing for the baby dwelling is complete and its elements are all assembled (photos to follow soon) my daughter advises that there is no time like the present to get cracking on baby dresses. Doing a little preliminary research today I discovered the model above. It is a mock-up or sample from Ningbo Sunvinas International Co., Ltd. – a manufacturer in China that can produce dresses like this one (or designed to your own specifications) at a rate of 50,000 garments per month (minimum order is 2,000). Price per piece is open to negotiation. To quote the site:
Ningbo Sunvinas international Co., Ltd. Is a specialist manufacturers and exporters with a mainly series of textile products line that covers polar fleece items, coral fleece, cushions, bedding sets, towel, bathrobe, curtain and so on. Rencenly years, in order to meet more customers' requirments, we extend the products ranges and Is currently a proffessiol suppliers of baby series such as baby gift set, baby bib, baby clothing, baby socks...In addition, We attach great importance to product development and quality control. A production can be made based on your design and our existing designs. Now our main sales markets are Hong Kong, the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Australia. You can expect everything you want here in Sunvinas Limiteds.
Alternatively, what you see above is a baby dress for a dog, available here at a single-unit retail price of $44.99. It comes in six sizes (and there is a helpful diagram about measuring your dog).
You say your dog doesn't like the dress? Well, what about a rubber stamp? The Smocked-Baby-Dress Rubber-Stamp below is shown actual size and can be ordered here for only £7.99. Plus a roughly equal amount in shipping charges.
The Modern Posh Christmas Tutu below is available in a 6-inch length for a newborn and then incrementally all the way up to a 22-inch length. Already I am picturing matching mother/daughter Christmas tutus.
There are detailed photo-instructions here for making the infant dress below from a pair of vintage hankies (or even better, four vintage hankies, and it can be reversible).
Below is another reversible dress made from vintage fabrics. When I see such a great example of re-scaling, I start seriously thinking about thrift stores where I might find prints from the Seventies and Eighties. But many of them would be slippery synthetics to be avoided.
The 60s-inspired Faces Dress (below) is made in Portland by Baby Wit and priced at $36. But they are out of stock in the 0-18 mo. size, unfortunately.
The same company has a Jim Morrison onesie in size 3-6 months that has me seriously tempted. Wouldn't Jim be surprised to see what fate has accorded him? Odd to think that his icon-appeal would function most powerfully among the generation who constitute the grandparents of present-day newborns.
Alas, their Bunny Fantasy Dress has also sold out in all the small sizes, and is not the sort of thing an amateur could very well replicate at home. Some things are just not to be.
Another little dress that comes with a free online pattern is hanging up below in two slightly different prints. I think a few of these big-prints-on-small-garments are fun, but too many of them would make the eyes dizzy.
A company called Itty Bitty Yuppy made the similar-but-more-conventionally-proportioned dresses below, which were one-of-a-kind using vintage fabrics, but as far as I can determine they no longer have a web presence. These are brilliant, I think, especially in the way the subtle line of gathers between the straps gives structure to the whole garment.
"Vintage Kewpie Dress" below available in 3-6 month size here. It reminds me of the grown-up women's clothing at Anthropologie, where detailing is consciously elaborated to justify a steeper price. The Kewpie Dress is $68.
Not to be outdone, Baby Wit offers an ironic Farm Dress With Attached Apron Skirt (for your postmodern toddler) at $86.
To be continued ...