If you've ever been to Disney (or visited a message board geared toward moms), you've probably seen a little girl in a frilly, ruffly, handmade dress, with or without matching pantaloons. Or maybe you've seen a little guy in a T-shirt with his initial or his age appliqued on the front in colorful fabric, all decked out with shorts to match. Over the years, I've purchased a few of these custom creations, with varying degrees of satisfaction. Some of the customs out there are great - beautiful fabrics, unique designs, and top-notch crafts(wo)manship - while others are poorly made, poorly fitted, or just plain boring. I am delighted to say that the beautiful outfits at The Blush Boutique fall into the first category.
The proprietor of The Blush Boutique, Manisha, has been an online friend of mine for several years. She has always been a creative type, but sewing is a particular passion of hers, and it shows! I was hesitant to place my first order, mostly because I just wasn't sure what to choose, but when she posted her first Pretty in Stripwork dress I was in love. Shortly thereafter, she also posted several beautiful sets of fabric from which to choose, and to make a long story short, we became the gleeful owners of this gorgeous dress, the Maybelle:
I was blown away by the high quality evident in both the fabrics and the workmanship. Every seam is serged, the elastic is strong and thick, and the straps are sewn on securely (something I've found can be tricky in custom designs!) More importantly, Daughter Bean and I just LOVED it, as you can clearly see in the second photo. We are both addicted to beautiful, joyful clothes, and The Blush Boutique did not disappoint!
It was not long after we received this dress that Blush announced an upcoming Mother's Day sale on their
Facebook page. I eagerly planned my cart, placing my order as soon as the sale began - and our newest dresses arrived today. I meant to take pictures of how thoughtfully packaged they were, but Daughter Bean had other plans. She is well aware that when something comes wrapped in tissue with ribbon and a card, it is almost definitely for her.It was raining today, so we did our fashion show in the house (and partially in our jammies). These dresses are so bright and gorgeous that they refused to be subdued by the clouds:
The Pretty in Budding Flowers Mary Kate Dress was based on one of Manisha's earliest creations, the first one in her shop that I had lusted after. That initial design sold quickly, and I was disheartened to see that it never went back up for sale. So, when the Mother's Day event was announced, I sent her a message asking if she had (or could get) more of these beautiful fabrics. She was more than happy to oblige, and I must say that I could not be happier with this dress. The colors are absolutely perfect on Daughter Bean, and I think you can tell that she agrees:
Blush's new headscarves are the perfect complement to these dresses. Just like her clothes, they are beautifully made in coordinating fabrics, with special attention paid to detail and quality. Daughter Bean insists upon having a matching hair accessory for every outfit, so these will get plenty of use in our house!
The original
Pretty in a Peasant Dress is another piece that I wanted the moment I saw it. The colors just popped on her darling little model, and they pop on mine, too - don't you think?
Like all of Blush's clothing, this dress is completely customizable - you can choose your own size, and even your own fabrics! Daughter Bean can be hard to fit, since she is slender but quite tall, so Manisha was able to make these dresses in a size 4, but with the length of a size 5. All I had to do was submit our measurements, and we ended up with the perfect dress!
I'm already thinking about our next order. There is so much more to choose from than just dresses (though that is certainly what my girly-girl favors!) Halter tops, ruffle pants, halterall jumpsuits, and peasant tops are just a few of the items she offers. If you could choose from the styles and fabrics available at
The Blush Boutique, what would you create?
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