maya and neela's dad is indian. he's also a huge packers fan, which isn't relevant to this story but if there are facts about him going up on the internet he would want it included. also one time at banana republic someone mistook him for an employee because he is just that stylish. (did i miss anything om?)

anyways because their dad is indian and their mom is caucasian maya and neela have beautiful ethnically ambiguous complexions. this means two things: 1) they are likely to follow in their aunt's footsteps and be featured on promotional material for any institutes of higher education they attend and 2) they can pull off colors my sister and i would never even try, including mustard (or cheesehead as the case may be) yellow.

when I saw this remnant of 'historic tile' in citron from the joel dewberry notting hill collection at gather here during their annual sale in 2013 i snatched it up knowing it would perfect for maya.

it took me a while to decide what to make with this fabric, mostly because i couldn't find any buttons or ribbon that went with the print and color. (at the time i had just come off making 6 fairy tale dresses by oliver + s and needed a break from zippers.)

then i realized maya could pull off a jack donaghy 'power clashing' look. i picked up these contrasting red buttons (also from gather here) and decided to make a pattern i hadn't tried before: the bubble dress from oliver + s.

now obviously i love all 48 (94 of you count different sizes) of my oliver + s patterns equally. i've gone to stores in seven states and searched the depths of the internet to acquire them. (i'm only missing one and has become my white whale). each one is special in it's own unique way.

but there is a very special place in my heart for the bubble dress pattern, especially the bodice. something about the full lining, cap sleeves and clean button placket that makes it really satisfying to sew.

also can we talk about how perfectly i matched up the pattern here?

not to mention this style is very practical as it can be worn with or without long sleeves and leggings underneath making it work year round.

love aunt maggie | power clashing dress

also looks great with a cardigan.

this is one of those times when i feel like i got an exceptional deal and need to share the details of it. the fabric was $6, the thread was $2, and the three buttons were $1.80. i had the elastic and lining fabric in my stash, so for under $10 we have a dress that was a regular in maya's rotation for over 18 months.