for a very special one year old

this is one of those backlogged posts that i've bean meaning to write for months.

do you remember this sweet little babe? i do. i remember driving to visit her just weeks after she entered this world and crossing my fingers and toes that it wouldn't get too cold while i was in madison because then my car wouldn't start...i remember arriving with bags of groceries in preparation for cooking for the new mama and papa all weekend. i remember little baby nora falling asleep on my chest on the couch while her mama took a shower. and vacuuming their apartment, and cooking up some damn delicious grilled cheeses. and i remember being there for my friend, in her first weeks of a beautiful mamahood.

fast forward one year...back in october (i remember this because i was so proud of myself for being on top of this gift!) i decided that this special little lady was going to need a little first birthday love. and since they no longer live a four hour drive away from me, it couldn't be delivered in person. i decided to crack open the one ottobre issue (autumn 2007, if you're wondering) that i own and promptly settled on this tiered dress paired with some knit pants. since the little one is not easily accessible for measurements and i wanted it to be a surprise for her mama too, i winged it on the sizing and i think it's way too big. but she'll be able to wear it come spring.

bonus was that i had all this fabric in my stash. the alphabet fabric for the dress i think i got from a sally shim tag sale years ago, the polka dot that i used for the binding was gifted to me by a friend and the blue velvet ribbon was something i picked up at mj ribbons in new york a few years ago, knowing that i would eventually find the perfect use for it. the cotton jersey for the pants was left over from an alabama chanin project (my mom's rose shawl, i believe) and the green trim was leftover from a previous ottobre pattern for my newphew... i love remembering where all this fabric came from and thinking back to all the projects that created these leftovers. finding new life for these bits and bobs makes me happy...

aside from the sizing question, these two pieces came together pretty seamlessly. can't wait for her mama to send me some photos of her sporting this adorable little outfit.