A second life for a yellow dress

Rhythm of the Home posted a wonderful story come tutorial not so long ago called The three lives of a dress by Mary of Poppies and Milk...it made me think of this dress:

I think this picture was taken in late 2006 - how sweet my big girl looks with her hair tied up in ribbons and the dress reaching down to her ankles.
This dress was given to her by a friend (and it was given to her by a woman at the end of her street when her daughter had grown out of it) My big girl loved it, she still loves it BUT the bodice was becoming very thin with wash and wear and getting very tight!
I made plans to make time (that sounds so crazy!) to turn the dress into a skirt and while I was thinking about it I remembered a book we once borrowed from the library ~ The Cherry Dress by Elizabeth Honey ~

 I began a search, in vain! the book is out of print! My sister came to the rescue finding me a copy at The Book Depository.

Sally loves her cherry dress. She wears it every day, every summer, everywhere, until she's just too big to wear it anymore. then what becomes of her special dress?

The Cherry Dress is an affectionate story about the passing of time and seasons, growing up, favourite things, and the links between family and friends.

It is a wonderful, wonderful story...the dress is passed to her little sister, then friends..and then well I wouldn't want to spoil the ending. I reminds me of my mum who as I remember was always at her sewing machine and my big sister and my cousin too; I got hand-me-downs from all over...I really like that even our copy of the book is second hand.

And so to the second life of the yellow dress ~

She would like me to add a pocket, I think i will try to fashion one from the lace collar

 - so just like Sally she can "put stones in the pocket, and feathers, and shells, and gumnuts and jelly beans"