You have soooo got that right!!!
Brody and Mia seem to be kind of 'in between' the 'standard' sizes...almost at the max chest size for Small...which fit perfect except are too short lengthwise sometimes, and at the very bottom of Medium which end up being too big all the way around most of the time and they get caught up in them...and the clothes are too pricey for me to want to take them apart at home and re-make them.
I just went to the fabric store yesterday looking for remnants to use to make doggie clothes. For almost $12 plus tax they'd (apparently begrudgingly) part with a 1.197 yd piece of fleece that was not even a nice color or as thick or luscious as the sherpa throws we got at the dollar store...which were twin size and only a couple dollars more!..or as nice or large as the fleece throws we got from the grocery store! They were charging retail prices for almost unusable sized remnants!
I also was interested in embellishments, and yarns to crochet stuff for my babies. I have yarns already, but not the kinds that would make good clothes but which do make fabulous baby (and kitty) afghans. I'm sorry, but $8 for a tiny 'skein' of yarn is never gonna be in my budget regardless how large my budget is...I was astounded by what I considered 'highway robbery' prices in the fabric store! I paid only about $3-4/(full-sized) skein for the wonderful, fuzzy baby blanket yarns for my last few baby (and kitty) afghans.
It is true that I have not sewn since the '90's, but now that we only have the one fabric store left in town, they are way too proud of their stuff for me to feel comfortable as their customer. I have bought marine vinyls and upholstry fabrics there more recently than clothing fabrics, and they were not so pricey with fabrics at that time. I have also bought tons of ribbons and embellishments for the wedding, etc. cakes I make, and doggie bows...but not there...and not for those prices! Yikes!
I left with nothing but ideas for where else to go...except there! For a lot less than $12, I can buy huge fleece throws to cut up for hoodies, and I'm thinking flea markets, thrift stores, dollar stores, outlet, and 'basement' stores, etc. for old or less expensive clothes and other items...and only for the fabrics! I don't know, but it feels messed up to me!
I used to design and make all my own clothes and patterns, and their clothes except jeans, but had no more time after the kids got older since I was also working all day and taking care of everything else, too.
I got over the idea years ago of using sheets, which we all used to do, because the prices of sheets jumped a long time back. I am re-thinking it, though, and also re-thinking the bed-in-a-bag kits...some of them seem pretty inexpensive now that I have seen the prices of plain fabrics!
I am glad you mentioned dinner napkins, though...I wouldn't have thought of them 'cuz I'd not have thought there was enough fabric...guess I'd have been wrong! . Placemats might work, too, the quilted kind for jackets and vests. Maybe rain coats as well! I will have to finish constructing my patterns and measure to make sure they can be cut from napkins, but hey...if they won't, trim they may become!
I think you did a great job! The dress is so cute!! Thanks so much for sharing your lovely handiwork and ideas!