Little Miss has started asking to wear dresses each morning, and with the wild and woolly weather here in Perth, it was time to make a long-sleeve dress or two.
Perfect timing, the lovely Andrea from The Train to Crazy released her first pattern: the Go To Signature Dress. In sizes 12 months to 12 years, this pattern has options galore: maxi, knee or tunic-length; long, short, cap, ruffle or flutter sleeves; 4 styles of pockets (or none); a hood, applique options, tulle at the hem, and the list goes on. But don’t let that overwhelm you! I opted for a long-sleeve, knee-length dress, with an extra ruffle sleeve for a bit of detail, shirring at the waist and no pockets:
The pattern is for knit fabric, and I used Stella cotton elastomeric fabric (made in Australia) that I bought direct from the manufacturer (Standardknit fabrics) as part of a co-op (this fabric is wonderful to sew with!), and the flower print is an interlock fabric I bought awhile ago at Spotlight. The ribbing around the neck is also from my stash and I’m not sure if I bought it at Spotlight or thrifting (it’s amazing how many different colours of ribbing I’ve found in thrift stores!).
There is a lot of detail in the pattern, including tips on how to sew knits and lots of photos. The dress came together really easily and was a fun sew. There are just enough details to make a pretty dress, but nothing’s too time consuming.
And since it’s made from knit, it’s really comfy and fun to play in: a practical, but pretty dress for the active 20 month old. I made Size 2 and it was a great fit (a little room to grow) and is consistent with commercial clothing sizing. I’ll probably shorten the sleeves in summer to get a bit more wear out of the dress.
My pleats at the front turned out a little small – I think the fabric moved a bit when I was basting them. The two layers of sleeves also adds a bit of bulk at the shoulders, so I trimmed the seam allowances back to reduce it. The sleeves are a slim fit, which is great for keeping them out of food, but makes it a bit difficult to get the dress on and off. Here’s a few more photos of my little model (I just couldn’t narrow it down any more!).
And one of big brother too (I have no idea why I was getting this look!):
So I definitely recommend the Go To Signature Dress pattern for a comfy and pretty dress.
We need a few more long-sleeve dresses here. Any pattern recommendations?
Linking at:
It's adorable!! Great tip about trimming the shoulder seams! And thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteThe dress turned out great...and I can't believe how big your baby has grown!
ReplyDeleteVery cute! I can't recommend any dress patterns (all boy sewing here) but I'm sure I've seen someone use Rae's flashback tee and turn it into a tunic.
ReplyDeleteThat is really cute! I have my eye on that pattern... Think I need to purchase it. Such a good deal with so many options. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Oliver+S hopscotch dress is my current favorite dress pattern! I can't wait for fall to make a few long sleeved ones.
ReplyDeleteThis is adorable. I love the fabrics you chose. Thank you for the details on where you purchased. I am also in the market for long-sleeved clothing for my girls and just purchased this pattern:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.etsy.com/listing/78728207/city-dress-pdf-sewing-pattern-sz-12-mos
While I cannot tell you anything about the pattern yet as I have not used it yet, it looks to be pretty simple and cute. We're going for comfy, knit and cute for this fall/winter wardrobe.