There are certain days of the year where a little girl needs to look her best. Like the day when school photos are taken. This is the dress for those days.
This versatile pattern includes all the great details you look forward to seeing in our sewing patterns. Both views include a unique construction feature–a hidden kangaroo pocket at the front princess seams. S loves this because, she says, her hands touch when she puts them into the pockets.
The dress is fully lined and has an invisible zipper at the back. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to put in. As always, we walk you through the steps slowly and carefully. And if you’ve never sewn a zipper, you’ll feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment once you’ve finished the dress!
View A (shown in the image below) has an elegant stand-away, rolled collar for a tailored look. The three-quarter-length sleeves have a wide cuff to match the collar. I especially like this view with more feminine fabrics. The tailored style contrasts nicely with the fabric.
View B (shown at the top of this post and below) is a sweet, feminine version of the dress with a ruffled collar and bound, slightly gathered sleeve cuffs.
This dress looks great in a wide variety of light- to medium-weight fabrics. As with most of our patterns, it works nicely with quilting cottons. But think about trying lightweight fine-wale corduroy for an everyday winter version. I sewed the dress S is wearing above as a school uniform for her. It’s made from a navy wool suiting (gabardine or tropical wool work well) to adhere to her dress code. For a dressy look, try silk dupioni, taffeta, or faille. I love it in this rose-colored dupioni.
You can use many fabrics for the lining. Lightweight cotton lining works well for almost any dress fabric you choose. I used Bemberg lining for S’s wool dress because I like the quality. It’s durable, breathes, drapes beautifully, and feels wonderful to the touch. I know S will like it because it’s so soft and silky. (And, to let you in on a little secret, the lining is bright pink. That way, she can wear a little pink to school and no one will know.)