[totterwalker]

My godchild is turning five and is HUGE fan of Frozen.

I promised her mother I would make her a queen elsa dress:

I thought the garden party dress would be the easiest to adapt but now i’m having doubts. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips? Her birthday is coming up soon and I’m worried I won’t be able to work this out. All advice welcome!

Garden party dress:

[Nicole]

I think I would go with a Tea Party dress, use something glittery for the top and lighter for the bottom.

http://oliverands.com/oliver-and-s-patterns-dresses/OLV-OS001TP.html

I lengthened one here https://www.flickr.com/photos/motherof5/8372437430/in/set-72157625798123980

And adding a lining here http://www.pinterest.com/pin/73676143873954745/

You could then make a Forest Path cape out of glittery stuff to wear over it http://oliverands.com/oliver-and-s-patterns-singles/OLV-OS040FP.html

Sorry not to be more help. I tend to to stick to costume patterns. I am not that imaginative.

Good luck!

[Nicole]

PS I do have a tute for the Garden Party here, http://www.pinterest.com/pin/73676143878334960/ if you would like to have a look at the construction.

[Cat75]

I haven’t made the garden party dress so I am not sure how easy this would be to do. But,…You could get a lighter blue for the arms/ top chest. Maybe a lacy sparkly overlay for the shirred part, and the skirt and back all in one blue fabric. You would probably have to measure really carefully and sew the different fabrics together before you cut out the pattern. Does that make sense? Maybe sew a flowing lace veil from the pack top and the sleeve seems? I could also see the Little Things to Sew cape made in some filmy material added instead of the veil. I don’t think it would be that hard. Just time consuming.

The tea party dress would work too.

Hope that helps some. I would love to see what you come up with!

Jennifer

[Liesl Gibson]

Oh, this could be amazing! I love the idea of using the Garden Party Dress with a light blue, maybe even semi-sheer, for the sleeves and shoulders. And a turquoise for the yoke, skirt, and bands. Maybe even do sequins or sparkles on the bands and leave the rest of the dress more plain? I know the JoAnn stores and other chains carry a lot of prom and special-occasion fabrics if you want to go the sparkly route. My mom and I made S a dress-up princess dress a few years ago with JoAnn-sourced special occasion fabrics: http://disdressed.blogspot.com/2010/01/something-in-genes.html

Have fun, and be sure to show us when you’re done!

[mrskanuckles]

I am working in two of these dresses currently. Nicole suggested I show you my photos.

My prototype Is posted here.

Used simplicity 1627 as the bodice then shaped it. I can detail all of the mods if you are interested. Can’t wait to see yours.

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/mrskanuckles/sets/72157644049482381/

[with love Heidi]

Here’s some that have been made with Oliver and S patterns in the Flickr pool. https://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?w=694451%40N21&m=pool&q=Frozen

[meleliza]

Did she ask for that dress specifically? Because at the beginning and end of the movie, when she’s actually being the queen she’s dressed more ethnically and less sexy – those looks might be easier to replicate and also easier to make child appropriate.

If it’s the blue sparkles, I think you’ll have a much easier time starting from a medieval costume pattern that already has long sleeves and a dropped V waist line. If you google images, you can see how Disney dresses the dolls and makes the children’s costumes. The costumes for Snow White, Rapunzel and Glinda would all be good for a child like interpretation of Elsa’s dress.

How much did everyone love the costumes in this? Anna’s Scandinavian embroidered outfits were fantastic.

[Reeni]

As far as construction, the Garden Party is good as Liesl broke it up as above, but I’d also suggest Ice cream, puppet show or any other pattern with a yoke or break at the chest/sleeve line so you can do a sheer/sparkly silver for that and the sleeves, and blue for the rest of the dress. Another way: make a long sleeved shirt (from the new pattern just out) from one of those sparkly Lycra fabrics and make a separate blue Pinwheel to go over it, or use two fabrics for a Hopscotch dress.

[totterwalker]

Thank you all so much for your advice! I stuck with the garden party because I had already bought the digital pattern and my daughter is only 2 so I couldn’t justify buying another pattern that I wouldn’t get to use for many years.

mrskanuckles, your dress looks amazing!

My niece lives two provinces away so I had to rely on her mother’s measurements (she didn’t have tape) and ended up making the size 8 even though she is just turning 5. I hope it fits!

I added a little cape and am trying to find blue sequins to add to the bands. I bought white ones but I think I should really get light blue. Her party is on Saturday so I have to mail it by tuesday at the latest.

Thanks again for all of your help and for Leisl for designing such a great pattern. I can’t wait to make my daughter one but thankfully she doesn’t know disney yet. 🙂