Today we have Shannon, who sewed up a darling dotted Little Bow Pleat dress and surprised the heck out of me (since she usually sews for tweens and boys). Check out her adorable creation.
I was really itching to make one of the adorable dresses from the Blank Slate pattern collection, but my girls are almost teenagers now and have sized out of the smaller sized patterns. Not to be deterred, I found the next best option:
This is Miss "M" our next door neighbor. She's 4 years old and a bottle full of awesomeness. Her favorite colors are "pink, pink, pink (and purple)", in that order. She also really likes her pre-kindergarten teacher Miss Jackie and can count to 10 without batting an eye 🙂 .I was so excited when her mom agreed to let me sew something for her. I was even more excited when she agreed to model the dress for my post.
I asked Miss "M" and her mom, to pick out their favorite dress, and they picked the Little Bow Pleat Dress (my favorite too!)
When my girls were small, and I was just beginning to sew for them, one of the reasons I didn't sew many dresses was because 1) I was afraid of zipper installations. 2) The patterns were too complicated, and 3) I didn't like the styles offered in the beginner patterns. The Little Bow Pleat Dress has to be the easiest dress I've ever made. I would recommended it to any confident beginner. Lots of style with minimal effort is always a plus in my book. The instructions are super easy to follow and include step-by-step color photos to make the assembly almost mistake proof.
My pattern recommendations:
1 ) Follow the instructions carefully and use the sizing chart to ensure a perfect fit. (I made a size 4T based on the chart measurements, and it fit perfectly.)
2) Measure your child's upper arm carefully before cutting out your band.The sleeve is gathered, so there's plenty of room for adjustments if needed. (I added about 1/4" to make sure that the sleeve fit comfortably.)
3) The bow includes a "v" stitch to hold it in place. Make sure that your bow is even on both sides before stitching.
4) Afraid of zippers? No worries. Melissa's "easy peasy" zipper technique makes installation a breeze.
I wish I had this pattern when my girls were younger. It's such a classic piece and perfect for a "girly" girl (and not so "girly" girls, too).The drape of the dress is nice and breezy in a light cotton.(I used a polycotton blend.) It can also be made in a knit fabric which is next on my list when I sew this lovely dress again.
