Child's Dress #0501

This is Dress #0501, for the 1912 VPLL project. This project caught my eye because the sizing on it said 3-5 years old. My oldest daughter, here-to-after known as PIT (princess in training), is tall and skinny. Around the waist she measures as a size 2 or 3 and height-wise she measures as a 5 or 6. I figured by adding some length to the skirt layer (only 2 inches) and an extra inch to the skirt flounce, it would fit and for a while as well.

Once I got the pattern, I printed it and went to my stash. The pattern called for gingham and I do have some gingham that I normally use for trims or coordinating extras if needed. I found a pretty green in different size checks and pulled that out. Then, what to my surprise, but the next time I'm in Joann's getting fabric for Teacher Appreciation gifts, I find this really cute and fun fabric that has flowers all over it and solids to go with it. Immediately my PIT looks at me and says, "Mommy, don't forget kindergarten graduation is next week." You can tell where she is headed with this right? Yep, she NEEDED a new dress and this was the fabric for it and it WAS going to be done in a week.

Well, much to my hubby's chagrin, we bought the floral and a pink and a purple, because if PIT gets a dress than SP (Sweet Princess-my 4 month old) needs one too, right? And that means I can experiment with a smaller size as well and that just helps me with making the big one too, right? At least that's what my brain was saying to me.

 There were definitely some new terms to me in the instructions of this pattern. I had never heard of a chemisette or the idea of finishing a seam and then laying it over the raw edge of the other part and then stitching it down. Also this part here (the piece pinned so thoroughly) scared my hubby with how many pins I had to use to curve a simple piece of bias. It curved and fit, it just had me tearing my hair out for about an hour because I hate to iron and that seemed to be the only way to get it to fit.

The skirt flounce had a band sewn to it. The instructions called for the band to be sewn one end and then have the other side finished once the whole dress was put together to the "desired length". Well, I know what my finished length would be and the band was going to be folded in half, so I used this technique that I learned sewing pillowcases together.  Put the two pieces of fabric together right sides facing, then bring the other side of the band up and over the flounce piece and pin it into place, so the wrong sides of the band are out and you have 3 layers pinned together-both sides of the band and one side of the flounce. Sew this seam and then turn it right side out through the side seams. Press or topstitch this seam.
   

Here is her first fitting. I was devastated. That stupid bottom yoke piece was all over the place. And I do mean ALL over. This is just roughly pinning everything together to get a general idea of how it's going to fit. I really like the sleeves, the double layer looks kind of cool and the skirt looks great. But that bodice is supposed to be gathered into the lining and then sewn into the skirt and the belt goes over that. It's supposed to be gathered horizontally and laterally into the lining and sewn into the lining still at the neckline. This is 2 days before graduation and I  gave up for a day. I couldn't do it. I just could not bring myself to work on this dress for a whole day. I checked in on Facebook and the blog and got some words of encouragement and that it was ok to modify the pattern. I was trying to make it as authentic as possible, but that went out the window as quick as a wink. I ended up cutting about 8 inches off of the lower bodice so it was just 1 inch longer than the lining.

Come back a day later and I'm a little bit more ready for this challenge. I put the neckline together with a piping insert and a zipper because I was at crunch time. I opted to sew the belt in as a waistband and fore go the buttons and trims, just so it would be done on time. I did it! Well, almost (serging the edges and topstitching weren't done on half the seams). I pulled it off the sewing machine at 12:50 and was cutting loose threads in the car on the way to the ceremony that started at 1:00. I had put a temporary zipper in to finish the back-I knew I didn't have time for anything else-and she quickly changed. With baited breath we slip it over her head, and then, oh no, was that the dreaded sound of a stitch being torn? Quickly stop her wiggling and check the back-oh it's ok, just an extra stitch next to the bottom of the zipper ripped. We finish wiggling down into place, she turns for the zipper to be done up, but then she immediately starts to complain about the neckline-it's too tight! we slide the zipper down about an inch and a half and just tuck the top edge corners down under so it looks intentional. She was so pleased (and then promptly put her kindergarten shirt over the dress). I took lots of pictures and then took her out to the playground for some more fun shots. She says it's great! We just need to fix that darn neckline.

Here she is on the playground totally ecstatic that mommy finished on time.

 Playing around

This was the next week, after I took the zipper out and added a bias placket for buttons to give some extra space at the neckline. It still looks a little bit like something is missing. I'm thinking about making some rolled fabric flowers and making a pin to be worn like a brooch or on the wasit band.