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Category: Dresses
Hello fabric friends!
I am thrilled to be included in another one of Sharon Holland’s fabulous blog tours. I promise you that you are in for a textile treat if you stop and visit the other makers. I love the fabulous banner tutorial Dritz shared with us last Friday, and I’m happy to be the first maker on the tour this week.
Make sure you visit Sharon Holland on Instagram as she is hosting very cool weekly giveaways featuring the tour’s sponsors: Dritz Sewing, BlocLoc Rulers, and Fat Quarter Shop. She is also hosting a similar giveaway on the weekly recap blog post.
We put together this special post today with some of our favorite patterns in case you decide to stock up during the Fourth of July Sale!
To take advantage of the sale visit Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop and place your order! All sewing patterns are buy 4, get 1 free! No code necessary!
Need inspiration to fill your cart? Check out what the Sew and Tell Project team has made and loved!
Mariposa Dress and Top. Sewn by Alisha.
Swan Lake Leotard. Sewn by Eleri. (Make sure you also check out our tips and tricks for sewing with swim which features the Sun n Fun Leotard!) This one was made with swim supplies from the Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop! 3. Rocky Mountain Raglan. Sewn by Genie and Eleri. Let’s not forget the MEN in our lives. Stock up on affordable knit solids and the Rocky Mountain Raglan pattern and whip up a pile for your favorite guy!
4. Bahama Mama Swim Wear PAB has a nice range of mama-friendly swimwear to keep you sporty and cool all summer long! See what Alisha and Eleri made below!
5. Sun Kissed Dolman and Little Miss Sunshine. Sewn by Eleri.
6. Bridgeport Jacket. Alisha made the black one using board short fabric from the shop!
7. The Lullaby Line Cardigan bodysuit. Check out Genie’s adorable cover model!
9. Marilyn Swimsuit. Made by Emily10. Dream Land Nightgown made by Emily. Keep it cool on hot summer nights in a breezy nightgown! 11. Lullaby Gown. Perfect for all the babies in your life! Made by Alisha. Check out the entire Lullaby Line for every baby’s need!
12.
Pocketful of Posies.
When a big box of knits arrives at my house (not very frequently if my husband is reading this), two of my daughters immediately start claiming fabrics and asking for dresses. To be honest, they have been a bit “mama-made” starved the past several months. I am nearly 30 weeks pregnant now and have taken a bit of a pregnancy and long winter-related hiatus from doing a lot of girls’ sewing, blogging, and shooting. The new Skyler dress pattern was perfect to get my “sewjo” back and also take advantage of utilizing some fabric cuts that I loved but had been sitting for several months. And if you haven’t seen the news on Instagram, I am having another girl, so I promise more girls’ sewing is coming!
I love sewing with knits, particularly high-quality cotton lycra/spandex. I made this version in one of my favorite Art Gallery Fabrics prints by Sharon Holland Designs.
I chose to do the large bow back view for this version and had just enough fabric for the circle skirt. This is a straight size 4.
One of the variations of Skyler’s top and dress includes small side bows. I made 3 sets of hairbows to coordinate with her favorite Skyler dresses as you can see in this picture. Just follow the tutorial to make the bows and hot glue to your favorite clip of choice. Due to the thickness of her hair, I used french barrettes so they would not slip out.
For my next Skyler, I combined one of my favorite fabrics, Art Gallery Yellow Stripes, with a large remnant I had leftover from sewing for the Printemps Fusions Lookbook earlier this spring. I just cut the fabric to length to the width of fold due to the limited yardage I had. Luckily, with knits you can get away with removing a few inches on gathered skirts. This pattern is also suitable for using woven fabric for the SKIRT ONLY but I prefer to make all-knit dresses for ease of washing and comfortable wear.
For this version, I chose the simple square back. The instructions were clear to make a fully-lined and unique bodice.
I also used my time during testing to get Little Miss’s 4th of July outfit created! Doesn’t she look like a little firecracker? I did another large center bow for her and used the circle skirt for maximum twirl! The fabric is a custom print I picked up last summer that is no longer available. I’m glad I saved it for the right pattern!
During testing this Little Miss also had a 4th birthday! I pulled every gorgeous floral and every whimsical print I had out of my stash to let her choose! She kept saying, “Nope. Not enough colors.” Until we arrived at this stripe which is still in stock here! Momfession: I tried one more time to get her to choose a tossed print so I could do the speedy circle skirt. But, seriously, even if you use all the options, my first Skyler took me less than 2 hours even with careful stripe matching and needing to follow the instructions step by step.
She wore this to her birthday party and got soooo many compliments!
Finally, I want to share my very favorite Skyler!
My nearly ten-year-old daughter helped me find these beautiful fabrics in my stash. I combined Art Gallery sleek mint stripes with another older AGF print from the Geometric Bliss collection. My daughter wanted a circle skirt and simple square back done on the modest cut line with short sleeves for summer events. The pattern also includes full-length sleeves so I know it will transition well for back to school. I sewed her a straight size 10 bodice and lengthened the skirt to a 12 due to her height.
The dress had the tween-friendly, retro look we were both going for. I usually avoid cutting a circle skirt on directional fabric, but since these were vertical stripes in short bursts, I thought it would be fun to play with the print’s orientation within the circle skirt. It kind of looks like a colorful disco ball to me!
Last but not least, I have a bonus Skyler to share! 3 of us 4 over at Sew and Tell Project participated in testing the Skyler. We all loved it! Here is Emily’s beautiful version in a size 7/8L on her little girl. I love the colorful use of chevrons to showcase the pattern.
I hope one or two of these beautiful dresses has inspired you to add the Skyler’s Square Back Top and Dress to your pattern stash and more importantly, get sewing! Tell us what you think below!
I made two versions of the Baby Skyler during testing. The first was the simple open back cut out and gathered peplum length top. This Riley Blake Idelwild knit is perfect for this summer tank.
I paired my Baby Skyler with a pair of Baby Tammy Tulip shorts. I love that they are reversible for two different looks and work great with this peplum length top.
The Fourth of July is fast approaching, and for my second Baby Skyler, I decided to run with the red, white, and blue theme. I made the short sleeve circle skirt peplum length top with the big bow on the cutout. I used royal blue and red cotton lycra from Peek a Boo Pattern Shop, my favorite place to buy cotton lycra solids (and most other fabrics!), and a woven fireworks fabric I’ve had in my stash from Joanns since last year.
This top is perfect for those hot summer days and parades on the Fourth. The woven skirt still fit perfectly over my daughter’s head and tummy and makes for a great casual top for the parade we’ll be attending. The red bow on the back makes for a fun surprise when she turns around and runs away which is so common these days!
Thanks for checking out my versions of the Baby Skyler, and make sure to subscribe to our blog so you don’t miss Emily and Eleri’s versions of the Skyler for their big girls!
With 144 combinations of necklines, sleeves, sash, and skirts, this truly can be the one and only dress you need.
I used a woven from Hobby Lobby for Miss M’s first dress. I chose the sweetheart neckline, classic back, puff sleeves, and classic with ruffle skirt. The puff sleeves add such a sweet touch, and I just love the extra ruffle.
For my second dress, I used a lovely floral and chose the sweetheart neckline, flutter sleeves, scoop back, and twirl skirt. The twirl skirt is a gathered circle skirt and has such fun “twirability” for the older girls.
I chose to add the sash but I altered the back because I just wanted it as a band instead of with ties. I used metal snaps on both my dresses instead of buttons.
Hemming circle skirts is one of the most challenging part of sewing dresses for me. When I read Becca’s tutorial over at Simple Life Pattern Company about hemming circle skirts with bias tape, I knew this was a technique I needed to use. I used a red storebought bias tape to hem my skirt, and the process was so fast and easy. Make sure to head over and check out her tutorial! Not only is it a faster way to hem, it adds a fun pop of color to the inside of your skirt.
Make sure to head over to Peekaboo Pattern Shop and grab your copy of the Wildflower Dress. It’s a perfect Easter sew, and with 144 combinations, your little girl’s closet can be full of Wildflowers that are as varied as a beautiful field of flowers.
The Aria and Baby Aria are knit dresses with a fun back addition–a panel including bows. It’s such a fun, simple twist to add fun and interest to the back of a knit dress.
The Baby Aria and Aria are drafted for knit with many options. There is a bow back or simple back as well as sleeve styles of tank, short, 3/4, and long. Flutters can be used with any of the sleeve options as well. The skirt can be gathered or circle with a fun ruffle added to either option for great twirliness.
I made two different long sleeve Baby Arias for my daughter. Both are 9-12 month width with a 12-18 month length. Make sure to check and see if grading out for the waist in the baby sizes is necessary. This bodice is a bit longer and i found I needed to grade out to the next width for Miss M’s baby tummy for a better fit.
This mint dress is made from Raspberry Creek Fabrics club line. Their club line is printed in house, and it is my favorite! I used long sleeves as well as a gathered skirt on this dress.
My second dress is also long sleeved but with the circle skirt option. I found a navy knit eyelet at my local Hobby Lobby and lined the entire dress with a dark fuschia cotton lycra from Peek a Boo Pattern Shop.
I lined the bodice according to the directions. I then sewed the sides of the bodice before attaching the sleeves. I cut 1/2″ off the fuchsia sleeve and hemmed the fuchsia and navy sleeves separately before attaching them as one in the round. I did the same with the circle skirts.
This is one of my favorite tops I’ve ever made for Miss M, and she’s already worn it several times!
Finally here’s my bonus tip for accessorizing your new Aria dress! If you’re looking for a quick hair bow, use the bow dimensions to cut an extra bow for a headband or clip. I simply sewed the bow right sides together leaving a small hole to turn it on the middle of one long side. Then I wrapped the middle portion of the bow around the headband and stitched it on. Quick and easy!
Make sure to hop over to Simple Life Pattern Company and grab your copy of the Baby Aria and Aria (plus the coordinating girls Tiffany Leggings) before the sale ends on January 23rd! There is a new release discount of 20% on the patterns separately and 25% off a bundle 🙂
For this mash up, you need all the Gloria pattern pieces for the play dress, as well as the front, back, and leg bands of the EMMM. Take the bodice piece of the Gloria along with the front of the EMMM. Line the pattern pieces up at the armscye and draw a dotted line across the bottom of the Gloria piece.
Since you will be using the bottom of the EMMM piece, you need to account for seam allowance. Since the Gloria has a 1/2″ seam allowance, I then drew a line 1/2″ closer to the top of the EMMM as shown in this picture. Your pattern pieces are different widths, but the EMMM and Gloria have different seam allowances. I promise it will work in the end!
The solid line is where you will cut your bottom piece of the onesie. I just fold the part of the pattern I don’t need out of the way while cutting. Repeat these steps for the back as well. When you are finished cutting, you will have these pieces from the EMMM: the bottom front, bottom back, and leg bands.
From the Gloria, you will have the following pieces: bodice front, back, sleeves, neckband, and skirt (either gathered or circle).
At this point, you will assemble each part. I first assembled the EMMM bottom making sure to use the 1/4″ seam allowance as noted in that pattern. Then assemble the top of the Gloria using the 1/2″ seam allowance noted in that pattern.
Finally pin your skirt to your bodice. Then turn the onesie bottom inside out, and slip it over the bodice/skirt. Make sure you align the back of the onesie to the back of the bodice. Trust me, I had to seam rip my first one because I assembled it backwards.
Sew these together using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Flip everything right side out. Add snaps to your onesie, hem the sleeves and skirt, and you’re done!
I found this mash up also works well paired with the Lollipop Leggings to keep those chubby thighs warm 🙂
For one final pic, I’m sharing my daughter’s Wonder Woman costume which I made using this same combination (as well as red and royal blue solid cotton/lycra from PAB).
I had a lot of fun sewing for the tour and I am so grateful that Harts Fabric sponsored the first look I am sharing with you today! I used crepe-backed satin in gunmetal and oyster to make this SLPco Sophie dress for my 9-year-old daughter.
The Sophie is a fitted dress designed for woven patterns. I last made a Sophie for my daughter about 8 months ago and it was getting a little snug, so I sewed the next size up for the tour. My satin was 52″ wide so I made the skirt a little bit fuller on this Sophie since the satin has a ton of drape. Despite having this beautiful drape, it is also thick and not sheer at all. I’m a big believer in wearing a slip under dresses but there was no need for this particular look.
The satin was very easy to work with due to the crepe-backing. I did use a microtex needle to prevent any snags or runs. I definitely recommend this gorgeous satin which is also available in teal for girls’ and womens’ wear. Hart’s Fabric had such a nice selection of special occasion and apparel fabrics it was really hard to choose!
I did choose to slim out the ruffle on the collar piece. The satin layers are thicker and with more body than traditional quilting cotton, so I wanted it to look more like a ruffled flounce along her neckline. I then used my Aurifil 80 weight thread to hand tack the ruffle in several places along the neckline. The Aurifil 80 weight is so fine it just disappears into the fabric!
I made my 3 year-old-daughter a dress for Christmas, too! Even though she has hand-me-downs from TWO big sisters, she just LOVES new dresses and I had to sew up the beautiful Simple Life Pattern Company Wendy. That sweet collar just screamed for some gold piping. I admit I am usually the queen of KAM snaps since I am sewing for four children – but I had to give this dress the honor of buttonholes and gorgeous vintage buttons.
I honestly don’t remember when or where I got this fabric. It is a very nice taffeta with vertical stretch. I had to slim out the skirt of the pattern to accommodate the extra fullness that the taffeta has. My daughter is right between a size 4 and 5 on the size chart. I made her a 4 since most of my children start to stretch up and slim down at this age and I wanted the bodice to fit her nicely.
Big or small, every little lady deserves to feel special. I’m so glad that with Simple Life Patterns, I can make them something that makes them shine throughout the holidays and beyond.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing some sneak peeks from the other amazing makers on the blog tour! Make sure you visit these incredible women and see what they are sewing!
Happy Sewing and Happy Holidays!
November 13 – Kainara Stitches – Ammon Lane
November 14 – Sew and Tell Project – Lace and Pine
November 15 – Sunflower Seams – SewSophieLynn
November 16 – Wonderfully Handmade – Idle Sunshine – I am Mami de Sofiona
November 17 – Pear Berry Lane – It’s Liesel
There are TWO ways to win in this giveaway!
My first version is a size 6 month long sleeve tunic length without the pocket. I used a panel previously offered at Peek a Boo Pattern Shop. I love the high low hem which adds interest to a basic tunic.
I also made a second long sleeved version as we are quickly heading into cooler weather here. I used a knit from Hobby Lobby as well as black cotton lycra for the neck band and pocket.
The high low hem is a bit easier to see on my second tunic. There’s plenty of coverage on the back and it works great with leggings.
Make sure to head over to Peek a Boo Pattern Shop and get your copy of thE Delaney Dress and Tunic today while it’s on sale.