Polka Dot Nettie Overload! (Nettie Bodysuit by Closet Case Files - as a Top)

The minute I caught word of the Closet Case Files Nettie Bodysuit and Dress sewing pattern, I knew I HAD to make one. A beautiful figure-hugging bodysuit with tons of awesome neckline variations (and even a dress option) named after my awesome and inspiring friend Nettie of Sown Brooklyn? Sign me up please!

I mean, I think it is well established here that I am a fan of negative ease and gravitate towards the snug-fitting rather than the relaxed. So yeah. I LOVE THIS TOP SO MUCH and I hope to make the bodysuit and the dress too.

It's comfortable, stylish and fitted and I am very, very happy.

The basics

Pattern: Closet Case Files Nettie, cropped to a top a la Lladybird. The pattern has many variations—I made the scoop front neckline with the high back and short sleeves.

Fabric: A fantastic Riley Blake polka dot cotton/spandex knit blend (I bought mine in Austin but looks like it's currently on sale at Fabric.com... they also have aqua, red and more). It turned out to be the perfect fabric for something like this — plenty of stretch and recovery, but not so clingy or thin that it shows the underpinnings. PERFECT combo of fabric and pattern.

Size: Based on Heather Lou's recent blog post, I made a size up from my measurements—the original pattern indicated I should make a 10, so I made a 12. And I did a cheater FBA Kadiddlehopper-style and cut a size 16 at the bust and front sleeve.

Instructions: The instructions were great, very thorough and well illustrated, and even had some entertaining asides. I've made many knit tops, but I still benefited from reading her tips. She also has a sew-along starting up now as well.

Modifications: Since I wasn't sure how the size would work out, I decided to test the pattern as a top. I cut it off at the line for attaching the skirt for the dress version. I think if I make it as a top again I will even make it slightly longer—I will likely usually tuck it in, and it will probably ride up less if it's longer (or if I had actually made it a bodysuit). Here it is tucked in today at a family trip to Legoland... it was riding up a bit and creating a bit of a line under the bust:

Construction notes: I made this in a few hours last night (whilst watching True Detective with the husband) on the sewing machine that has now been crammed into the bedroom to avoid waking our daughter. I used a narrow zig-zag for all seams, a long straight stitch to topstitch the neck binding and a narrow zigzag to topstitch the sleeve and bottom hems. Yes, I COULD have tried to drag out my finicky serger or unreliable stretch twin needle... but right now those are just Barriers to Sewing I cannot truck with.

To bind the neckline, I used my usually trusty Sarah Veblen technique for getting a custom flat neckband and shortened the provided pattern by an inch... which was a mistake. It looks great in front:

But in the back... I really overtightened and it's pulling the shoulders in. ER. And I have NARROW shoulders—I often have to make a narrow shoulder adjustment to patterns.

I still plan to wear this top to pieces, but next time I think I'll slightly widen the shoulders AND not overtighten the neckband.

Wear: All the time in various ways—this is such a versatile layering piece and creates no bulk under other items. I could wear it untucked over jeans or tucked into high-waisted skirts. It's good for work (as a layering piece—it is rather super fitted, so will probably wear a cardigan over it) or weekend. I'm wearing it here with a thrifted skirt but I bet it would play nicely with my Miette.

If all my makes continue to bring me this much joy, I think this ridiculous sewing bender is going to continue for a while yet!

Hurrah for Nettie!

P.S. Please follow/like my Polka Dot Overload page on Facebook or follow me on Instagram if you want to see any in-between or behind-the-scenes photos as I go along... I am actually getting to the point where I'm struggling to actually blog everything I make as it's just another Barrier to Sewing!

Lego Dress Showdown: Which Block-Inspired Dress to Make for My Daughter's 4th Birthday Party?

Help me out, sewing friends—if you had a daughter, and that daughter was obsessed with LEGOs, and you wanted to make her an amazing birthday dress for her LEGO-themed birthday party that was inspired by LEGOs but not LITERALLY a LEGO dress (i.e. not "licensed product" looking) and that she could still wear later... which would you make?

I am still undecided, but I have two favorites. I'm hoping to create the Legodots with fabric paint and a hand-carved stamp to make them look more organic. The girls or block cityscapes would be appliqué and embroidery. I considered making fabric on Spoonflower but wanted to do something more handmade here.

The patterns shown are:

• The Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress: made and blogged and still worn constantly... but I'd have to grade up because she is outgrowing the largest size in the envelope I have.
• The free Oliver + S Popover Sundress sewing pattern.

I already picked up the yellow and blue fabric—if I went with a four-color option I'd have to purchase red and green. I'm thinking those four-color options are a little garish anyway? I generally avoid combining primary colors, but I felt like it wasn't going to evoke Legos without that bright blue and bright yellow.

Here were my original hand sketches with crappy highlighters when I first came up with the idea:

I'm thinking a matching block-themed headband and/or hair barrettes are also in order.

Which one would you make?

P.S. Part of me is very tempted to make myself a Lego-evoking dress as well using the Tilly and the Buttons Coco pattern as my blank canvas... but obviously the girl's dress is higher priority. I may just end up wearing some me-made Lego-esque jewelry or whatnot (like felt rectangles with six circles embroidered on them on a necklace).

Tutorial: Super Quick No-Elastic Knit Half Circle Skirt!

This skirt was so quick and easy it barely deserved a blog post, but then I thought I'd try my hand at making a Pinterest-friendly tutorial illustration for it. It truly took me just 15 minutes to sew — it has just five seams, after all.

I wasn't going to hem it at all, but it initially turned out 4 inches too long and a bit dowdy.

So I decided to hem it with a twin needle ... and my walking foot really chomped on the hem. Then when I was trimming off the excess I managed to stab three additional holes in the hem and had to hand-sew them shut. So no hem closeups this time!

And yes, I know I'm a black-&-white-&-polka-dot broken record. But I have a lot of this black & white ITY jersey in my stash, and I had already drafted the half-circle skirt for this dress that I wear constantly, using Patty the Snug Bug's handy calculator.

This no-elastic waistband treatment is pretty common in ready-to-wear skirts—it's kind of like a yoga pants waistband. The key is giving it just the right amount of negative ease, or it will sag and bag around your midriff.

If you do give it a try, please leave a comment, I'd love to see your version!

P.S. If you don't want to draft the skirt yourself, just use a purchased half-circle skirt pattern like the Cake Patterns Tiramisu instead of the self-drafted skirt! Even EASIER.

Bits and Pieces from a Mini Sewcation

My daughter is off visiting her grandparents in Massachusetts for a few days, and I'm managing my severe toddler cuddles and kisses deprivation by taking a little sewcation for myself each night when I get home from work. It is kind of amazing how much sewing you can get done when you don't have to start at 11:30 p.m. and stop at midnight each night... and when you can actually leave out the ironing board, sewing table and cutting mats!

Above you see two separate items in progress: the bodice of my Tiramisu dress so far (finally! I made the muslin back in May!) and a self-drafted "Insta Skirt".

The Tira is the one I sketched for my Spring Sewing Plans, it's got a red and white bodice and skirt just like my envelope illustration:

I picked a smaller bodice size this time (30D with a 1" FBA, instead of a straight 35D) and she is fitting great so far! I should have the skirt attached tonight. (And I know she doesn't fit my crappy sewing form at all, so just trust me on this).

The "Insta Skirt" is the one-piece half-circle skirt and midriff I drafted for this McCall's knit dress I made a while back:

I've always wished I could wear the bottom bit as a separate skirt, and it took me only about 15 minutes to sew (just two sides seams and an elastic-free knit waistband—magic!). FIFTEEN MINUTES FOR A SKIRT, PEOPLE.

...But it's not REALLY an Insta Skirt, because my serger temporarily crapped out on me for three hours of swearing and rethreading and crying... and now that the skirt has hung for a day it has grown by four inches and needs a severe hemming. Having no clue how to evenly hem a half-circle skirt, I suspect there is some online tutorial hunting in my future.

Finally, I have my Hummingbird Blue top pieces sitting around since the sew-along, since I was too busy moderating to actually make anything!

I think this little sewcation may almost be as fun as splashing around on the beach, and I'm getting 100% less sunburned as a result! (But I am also counting the seconds til I get to cover little Z in kisses ... on Friday!).

So readers: When was the last time you really got to sew (and leave all your sewing mess all over the place) with no interruption?

Shoe Showdown Survivors: The Colorful Comfy Flats Verdict!

Softwaves Wave Mary Jane comfort flats in Citron: Beautifully made and on sale for $85, but too small for my giant feet!

So one of my most commented on recent posts was the "Colorful Comfort Shoe Showdown" where I was trying to find some bright flats to buy with a Mother's Day gift certificate from my mom. You all seem REALLY opinionated about footwear — which makes sense since shoes are one of the few things most of us CAN'T make for ourselves. So I thought I'd report back on the results of my mission of comfort shoe desperation.

In the end I bought three pairs of colorful flats (and returned one), winding up with two comfort shoe winners. Here's the scoop:

#1: Softwaves Wave Mary Jane leather comfort flats in Citron. (pictured at top of post).

• Pros: Beautifully made, a really unique vintage-inspired style (one of many! I drool!), serious comfort construction and arch support, fabulous color.
• Cons: The largest size available — a European 41 — was at least an inch too small for my big feet. I wear a 41 in some other European-sized shoes (and a 10 or 11 in most American-sized shoes), but I think I'd need a 42 for these.
• Do they pass the subway stairs/playground/long NYC walks test? They would if they fit.
• Result: Wistful shoe sadness. So I exchanged them for a little dose of polka dot happiness...

Polka dot comfort shoe win!

#2: Ahnu Karma flats in "Mood Indigo"

• Pros: Well-designed cross-strap flats perfect for summer and on sale. Great arch support and a really comfortable breathable insole for your bare feet. Also: internal polka dots and a bright orange sole and spiral stitch detail.
• Cons: These "yoga-inspired" shoes mostly come in the kind of subdued/earthy/natural colors I generally avoid. Even this colorway is not as bright as I was going for (except for the topstitching and sole).
• Do they pass the subway stairs/playground/long NYC walks test? Oh yes yes yes!
• Result: They are so comfortable and seem to go with MANY things. I have been wearing them almost every day since they arrived and there was no break-in period — just instant foot happiness. I REALLY wish they came in bright colors!

#3: Tsubo Aftenia fashion sneakers in "claret" and "silver"

• Pros: Bright red, cushy insole, cute pointed-ish toe but not uncomfortably pointy, cheap because they were discontinued. And I had a pair of them in brown already so knew they'd be a win.
• Cons: The insole is well cushioned, but not really shaped for firm arch support. The insoles don't really wick moisture, so they are fine with tights or socks but get a bit slippery/blistery inside after long walks and need to be broken in at the heel.
• Do they pass the subway stairs/playground/long NYC walks test? Only with socks.
• Result: Moderate shoe happiness. Z calls them my "ruby slippers." Here they are in action back during Me-Made May (sorry for bad lighting, they truly are BRIGHT red):

That's it for my shoe-buying budget for a good long while, but next time I have room in the closet/budget for an accessory hunt, I'm going to check into some of the other new-to-me brands suggested in the comments.

What are your favorite "walk for miles" comfort shoes?

P.S. Forgot to mention... I stupidly broke my toe two nights ago while sweeping up fabric scraps (stumbled and stubbed it on a chair leg). There's not much to be done for a broken toe except "buddy taping" it to the neighboring toe, but the doctor said to make sure to wear roomy, comfortable flat shoes with good support, and the Ahnu Karmas seem to be the only shoes I can walk in without crying at the moment!

**Disclosure: Actions you take from the hyperlinks within this blog post may yield commissions for polkadotoverload.com (and quite likely spent on yarn or fabric to be blogged here!).

Hello, Hummingbird (Cake Patterns peplum knit top, #0289)

Instant peplum gratification—this little Hummingbird took maybe me two hours to sew up, INCLUDING basting it together first to check fit!

A properly fitting peplum (seam snug at the waist, skirt at the right length and proportion) is a thing of wonder. It can suggest an hourglass figure, or accentuate one that already exists. Even better if it's in a forgiving, comfortable knit and can be whipped up in a single evening for a quick sewing high!

My mother has actual live hummingbirds in her yard, but try as I might I could not get one to land on me for my photos!

The pattern: Cake Patterns Hummingbird Peplum Top and Straight Skirt 0289. It's shipping this week, in case you're wondering! (Full disclosure: I'm the envelope illustrator for Cake Patterns and I designed the envelope and instructions along with my husband ... but I only work with Steph because I love me some Cake, and I sewed this top on my own time!)

Pattern Description: Knit top with horseshoe-shaped neckline, cap- or elbow-length sleeves, and four-leaf-clover-shaped peplum with different length options and optional dickey and cuffs. (There's also a woven skirt which I haven't made yet). I made the top in View Green (cap sleeves, no dickey or cuffs).

Pattern Sizing: The top is sized for a 30-59 inch full bust, and is also customized by actual waist size and front waist length (to ensure the peplum sits exactly at the waist).

• My full bust is 38.5", so I chose the full bust size 35, then selected my actual front waist (17") and waist (29") sizes. Thanks to this size magic, the bust and waist fit perfectly in front, no FBA needed!
• For the peplum, I chose the 20s size (proportioned for waist sizes in the 20s range), which created a neat little peplum perfect for wear over skirts. I think next time I will make the slightly longer 30s range peplum, for extra length over jeans... though it works fine as is, too... here it is at work on Friday:

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Absolutely!

Were the instructions easy to follow? Again, rather surreal following along with my own illustrations (and Steph's instructions), but I find them quite clear and thorough if I do say so myself!

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? My favorite part is the unique little four-leaf-clover-shaped peplum drape (in both front and back).

Fabric: Soft, light-weight black & white polka dot ITY jersey from Spandex House, leftover from making maternity tops some time back. Excellent stretch and recovery, and it drapes nicely for the peplum (which I did not hem, as this fabric is not prone to fraying).

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Zip. Nope. None. A first for me, really!

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Oh yes and yes! I'm going to make my next version in true Hummingbird colors, I'm starting to get bored with all my monochromatic sewing I've been doing lately... this is a rayon-lycra knit I got at Mood last weekend:

Wear for: Everything all the time. Dress it up with a pencil skirt (like the matching Hummingbird skirt I'm working on now!), dress it down with some jeans. Also good for hanging out with bubble-blowing toddlers:

A final thought: You know, I was looking again at the tagline for Cake and it occurred to me why I jumped on board so enthusiastically when Steph approached me about working on the art and design. "Sewable wearable basics for busy women—always with pockets." (What she doesn't need to say there is that Cake Patterns are fun, vintage-inspired and figure-flattering, too!)

Well, that busy woman is me—I sewed this top after a long day of work, followed by a long evening of trying to get my toddler to do all her medical treatments and finally go to sleep ... I didn't start sewing til past 10, so didn't finish til past midnight. But the satisfaction of being able to wear it to work in the morning was so worth it!

P.S. For those of you who bought the pattern during the presale or since, and are wondering when you'll get your itchy hands on it... it's shipping this week, in big pretty green, pink, orange, and blue envelopes!

P.P.S. I'm feeling seriously pleased with myself for already sewing two tops and refashioning a cardigan this month–so good to get back to my machine after my ridiculously long hiatus!!!

P.P.P.S. In case you're wondering why my photos look so much better than usual, I was visiting my mom in Massachusetts... so I borrowed her porch and her Canon Rebel camera! She's promised to let me hold onto it a few weeks more, too.

Finished: Polka Dot Scarf Top (Jalie 2921 Knit Top, Take 2)

 My second Jalie 2921 Scarf-Collar Knit Top. Pros: It fits great! Also: Polka dots. Cons: The fabric is flimsy, see-through and not really all that stretchy. Also: My serger and my sewing machine hate me. Also: I forgot to match the dot pattern at the center seam.       

A few months ago between bouts of illness, my parents took little Z out on a Saturday and I vowed that I would actually sew—something fun, something simple, a quick tried and true pattern requiring no adjustments.

Yeah, so, that didn't work out. I don't know about you, but every time I get my serger and sewing machine out of storage after a long hiatus, they grump and crank and sulk and refuse to do a single thing I ask of them, toddler-style. So I spent five minutes adjusting the pattern (I wanted to make the three-quarter version this time), three hours swearing and crying over my serger as I rethreaded it twenty times and it kept eating needles... and maybe an hour or two actually constructing the top.

When I finally made my way over to the sewing machine, the revolt had spread—the cheapo flimsy fabric (a discount Fabric.com rayon-spandex blend) refused to take a twin-needle hem, and I just gave up. I wore the top unhemmed to the Brooklyn BurdaStyle Sewing Club the next day, but I didn't feel good about it and I certainly wasn't going to show YOU all.

Last night I was finally feeling perky enough to wrestle with the machine again, and I finally managed to get the thing hemmed—it's just a narrow zig-zag stitch, but it's barely visible and it works fine.

Sadly it is rather see-through, so while I'm showing it here untucked, I'll probably need to tuck it in and wear it with a cardigan at work so you can't see my skirt or pants or bra straps through it. 

Here are the details again—a bit abbreviated, since I've already made it (blogged here).

The pattern: Jalie 2921, the ever-popular scarf collar top.

Pattern Description: Close-fitting (negative ease, baby!) v-neck knit top with various sleeve length and scarf collar options. Front is 2-piece.

Pattern Sizing: Includes wide range of sizes, from toddler girls to plus-size adult woman. I made the S (34" bust) overall, but as per Katie's tips traced the size V (37") for the bust and front sleeve armhole. (I have a 38.5" bust, so I maybe should have gone up a bit more here given the not-so-stretchy fabric.)

I took it in at the waist a bit as well to remove the positive ease that bugs me on my other version, but I may have overdone it... From the back I feel like it looks a bit too snug (also, my waist looks way smaller in the back than the front? Weird):

Fabric: A cream and red polka dot rayon/poly/spandex blend from Fabric.com that I probably should have just returned when I received it but didn't bother. Flimsy, thin, see-through, not much stretch and wrinkly and rumply. The original description read "This stretch jersey knit fabric has an ultra soft hand, a beautiful drape and about 40% stretch across the grain for added comfort and ease." Um, no. It does NOT have 40% stretch... and it's not all that soft compared to other rayons I have know and loved. Whatever.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Did a cheater width FBA (see above link in sizing), took in the waist by an inch and added half an inch to the length, too.

Construction notes: All seams done on serger, and the hem and sleeve hems narrow zig-zagged on my conventional sewing machine with a ballpoint needle. Shoulder seams stabilized with 1-inch strips of self fabric.

Successes:

• I actually sewed something I can wear for the first time in MONTHS.

Lessons learned:

• Don't forget about pattern matching.
• Cheap fabric just isn't worth the trouble. I have so little precious sewing time, and I have many nicer fabrics in my stash—I just need to get over my fear of destroying them. I learned this with knits a while back—if I'm going to spend a year knitting a sweater, I'm not going to use cheap plasticky acrylic yarn.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yeah, done and done!

Wear to: Work (with a cardigan), home, weekend, mommy stuff, whatever. 

Full outfit details:

• Top: me-made, tie-neck knit red and cream polka-dot top (Jalie 2921), rayon/poly/spandex from Fabric.com.
• Corduroy skirt with flounce: Anthropologie
• Red Mary Jane heels: Camper, from forever ago
• Green Cat Eye Glasses: Bevel. 

Side photo note... I originally tried taking all the photos near the window in front of my polka dot couch, but the background was so distracting I gave up. It's the same couch I've always had, but my mom covered it for me (in less than a day!) with some other Fabric.com fabric since I was getting sick of the floral print.

And if you think my apartment looks remarkably clean and organized considering how rough things have been around here, that is because I use the handy crop tool on all my photos. This is probably a much more accurate picture of my life—crap piled everywhere!—complete with a toddler photo bomb:

OK, I'm off to the Colette Patterns cocktail party at Brooklyn General that starts in ... half an hour! See some of you there?

Polka Dot Ombré Dress Overload (McCall's 6070)

True dress love: black & white polka dots of all sizes in a quick and easy surplice-bodice knit dress.

So do you ever pick up a pattern, grab some fabric from your stash, and just get cutting and sewing—without any detailed planning, sketching, agonizing, muslining, pattern matching or bust-adjustmenting?

Because I like, NEVER do that. Except, with this dress I did—and it totally worked.

Inspiration: When Lee offered up a copy of McCall's 6070 at a recent Brooklyn BurdaStyle Sewing Club get-together, a giant lightbulb of happiness materialized over my head... because with its wide gathered shoulders, surplice neckline and midriff band it was almost a dead ringer for my favorite RTW dress, the "Marisa" dress by Karina, shown here in December:

Now, Karina dresses are AWESOME: they're stretchy, comfy, sexy, well-made available in a wide variety of awesome styles and patterns—AND best of all, made by seamstresses sewing for a living wage in Brooklyn! So they're definitely well worth the $160 price tag... BUT I couldn't pass up the chance to make my own version with some stash fabric I had on hand.

The pattern: Easy McCall's 6070 (now out-of-print).

Source: mccallpattern.mccall.com via Mikhaela on Pinterest

Pattern Description: Simple knit dress with gathers at shoulders and under the bust, surplice front and back bodice, back ties, midriff waistband and gathered dirndl-style skirt.

Pattern Sizing: You know, the usual. Since I was using a stretchy poly knit, I made the back bodice in a size 10... and tried to cheat my way out of a full bust adjustment by cutting the front bodice as a size 14 (except for the shoulders—I cut those in a 10).

This mostly worked, except the front wrap edges are gapping like no-body's business despite my best clear elastic application efforts—because I need extra length over the girls, but not over the breastbone.

I didn't use the midriff pattern or the skirt pattern—I just cut some 4" wide rectangles for the midriff, and drafted a half-circle skirt using Patty the Snug Bug's handy calculator.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Sure-ish.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Easy enough. But I didn't bother with putting elastic in the waistband (due to the high recovery power of my knit) or hemming the bottom edge.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? It's such a flattering style—it really emphasizes the waist (and bust?)!

Fabric: 2 yards of very soft mystery polyester ombré-effect jersey from the stash, purchased at Sew-Fisticated Discount Fabrics in Boston for $3/yard.

The really awesome thing about this fabric was the ombré pattern—tiny dots in the middle growing to giant dots at the edge. I cut the skirt from the tiny dots bit, and the bodice from the bigger dots, and the waistband from some medium dots.

But as much as I would like to pat myself on the back for thrifty sewing from the stash... half-way through the making of this dress I did some serious reading and research about textiles and the global fashion industry and the environment and human rights and toxic waste and... well, more on that later, but I'm generally pretty bummed out about cheap polyester (and conventional cotton, and... a lot of other stuff... sigh... I'm even wearing organic lipstick made out of hemp and beeswax in this photo).

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: See sizing notes above. The main thing was I drafted my own half-circle skirt, as I was worried the gathered skirt would add too much bulk to the waist area.

Construction notes: I should have done most of this on my serger, but it's currently a bit hard to get to... so I did it all with a zigzag stitch with mixed results. Especially since I sewed it in a series of late evenings a few weeks ago while not quite awake, and had to repeatedly pick out miles of zig-zagged mistakes.

The worst bit is the narrow-hemming on the front and back bodice crossovers—it's just a total ripply mess, despite the clear elastic I stuck in there. Luckily the dots are a major visual distraction. I MAY unpick the waist seam and tighten up the front crossover edges... especially since the gapping/rippling got a lot worse after pulling the overlaps aside to nurse the toddler.

Successes:

• A quick, lovely, versatile knit dress that fits me just perfectly.
• And it's NOT a costume!
• Playing with patterns without tons of planning.
• I want to wear it all the time.
• BLACK AND WHITE POLKA DOTS.

Room for improvement?:

• MIND THE GAPPING front and back overlaps.
• It's made out of cheap polyester (which I've just read is generally produced with a toxic, carcinogenic heavy metal called antimony...)

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I definitely highly recommend, though it may be a while before I sew another myself. BUT I most definitely plan to use the half-circle skirt pattern by itself again soon—maybe in a seriously crunchy organic hemp version or something.

Wear for: Work, date with husband, parties and twirling toddlers around in circles:

Oh... and I have a lot of various ideas and projects cooking that I'll be sharing soon, some of which you may have heard about elsewhere. But for now, I just had to share that I sewed something that wasn't a costume.

So: do you ever seek out fabrics with environmental considerations in mind? (I never have before—but that's about to change!)

FO: Chocolate Chips & Aqua Polka Dot Baby Dress! (Simplicity 3765)

Toddler dress action shot

Inspiration: I wanted to make some cute baby dresses in bright patterns. I usually sew knit baby clothes on my serger, but I was visiting my family in Massachusetts for a week and since I'd be using my mother-in-law and mother's unfamiliar sewing machines I decided to stick with wovens. I picked up some cute, but cheap, quilting cotton at Joann's and a $1 pattern, and went to town.

That was back in March 2010, when I was still pregnant. It should have been a one-day project, but my mother's sewing machine broke down, and the dresses went unfinished into my suitcase, and I worked on them a bit in September 2010 but got distracted ... so they sat there until my now-toddling daughter was 13 months old and I realized I had better finish them before they got too small for her.

The pattern: Simplicity 3765.

Photos:

"I've got your iTouch, Mommy" Front View:

Raiding the toy box back view:

Pattern Description:

Simple woven baby separates: Baby Dress, Top, Pants, T-Shirt, Hat and Stroller Bag. The tops and dresses have a center band, waist seam with tie belt, cut-on (kimono?) cap sleeves and gathered skirt. This review is for the dress.

Pattern Sizing:

XXS-L (Newborn-18 months) I made the 12 month size, and found it fits my large 24-lb toddler just fine, even though she usually wears 18 months in ready to wear. She can probably wear it for at least a few more months.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Definitely. But the project took a lot longer than I expected, due to the bands and belt and top-stitching and other fiddly bits. It wasn't really the "easy-to-sew" project I expected.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? It's simple, cute and stylish, and there are a lot of options for playing with color and pattern. For this version I did the band/belt in the same color as the bodice and skirt, but I'm finishing up another version with a contrasting band and belt.

Fabric Used: Turquoise quilting cotton with brown polka dots from Jo-Ann's. With about as much drape as a paper bag or hospital gown--I won't use this stuff again. It's totally off-grain--the polka dots don't line up with the grain at all. What a mess! But my toddler runs around so fast no one will notice, right?

Finishing notes:

I had to look up how to do a thread chain (the back neck button has one instead of a buttonhole) but that was easy once I got the hang of it.
• I hemmed the skirt by hand as that was something I could do while my toddler was zipping around the room without worrying about her grabbing dangerous stuff out of the sewing machine cabinet.
• My top-stitching isn't the best or most even.
• I just pinked the seams. She's only going to fit into it for a short while, no need to go all heirloom on this thing.

Successes: This is the first complete sewn baby garment I've actually finished since I gave birth to my baby 13 months ago. Room for improvement?: I need to work on my top-stitching. And when/if I make this again, I'll use better fabric. Also--my productivity rate is crap. Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes and yes--I'm finishing up another version now. Conclusion: Cute, fun baby dress pattern, good for playing with color and pattern. And Miss Z seems to like it too!