My heart is full this week... This little one is the sweetest girl in the world! (oh, I know I always say this when I blog something I made for her... :) ) She is missing pre-school for over a week now because of the chickenpox (if you read my last post you already know that). And I feel terrible because I feel sorry for her but at the same time I feel so happy to be able to have a shadow all day long again. :) Sending her to pre-school was a tough choice (emotionally speaking) but we knew she would love it! (She was sad and missing her brother and sister...)
Lucky for her, she is getting a lot of mama sewing time this last week. And I am getting a lot of cuddling with this girl. :)
Today I am sharing a wollen dress I made for her. I was going to use a poplin or a cotton lawn for this dress but I just couldn't. It is already snowing in the mountains so down here it is getting very cold these days... And this way she can layer it for some added warmth.
Pattern
The Ansley top and dress, pattern by Blaverry.
Fabric and notions
Wool blend.
Black bias tape and two vintage buttons.
Details
This pattern offers countless options! You can make a top/tunic or a dress, with a regular skirt or in a hi-low style. You can choose from four different sleeve styles - short sleeves, gatherered sleeves, flutter sleeves, 1/4 sleeves with or without cuffs -, and three collar options - no collar, round collar or pointy collar. It also offers three hem options (regular, bias binding and ruffled). See what I mean?
I made a size 4T according to measurements and it is a bit roomy but I don't mind since it will last all Fall/Winter season this way.
I opted for skirt option B (high-low style) with flutter sleeves (option D) and no collar (option A). I had to take a bit of length off the back skirt (that is, reduce the hi-low look) because it was a bit long for her height. I have also add a bias tape bow to the neckline to add some interest there. I think next time I will take some of the width from the flutter sleeves - I think they are a bit too wide for her shoulder width. She loves her new dress and that is what matters the most.
I have found Blaverry's patterns a few months ago on Etsy while I was looking for something else. I immediately fell in love with the design and aesthetic of these patterns... I am used to see the pattern covers with mommy photos and outfits made out of colorful prints of quilting cotton (nothing wrong with that) but these pattern covers look like a higher end fashion brand catalogue. At the time I bought a few patterns but I have to say I never had the chance to use them since then... So, I was really excited to be a part of this tour since I would have a deadline to actually make something out of a Blaverry pattern. :)
Some of the construction methods are not what I am used to (like the button placket construction) but Christie has a college degree for fashion design so she knows what she is doing. She aims to teach home sewists techniques that follow the same construction as commercial style clothing so people can create clothing that doesn’t have that “homemade” feel to it. Personally I would do some things differently - I would add a lining to the yoke to hide the seams and I would add interfacing on the button placket. I would say this pattern is good for an advanced beginner since some of the steps have minimal instructions - more like what we see in printed patterns. The overall is positive and I enjoyed making this pattern.
The size range of this pattern is amazing - 9 months to 14 years! (Suitable for tweens!)
It offers the layers printing option so you can choose to print only the size you need. And there is a comprehensive printing guide that allows you to print only the pages you need for the options you choose to make. (I really appreciate this!!)
You can get your copy of this pattern and any other from Blaverry with a reduced price during the tour. Use coupon code "ILOVEBLAVERY10" at checkout for a 10% off on all cart.
Make sure to have a look on the other versions made for this tour - you will se how versatile this pattern is!
November 3rd
November 4th
November 5th
November 6th
November 7th
Frenchie - SewOutOfControl - Made by Sara - Daisy Chain Creations
Little girls dressed like... little girls.
You may have noticed the bread on her hands and... on her mouth. :) This poor kid has been inside walls for a week on a mommy imposed quarantine due to the chickenpox (you may have read about it in this post). So now that she is finally (almost) done with that I took her to the city park so she could run freely and feed the ducks. Of course she had to keep some bread to herself. :)
Afterwards I took her to the grocery store and while I was paying for my grocery this lady behind me (in her late sixties or early seventies) approached me and said "I have to congratulate you for dressing your daughter like a little girl! Most girls nowadays are dressed with tees and jeans or leggings or dressed like grown ups... I love that dress!" I didn't know what to say really... Most of the times I dress my girls in the most practical outfits - tunics and leggings... :) And sometimes I overdress them - maybe because we live in a very fashion-forward-trend-follower european country and I love to buy at Zara... :) I whispered to her "I made it!" and watch her and the cashier's suprised faces at a glance while I turned my back and ran away... She yelled a "Oh, that is marvellous!" And that was it.
The truth is this lady got me thinking...
I have read on the webs before people saying things like this - that little girls should dress like little girls, what usually means wearing dresses and lots of ruffles. Well, lots of ruffles are not my cup. I like it but only in a good measure (and that means just a little ruffle here and there). And both of my girls certainly don't wear dresses everyday... But the fact is... and this is surprising even for myself... now that I think about it I do like to see little girls dressed like... little girls. They look adorable! And now that I really think about it, I make dresses and tops with a small ruffle now and then... (like this dress, this top or this blouse). So that must mean that deep down inside I really like this girly style. :)
And that made me think if I wasn't being incoherent... I came to the conclusion that what I like to see on little girls is somehow different from what I make them wear everyday to school which is also different from what I love to sew. Let me explain it.
I like to see my girls dressed like little girls - dresses and ruffles (in a good measure). And most Sundays that's how they dress.
But their everyday style is more practical then that - flowy blouses, tunics and leggings - because I want them to run and play freely and comfortably. This leads me to the question: Can a little girl play comfortably on a dress? I don't know about you, but I do think so... to a certain degree. In my opinion it is not the same as running and jumping with a top and leggings. (Unless it's a knit dress maybe, like those that Mie does and that I love.)
But in fact the outfits I sew fot them usually have a trendy look (mostly because of the fabrics I use, which are not printed quilting cotton), like this dress.
So... What about you? How do you like to see little girls dressed? Do you actually dress your kids accordingly? Or are you like me and prioritize comfort? And does that match your sewing style? I would love to know... (Really!)
