This might be my last fall wardrobe sewing post. I assure you these outfits were all completed in time for fall, for those of you who are wondering why I’m still sewing a “fall wardrobe” in winter conditions.
First up, because parties are (almost) always more fun than school, a party dress!
It’s just another peasant dress using a super slinky soft jersey with an added bow at the neckline cut from an old blouse. It’s fun and colorful enough for a dinner out or birthday party, but comfy and easy to wash to meet my 4 yr old’s criteria.
And a slightly more subdued but equally adorable school dress (um, even though my daughter is not in a school of any kind. Unless you count Abby’s Flying Fairy School on Sesame Street. She attends that daily.)
This is an Oliver + S Jump Rope Dress (now out of print). I added red piping to the collar and pockets and used red thread for all top stitching to make it pop. Z calls it her “Fern Dress” because she thinks it looks like something that would be worn in Charlotte’s Web. Works for me!
I don’t think I have to proclaim my love for Oliver + S, since I just mentioned our betrothal in my last post, but just in case you thought this was a marriage of convenience, let me assure you that it is a true love match. I love love LUUURRVE Oliver + S! We didn’t even sign a pre-nup.
PS: I wasn’t going to say anything, but I think you faithful blog readers deserve to know why that last dress didn’t get better photography. It’s because my daughter refused to take it off for about 3 days, and one morning tried to put it on without any help and ripped a few holes in the bodice. I haven’t been able to face the mending since this dress took me a solid 3 days to make and just looking at the holes made me weep like a small child, but I think I may be ready to face it like a big girl now. Any pointers? They’re just vertical rips extending about 3 inches above the waistline. That’s the problem with chambray, I guess. Or a combination of chambray, buttons, and impatient preschoolers.
That jump rope dress is my favorite Oliver and S pattern! Your dresses are beautiful! Good luck with the mending. Maybe some cute patches? Sorry, I am no help!
Those are sooooo cute! You did such a lovely job!
Re the tears, do you have the triple zig zag stitch on your machine? That stitch saved more kids clothing for me! If you can use it to make your repairs and then maybe add a few more lines for “decoration” to make it seem purposeful If you match your thread really well, it is the best stitch for blending in with repairs.
I love the school dress. I reminds me of something I wore to kindergarten in the 70s. Truly adorable.
What if you camouflaged the rips to look like pin tucks?
The jump rope dress is gorgeous! Makes me wish I had a little girl, I should try out their boy patterns.
noo, please don’t stop the fall wardrobe posts…
How would I live? :)
You inspire me to make stuff for my young one…
Pipiiiiiiing! <3 Red piping even. Delicious.
I feel you on the weeping. My personal experience leads me to believe I would throw it into a pile and NEVER put on my big-girl panties and fix it. In fact, I have a little safeway-bag-o-shame in my craft room especially reserved for little fixing and finishing projects that make me curl up into the fetal position.
I really like that first dress, nice and simple too, I think I should make a pair of cute little peasant dresses for my 3 yr old and my Eviction Pending nothing-year-old.
I LOVE the jump rope dress-the blue and red together is so classic-she looks like a child from the 50’s! Adorable!
wow, such cute dresses. love the chambray, I’m a sucker for chambray :)
I can feel your pain about the rips. :( If it were me, I’d find a gorgeous floral print and fussy cut a red flower to match the dress and use it as an applique over the tears and maybe also add a green fabric “stem” and leaves too.
I love these dresses! I guess you can still wear it for winter with leggings, boots, cute coat or jacket and winter hats. It would still work, right? Anyway, I just love it!
I am not sure if I would be any help with the mending thing, but maybe you can add some laces or something to kind of patch it up? I am not sure! hehehe.. just a thought! :) Sorry!
Adin B
I am wondering if you used a pattern for the first dress? Or will you do a tutorial? This is what I want to make my little girls for a christmas dress out of some red corduroy I just found in my stash:) Thanks!!!
Tishelle
tjward5@yahoo.com