Thank Heaven for Little Girls

Thank heaven for little girls, cause little girls need fun dresses every birthday. Thank heaven for little girls, cause aunty's get to buy more yardage and yell hooray!

You've probably figured out from my little ditty that sewing toddler dresses is one of my favorite things. Every year I wait with baited breath and credit card in hand for my niece's birthday. If you're buying girlie, girlie knits for someone else it doesn't count as stash. Froggie told me so.  I hear some of you saying, "Pffftt that frog is the biggest enabler ever." Well I must defend Froggie's honor and say that he gave me the purchasing limit of fabric for one dress, the fairy print.  Then we tossed the stash and pulled out the owls knit and some beefy pink spandex for dress number two.  See, see, just a little bit naughty with the fabric purchases. Don't ask about our chocolate intake.

Both dresses are the Kitschy Coo kids skater dress with a few minor alterations.  Froggie and I though we should shake things up a bit since the little girl in question already has a few regular skaters.  We also had the extra creative challenge of discovering there wasn't quite enough of the owls knit for a 3/4 T skater after cutting out the skirt. Oops, we are usually much better at laying everything out before cutting.  Must have been too hopped up on chocolate.

For the fairies dress a Comino cap like seam was dropped into the bodice. One of us is obsessed with that pattern and the other said he'd been told little girls like princessy clothing.

For the owls version Froggie and I did another sort bodice piecing to get around our yardage snafu. We though a big "belt" like waistband would look similar to woven dresses with wide ribbons around the waist.

Our original plan was to do a Katie MD flutter sleeve, but thought the dress needed a banded sleeve to balance out the waistband.  Instead we slashed up the pattern, creating a puff sleeve.

After completing these two cute dresses Froggie took a nap.  Sewing excitement really wears him out.  I remained awake and put in a little more elbow grease taking pictures of how to make these design changes.  Must....infect....you....with...more.....hacking.

Sweet heart neckline version
1. On the front make a mark on the side seam 3/4" down from the armhole.

2. Place french curve on the pattern like so. The tail in should touch the side seam mark.

3. Trace the curve from the CF over towards the armhole, but stop before you get to the side seam.

4. Flip the french curve the other direction and complete the sweetheart seam line.

5. Cut the pattern in two pieces along the line.

6. Add seam allowance to each side of the newly drafted seam. (I put 1/4" SA on these pieces)

7. On the back draw a mark on the side seam 3/4" down from the armhole.

8. At that mark, draw a straight line perpendicular to the CB across the pattern.

9. Cut the back apart on that line and add seam allowance to both sides of the new seam.

Puff Sleeve Version
1. The "waistband" piecing is the same idea as the cormino cap seam above.  Measure 2 1/4" up from the bottom of the bodice. Draw the line following the curve of the bodice waist seam. Cut apart and add seam allowance.

2. Trace a copy of the short sleeve skater sleeve.

3. Mark 1" along either side of the sleeve head notch.

4. Draw vertical lines through the sleeve at the new marks and at the sleeve head notch.

5. From the sleeve head edge, cut the pattern along these lines but not all the way through.  Leave a small hinge at the cuff edge so that the sleeve can be fanned open.

6. Decide how much extra ease to add to the sleeve. I decided to add 3/4" to each slash line for a total of 2 1/4" extra ease.  Each slashed area was then taped open at 3/4".

7. Smooth out the new sleeve cap with a ruler and cut off all the overhanging paper.

Ta Da! You are now prepared with patterns for outfitting adorable bounty hunters. Watch out, she's packing suds! Don't encase me in a bubble. Noooo!