Cheery Cherry Sundress

Another fun project is finished and now Joelle gets to grow like a weed and not fit into it soon!

Special thanks again to EMILY for this adorable fabric, and special thanks to my MOMMY who sent me a package of fabric and other goodies like silky red thread (see the close-up a few pics down).

I went with the same idea as the first dress I made couple months back: a simple round collar, simple body and a simple 1/2 inch border. Only three pieces per front and back!

I traced a dress that is a similar style, but to make sure all the seams match up I only traced the left side, cut it out on card stock...then later, when tracing it onto the fabric, I traced the pattern (left side) and then flipped it to complete the right side. All the seams matched up!  

This dress is easy to assemble because it needs no zipper or buttons up the back (intimidating for beginner dressmakers like myself!), but fastens with buttons on the collar.  More notes at the bottom for details.

Look closely for the fancy, shiny thread from my mom- the perfect, subtle decoration. But don't look too closely at the button hole... I don't have a machine, nor the patience to sew a button whole by hand correctly. haha

 no reason for this picture except that it's adorable.  belly button check!

And... these too.

Hey, dog- where's your dress? 

To sew the collar without a seam showing, trace the pattern on a doubled-over piece of fabric, pin them together and then cut out.  Sew together the top and sides and then flip over and iron flat.  Leave the bottom of the collar unsewn because you will sew that (wrong sides together) onto the dress and then flip up.  Wish I had done this with the first dress to avoid all the unsightly seam lines.

Cut out the main body of the dress on a doubled-over piece of fabric (wrong sides facing) and sew the sides together. Flip it right-side out and leave the top and bottom unsewn, because you will attach the collar and bottom border here later.

One mistake I made with this dress: too small! because I wasn't accounting for how much fabric would gather while sewing on the collar, it pulled too tight and she'll be too big for it in no time.

My favorite thing about this dress: the main body is one-ply fabric, cool cotton and dries in a heart-beat (necessary for all our water-play days).  Next time I will take pictures as I sew for a more comprehensive tutorial!