Sunday, July 21, 2013

The Super Online Sewing Match: Round Two Challenge


Round Two's Challenge is the Roller Skate Dress  and Tunic from Oliver & S.  This pattern is for girls and the size range is 6 months to size 12.  Check out the post at Sew Mama Sew and get all the information about this darling dress and a discount code, too!  Let me start by saying how wonderful this pattern is.  The instructions are well-written and the hints throughout are so helpful with construction.  I enjoyed making this dress so much and I am so pleased with the results.  The fit, the look and the style all work together to give Lily one really cute dress.



When we received the information for the challenge I knew exactly who I was going to make a dress for, Lily, a good friend's daughter.  Lily is beautiful, talented, sweet and a great runner.  She loves animals, her family and athletic clothes with an occasional dress.

My inspiration was from the fabric (Camelot Cottons Hand Picked)  and Lily's personality.  I wanted a cute dress but not too girly and it needed pockets.


I used the dress version but redrafted the pattern so I could use one fabric for the bodice and another for the skirt.  Lily wanted orange in her dress and that is one of the colors in the stripes.  I used the elastic casing lines from the pattern for the division from bodice and skirt, adding 3/4" to these pattern pieces for the casing


The main challenge for this dress was matching the stripes on the side seams and the pockets.  I made sure to lay my fabric out straight for cutting  the skirt front and back, matching the notch provided on the pattern.  I also used this notch as placement for the pockets, matching those stripes also.

View of the side seam and pockets.

Kay Whitt of Sew Serendipity inspired me with her use of ruffles, pleats, bands at the hem and other embellishments.  I decided to use my ruffler for my sewing machine and pleat the green fabric for the hemline of Lily's dress.  I chose the pleats over gathering because I felt it was an older look for Lily's age.

I added length to the lining of the dress so the seam of the pleat to the dress would be covered, I used a hot pink quilting cotton for the lining.

Now to the neckline, I wanted to use the yoke which would allow me to add another fabric to the dress.  I  decided a piping would look nice on the yoke plus add some contrast between the green and yoke print. Lily picked hot pink.




Seam finishing was to press open and pink the seam.  I didn't want the serging to show through when the seam was pressed.  I did this to the lining and the outside fabric.


Now let's talk about how cute Lily looks in her dress. 


She can climb a tree


Jump for joy!


Make a wish in the wishing well.

Stand on a rock

And of course, just like the name of the dress, Lily can do some roller skating.


This is the end of the story, Lily says good-bye and is off to enjoy her new dress and her roller skates.



Note - these pictures were taken in a local garden our small town is so lucky to have.  Also, we were very lucky to get a rain in our farming community, Lily was a trooper during the photoshoot.  She carried the umbrella, stepped over puddles and later skated through them!  Thank you Lily for helping me with this challenge.

 

48 comments:

  1. Every aspect of Lily's dress is perfect. And she can do everything she wants to in it. Wonderful.

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    1. Thank you so much, it was so fun to make a little girl's dress again.

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  2. What an adorable dress for such a lovely girl!

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    1. Thank you, Irene, she is a sweetheart.

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  3. Great execution. Love the details--the pattern matching, piping & the ruffle. My 11 year old daughter said she'd wear one like it.

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    1. Thank you, Beth, the details make the dress really special, it is a great pattern and fun to make. Tell your daughter, thanks, too. Are you going to make her one?

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  4. Beautiful dress, I love the details and contrasting fabrics. Lucky Lily:)

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    1. Thank you, Wendy, it was so fun to make this dress. Little girl sewing is so fun.

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  5. Lily is one lucky girl :) The dress is so pretty.

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    1. Thank you, she was all smiles, especially while roller skating!

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  6. That is such a cute dress! I love all the sherbet looking colors!

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    1. Thank you, Linda, I love the colors too, fun to sew with.

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  7. It looks great. Love all the details. She's adorable in it.

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    1. Thank you, Beth, she is a cutie.

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  8. This is one adorable dress! The colours suit her lovely complexion :)

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    1. Thank you, Carolyn, the colors were made for her. She is a beautiful young girl.

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  9. That's a lucky little girl! Your fabrics are wonderful, and you are spot on with the Serendipity look!

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    1. Thank you, Gwen, I appreciate it.

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  10. SO CUTE!!! The girl and the dress! I love the fabrics you chose and the redrafting to be able to use a different one for the skirt. I have many Oliver + S patterns and just love the line.

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    1. Thank you, Amanda, it was a fun dress to sew. This is my first Oliver & S pattern but plan on making more, especially if their are some granddaughters!

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  11. This turned out so cute, Lori. THe piping around the yoke and the pleated ruffle at the bottom add such cute detail. Great job!

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    1. thanks, Lisa, I love the pleated ruffle, too.

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  12. The details are perfect! Great job, Lori.

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  13. What a lovely dress for a lovely girl. The color combination with all your attention to detail and including Lily's needs and wishes are perfect.

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    1. Thanks, Lisa, I enjoyed making the dress and customizing it for Lily.

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  14. Great job, Lori! That is a very pretty dress for her and all the details look so well made. It looks like she loves it, too. :)

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  15. Adorable! Both Lily and the dress.
    The colors are beautiful and work so well together.
    The details are "perfect".

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    1. Thank you, Ann, I couldn't be happier with the results.

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  16. Anonymous2:03 PM

    What a creative photo shoot! I love this dress. The contrasting fabrics, yoke, piping and pleated hem make this dress a winner in my book. I will admit that when I first saw this pattern, I wasn't crazy about it, but your inerpretation has sold it! My vote has been cast for you to move along in this competition to round three!!!

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    1. Thank you, we sure had fun taking the photos. Thanks so much for the support and it really is a cute pattern.

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  17. This dress is gorgeous! The combination of fabrics is so fun and the yoke and hem details really add to the design. This makes me wish my daughter was younger! Best of luck - but you probably won't need it since I think you've really nailed this one!

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    1. Thank you, Shar, I appreciate your kind comments, it was a fun dress to sew.

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  18. Off to dust off my pleater that I never use! Seriously fun and well-constructed dress Lori! Can you tell me how deep the ruffle is? Thanks!! I've ordered the pattern and love how you've made it :)

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    1. Thank you, Michelle. The ruffle is cut 5", folded in half then I ran it through my ruffler. Sewed it with a 1/2" seam allowance so 2" long when all complete. Enjoy your ruffler.

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  19. I immediately thought of "sew serendipity" studios when I saw this dress! What a GREAT dress. The fabric has so much color and "texture" and you did a fabulous job with coordinating the prints and matching the stripes! I love a dress that an athlete can still be an athlete in! Lily is adorable and you did a great job of capturing her personality in this dress! Nice, nice work!

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    1. Thanks, Kay Whitt is a very talented designer and seamstress. Thank you so much, I love the fabric and it is perfect for Lily. She is quite the athlete and the smiles came once we said - climb the tree!

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  20. Anonymous11:37 AM

    Adorable! Great job!

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  21. So bright and cheery, love the pockets. Bravo on a perfect fit!

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    1. Thank you, Lily is a collector, so pockets are a requirement. Just went to your blog, love your version of the Roller Skate Dress

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  22. Anonymous5:42 AM

    What a lucky little girl! Lori, the dress is absolutely gorgeous. The matching lined pockets really took some effort and it's a mark of a well-made garment. And the idea of pleats vs. ruffle to consider her age? How thoughtful! You are simply an excellent seamstress.

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    1. Thank you so much, I appreciate your kind words. I told her mom, she will love me when it is time to press that pleat!

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  23. Anonymous9:34 AM

    This is so cute! I love it! It's so fun and bright-- Lily must be so pleased!

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    1. Thanks, Ginger. Lily is pleased and she told me she was proud of me for moving on in the contest!

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  24. Lori, I love it! May we borrow one of your photos for a blog post on the Oliver + S site? It really turned out beautifully!

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    1. oh, yes, please do. Thanks so much, Liesl.

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  25. Anonymous12:05 PM

    I loved this sewing story. I suppose it's influenced by my appreciation of girlhood!

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