Wednesday, February 02, 2011

"Eleanor" Dress


I bought this lovely corduroy fabric last winter to make something for Emily that would go with the striped tights she owned but didn't match anything. A year has passed, and I knew this would be the last winter the tights would fit my daughter. So I finally made her a dress from the fabric that matched the tights that will only fit a few months longer.... : )

Pattern:
Ottobre 6/2010, design #10, "Eleanor" dress; A-line dress with long sleeves gathered into wide cuffs; big pointy collar; yoke with tucks.

Mostly, I like this pattern, but there were a few things I had problems with: I disliked the way Ottobre has you do the sleeve placket. Basically, you are to cut the slit in the sleeve and then just narrowly hem the raw edges of the slit. Umm....no good. Instead, I cut a bias strip and made a placket following the method described in Betzina's Power Sewing (not the kind of placket you'd use in a man's shirt, but a simple bias bound placket).

I also disliked the wideness of the dress. It looks cute on the model in the magazine, but I found it too wide for my daughter. I added narrow ties to the sides of the dress to pull in the fullness. I sewed the ties into the side seams 3" down from the armholes.


The three brown buttons on the yoke are all mismatched. Call it a design element. The truth is, we are snowed in and I couldn't get to the fabric store to buy buttons. So I used what I had in my stash that worked. Yep, it's a design element.

Overall, I'm happy with this dress and look forward to seeing Emily wear it come Sunday (if we are no longer snowbound!). Mostly, I'm happy that I'm sewing again. Hey, sewing room, I have missed you!

Ruth

20 comments:

  1. I love the adjustments you made to the pattern. Thanks for sharing. That is nice fabric. I made an Otto dress out of that a year ago for my daughter! Yours looks very cute!

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  2. Good on you for making your own adjustments,
    Sometimes i wish i would be brave enough to do so- but i worry i'll only ruin whatever it is I'm making!
    have fun in the snow!

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  3. I love the clothes you make for Emily and this one is no exception. It's cheerful and bright and so fun with those tights!

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  4. Cute! And I like the mismatched buttons. This is such a cute pattern, and you've executed it perfectly.

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  5. Very nice and I like the "design element", lol will have to remember that one.

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  6. Cute dress and looks great with the striped tights and polka dot boots!:)

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  7. Gasp! Saying this dress is gorgeous is an understatement.

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  8. Very pretty dress! I too find that most clothes are too wide for my daughter--she's 12 and skinny as a beanpole. Ever since she was little though, I've had the same problem. I don't know why they make dresses (and dress patterns) so wide--it seems to me that that would allow all the cold air to flow up to the little tummy and make the little girl feel cold.

    You did a great job "fixing" the pattern though.

    By the way, I added you to my blog roll a while back! I am just getting started with sewing so I find your blog very inspirational. :)

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  9. Darling dress. Not only does it look very comfy and warm, but it's beautiful too. Adding your own design elements is what makes sewing fun.

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  10. This dress is adorable. I love making dresses for my 3 year old daughter tho I havent ventured much passed the pillowcase dress....yet!

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  11. Looking good Ruth! I haven't seen a photo of your Emily on the blog for a long time. She's growing up. How old is she?

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  12. Thanks so much for the tips. I want to make a version of that one for spring.

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  13. I absolutely adore this dress! Thanks so much for sharing your adjustments. Definitely has inspired me to pull out my copy & get to tracing!

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  14. I think the changes you made turned out fabulously! I love Ottobre patterns, and this one is also wonderful. Thanks for the review!

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  15. Very cute, Emily looks darling.

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  16. the dress is beautifully made.. and simply adorable on your daughter! your details and adjustments show your accomplishments as a seamstress & the fabric choices reflect your sunny personality... I love it!

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  17. Super duper cute! I love the fabric. I also like the alterations you made to the pattern. I'm always doing that too.

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