My skill level is advanced/professional.

I would rate this pattern a 4. The instructions could be more detailed.  I change the construction order, and some other details (explained in the text).

The directions were not as clear or as detailed as they could be.  A little sewing experience would be helpful on this dress.

Size and fit are consistent with 4/4T in modern sizing.  About what I thought it would be.

I reversed one pattern piece before cutting.  I lengthened the bodice lining pieces to extend to the bottom of the belt line.

I start with the bodice.  I start by sewing the shoulder seams of the bodice yolk and lining pieces.  Press them open.  Fold up twice, press and stitch a narrow hem along the bottom edge of the bodice front and back lining pieces.  Lay the chemisette over the lining.  Marching the neck edge, wrong sides together.   Trim the neck edge, of both pieces to the seam line. Top stitch bias binding around the neck edge.  Encasing the raw edges.

Place two (or three rows) of gathering stitches along the top and at the center of the belt line (you will have to mark this yourself) of the lower bodice pieces (front and back).  Place these pieces over the lining pieces.  Wrong sides together.  Pull up, and even out, the gathering stitches until the lower bodice pieces fit onto the lining pieces.  Match the side raw edges.  Overlap the yolk stitching line.   Line up the lower gathering line to the center of the belt line.   Baste the gathers in place along the yolk.  Stitch the gathers in place along the center of the belt line.  Pin or baste, the bodice to the lining, elsewhere, as needed.

Trim the upper yolks (front and back) bottom edge to the seam line.  Finish the trimmed edges with bias binding.  Top stitch in place, encasing the raw edge.   Place the Yolk pieces over the lining pieces.  Overlap the lower yolk and the chemisette at the seam lines.  Baste the neckline, and around the arm scythe area.  Stitch the lower edge of the yolk down.  “Stitch in the ditch” works best here.  This way it wont compete with the top stitching.  Stitch the side seams, making sure to catch the bodice and the lining pieces.  Finish in an appropriate fashion.  I covered them with a soft seam binding.

Stitch the under sleeve to the upper sleeve at the outside (elbow) seam (seam 94-95).   The upper sleeve is the piece I flipped (reversed) when cutting.   Since I used lace here I used an overlap then trimmed seam.  This way it is practically invisible and lies perfectly flat.  I do the underarm seam in the same manner. Trim the lower edge to the seam line.  Then finish with bias binding, encasing the trimmed edge.  Do two rows of gathering stitches between the circles on the upper edge.

Stitch and finish the seam of the outer sleeve.   Fold and press one long edge of the cuff band, to the inside, at the seam line. Match the raw edges of the cuff band and the outer sleeves lower edge.  With the cuff band on the inside.  WRONG sides together. stitch and grade (trim seam allowances to different widths) to reduce bulk.  Flip the cuff to the outside and press.  Top stitch the upper edge of the cuff band in place.  Do two rows of gathering stitches between the circles along the top edge of the outer sleeve.

Place the under sleeve inside the outer sleeve.  Right side of the under sleeve facing the wrong side of the outer sleeve.  Pin into the arm scythe area.  Right sides together.   Match the lowest part of the sleeve opening to the bodice side seam.   Match the uppermost part of the sleeve crown to the shoulder seam.   The sleeve seams are off-center.  Pull the gathers until the outer and under sleeve both fit.  Pin and stitch the sleeve in place.  Trim excess seam allowance and finish (or cover) the seam.   Stitch and finish the center back seam.   Leave it open from the mid back upward.   I interface a strip of fabric and create an inward placket for the buttons and a facing for the buttonholes.  I use a small flat button here (not decorative) or snaps.

I didn’t understand why the bottom skirt band was the length it was stated to cut.  To long to lay flat, but not long enough to look gathered.  SO… I shortened it and made it lie flat.  Stitch the short end of the band.  Fold in half lengthwise, wrong side together and press.  Fold one long raw edge under and press on the seam line.   Stitch the unfolded edge  to the lower edge of the skirt piece.  Right side of band to the wrong side of the skirt.  Flip the band to outward and press.  Top stitch the top of the band over the seam line.  Creating the band and encasing the raw edges.    Do two or three row of gathering stitches along the top of the skirt.  Cut a piece of bias tape the length of the lower edge of the bodice flounce.   Fold in half lengthwise an press.  Pin the bias tape to the lower edge of the bodice flounnce.   Now pin the skirt (wrong sides together) to the bodice flounce.  The bias tape is between the layers of fabric.  Stitch and finish the seam.

Place the two pieces of belt fabric together.  Wrong sides together.  Interfacing between the layers of fabric give the belt stability.  Top stitch bias binding around the belt encasing raw edges.  Create belt loops from the fashion fabric or bias tape and stitch in place at the side seams.

Apply the decorative buttons and  bias tape decorative loops.    I also trimmed the fabric from under the lace chemisette for a more delicate look.

I did the first dress in a traditional red 1/4 gingham.  I did the chemisette and under sleeves in white lace, and the banding and trim in red.  I used a simple red button with a star burst carved into the center.  This turned out so cute, even by today standards.

I did a second one in coordinating cotton prints.  I found the cutest pink with bright-colored flowers.   I did the main body of the dress and the sleeves in this.  I found a sweet little matching stripe.  I used this for the skirt flounce, belt, and yolk.  I found a third, matching print with a green background and small pink flowers.  I used this for the contrast banding and bias strips.  I again did the chemisette and under sleeves in white lace.   I know it sounds busy.   But it is truly adorable.  And very updated.

Wow it was tricky but there is a simple  modification her too for today’s wear - like this

This hodge-podge of fabrics is the top half of the child’s dress #501.  I have chosen a pretty brown stripe fabric for the real version but decided to do a muslin first to see how the pieces would all go together.  I’m taking notes as I go and will pull it all together after I finish the final version.  Here are some more pictures of bodice construction:

The red fabric is a bias strip and I wasn’t sure how it would ease onto the top of the bodice.  It took a lot of steam and pins but it fit very well.  The red stitching line is the seam. 

I’m not following the pattern instructions exactly because they call for most seams to be overlapped and I don’t care for that look.  I’m seaming whereever I can and will top stitch if I think it adds to the appearance.

The above picture shows the chemisette in place.  I decided to bind the neck edge (in blue) to see how it looks.  I plan to use a different fabric for the chemisette and undersleeves, possibly lace, in the final dress.  After I stitched the neck edge of the bodice (the red fabric) I turned it under at the stitching line and overlapped it onto the lower edge of the chemisette and topstitched it in place.  It doesn’t show real well but the CF red band is an inch wide and it tapers to about 3/4″ at the back edges.

  It’s hard to see but this is the underside of the chemisette, laying flat and the turned under edge of the red contrast band has been clipped, turned under and topstitched to the chemisette.

Here the binding has been sewn to the bottom of the curved yoke.  I may do this as a piping on the final version, not sure yet.  The bodice front and backs are sewn in, the lining is in, the bottom of the bodice and linings are sewn together creating the blouson effect and the outer and undersleeves have been sewn in.  The outer sleeve cuffs were a bit troublesome because the directions for sewing them causes the outersleeve to be too long.  The following photo shows the right sleeve done following the pattern instructions and is too long  and the left sleeve is my version which ends up hitting the placement line as printed on the undersleeve.  The undersleeve is bound in blue. The sleeve seam joins the front bodice just above the curved binding.  The instructions suggest gathering the under and oversleeves individually but I found it better to gather them as a single unit.  There is a small pleat at the underarm side edge of the lower bodices.

There is no suggested back closing method so I made the muslin as is, to see what I have to work with.  The opening on the lining edges is shorter than the opening on the outer bodice edges and will take some experimenting to come up with a finished look that is large enough to allow the dress to be put on.  Also, I plan to trim the lining neck edge down to the top of the red contrast band so the chemisette will be more see-through.

I don’t plan to do the skirt for this muslin.  The pattern marking shows the belt loops as being attached to the side and back seams right on top of all the blousoned fabric and I can’t imagine it will look very nice.  I think I am going to lengthen the bodice lining pieces to hip level and remove some of the length of the lower bodice pieces to get a nicer blousing effect.  I may need to remove some of the fullness of the lower bodice pieces also but that will depend on the thickness of the final fabric.

So that’s my report.  I’ve got to dismantle my sewing room as we are getting ready to drive back to Michigan from Tucson where we spend the winter.  I look forward to getting back to my stash and books and finishing this cute little dress.  Hopefully I can convince my granddaughter to model it for pictures but with a four year old, there’s no telling….

Kris

Also there is no allowance for a back placket on the upper yoke.  The directions have you seam about halfway down the back bodice but don’t mention anything about how to close the upper half.  I’m not sure yet how I’m going to handle it.

One more thing I noticed:  the lining pieces of the front and back bodices are about 7″ longer than the outer yoke and bodice pieces and the instructions have you match the lower edges of bodice and lining together.  This means there is a great deal of fabric that will blouse out above the belt and will give a much different look than the illustration.

I hadn’t planned to do a muslin on this dress but I’m rethinking that decision.  I’ve got to get my grand daughters’ Easter dresses done and then I can start this dress. I found a quilting cotton in a light cocoa powder brown with a navy mattress ticking stripe.  I’m still deciding on the trim fabric.  I’m thinking of this as an everyday or school dress.

some of the names of pieces are not consistent… “yoke” is also referred to as “upper bodice”

there are no explicit directions for closing the back; in the context of finishing the belt, step 31 says “Attach hooks, eyes or snaps to fasten.”

there are no directions for making the trim except “as shown in illustration”, so…. just cut a leaf shape out of the bias cut left-overs.

I received the PDF downloads for the children’s #501 dress and the children’s apron today and I’ve got them all printed out.  I’ll be deciding on fabric and collecting supplies in the next couple of days.  Since these are children’s clothes, I don’t plan to make muslins.  I’m hoping I can wrangle my 4 yo granddaughter into modeling but that won’t happen until I see her again at the end of May.   I’m really happy to get going on this project.

I received the PDF downloads for the children’s #501 dress and the children’s apron and I’ve got them all printed out.  I’ll be deciding on fabric and collecting supplies in the next couple of days.  Since these are children’s clothes, I don’t plan to make muslins.  I’m hoping I can wrangle my 4 yo granddaughter into modeling but that won’t happen until I see her again at the end of May.   I’m really happy to get going on this project.

#501 – Young Girl’s Dress

Young Girl’s Dress – #501

This young girl’s dress (Ages 3 – 5) is shown done in Gingham with accent bias binding and buttons.  It features a multi-tiered ruffled skirt.

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And to get inspiration for your next creation, check out these beautiful garments!

Girl’s Dress by Kristine Curtis
Chopkins made both an original and modern version of #501
sgwtfox13′s detailed instructions for Girl’s Dress C0501
Knoodles Snoodles Wonderful modern adaptation for C0501  Beginnings, Take 2, and Checklist

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