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SEWN: A VERY RAINBOW CHRISTMAS DRESS

Sunday 14 December 2014

Never work with children or small animals. I get it, I truly do.


This child never stands still or stops talking... she's talking above. Good lord, this was even after having to bribe her to model with the promise of a forbidden candy cane. Oh how the mighty fall when it comes to children. We truly aren't boss, you know. It's impossible.

Back to the dress. This is my fifth Xmas dress for the very lovely (if infuriating) Miss M. I'm liking it, and Miss M is ecstatic, but it's not the triumph of last year. Oh boy, how grown up she looks this year!

I was really pleased to use one of my vintage pattern finds for this dress, before she outgrew its one size!


Vintage Butterick 4983, View C. Isn't that illustration adorable?? It totally sucked me in... those pigtails, those bows, that cute floral. So much cuteness.




It's been a very rainbow year in the SewJillian household. Rainbows in every drawing, rainbows in every book. It went without saying that this year's dress would feature "rainbows". But I was down with that when it came to this fabric. Geo Rainbow. So. Much. Awesomeness.

Oh and stars, there had to be stars. Stars and rainbows apparently go hand in hand. Golden stars around the hem it was.


I thought I was all embellished out (I don't do embellishment), but then Miss M remembered the Daiso zips. I was all for sticking in a red one (very Xmasy), but it was pink or nothing. As I said: any illusions of being boss are completely thrown out in the face of a 4 year old's egocentric desires.

So we did pink.

And with a zipper as gorgeous as that I did an extreme exposed zip. I actually love how it turned out. I thought about enclosing the base of the zip in some dress fabric, but I really like the slightly industrial look of it as is.


I had a significant problem with design ease in this one. I tried the dress on Miss M before inserting the zipper or attaching the facings. It seemed quite tight around the chest, so I reduced the seam allowance to 1cm (from 1.5) and away I went. Entirely finished the dress and realised it was a sack of the most epic proportions, huge in every way. I ended up having to detach the armhole facings at the side seams (understitching and all!!!!) and take it in just over an inch each side and re-attach. Still seems a little broad across the shoulders, but it's much better.

And this little one is mucho pleased. And still ridiculously gorgeous. Look at that face...

27 comments:

  1. Wow, that is a stunning fabric - I love the little geometries in ! I had the same ease issue with a dress I just. made my daughter from a vintage pattern too - and also had to take in the side. seams and facings, and now the shoulders. are too wide - too much ease is obviously not a new problem!! Anyway the main thing is that your daughter looks to love it; kids like their clothes a bit loose, right? PS she is so cute - and she really looks like you!!!

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  2. Adorable! She looks great in it, and I love the array of bright colours, such a nice change from the usual. The vintage illustrations are just so cute too. :-)

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  3. Very cute and a most excellent compromise between über chic mum creative vision and the little poppet's desires....

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  4. How adorable is your little girl! The dress is fab!!

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  5. Fabulous!! And I understand the requests of tiny dictators - oh how I'd love to sew this though...

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  6. This dress is great! Love the fabric and embellishments. She's such a cutie!

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  7. Too cute!!! What a lucky girl. Rainbows rock...and fairies, and unicorns and love hearts, sheesh, can you tell I have a house of girls. Sometimes I get zoo animals now too though, but they all have big long 'girl' eyelashes and usually high heels. Yes, zebras and bears ALWAYS wear high heels. But back to your dress and the kind mummy you are to go with her choice of embellishments, I love it. In fact I need to go rainbow fabric shopping right now.

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  8. Miss M is delightful! I love the zipper - works beautifully with the rest of the dress .... and the fabric ohhhh! Just yesterday I was trying to buy some fabric for my niece and all the salesperson could show me were greys, navy and tartans --- boring... She kept telling me they were elegant! - my niece is not yet three - she has the rest of her life to be elegant - now she should have fun like your Miss M seems to be having!

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  9. GORGEOUS!! Love the pattern design and fabric - perfect!

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  10. Awesome fabric, dress & child with her own mind!

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  11. Beautiful.... the dress and the child :) x

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  12. I knew you'd like this fabric, Gabrielle! Ease hey? It's a pain no matter what age the pattern. And you're right. When I tried it on her before adjusting she wouldn't take it off. Even hanging off her she was in love and twirling away! Yep, looks the image of me, no DNA test required :)

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  13. Yep, this little lady is all style :)

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  14. That's what I think Teresa. Each to their own, but I love a special dress for Xmas that doesn't scream "Christmas".

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  15. Most excellent indeed, Sarah. Little poppet? More like lion-sized personality!

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  16. Little dictators, I love it! I can copy the pattern if you have a four year (or maybe a 6 year old based on the ease) you can make it for?? Let me know!

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  17. Thanks Lisa, the embellishments were a change from the norm for me!

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  18. Debbie, zoo animals ALWAYS wear heels. At least where I come from :) I can probably pick up some more of this fabric if you're interested in a care package??

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  19. Oh thank you Sasha! Fun is definitely a priority, though some of the outfits Miss M comes up with leave a bit to be desired. Elegance has its place too!

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  20. Definitely a child with her own mind. Your little ones always look such angels. Tell me how you do it!!??

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  21. Thanks so much Myra, we think we'll keep her ;)

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  22. Definitely no 👼 living here. No. 1 is stubborn & has been complicated since the day she was born. No. 2 is generally more easy going but has a defiant streak. Life is never dull in our household!

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  23. Haha! Chip off the old block I'm suspecting 😉

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