My quest for the perfect summer dress
As I sew lots of pretty dresses for my business and my girls are required to model for me regularly (
sometimes under protest or through bribes of extra iPad time) I
find when I am making something for them to keep it needs to be pretty special to
win them over.
My eldest (
Lorelai) loves a twirly dress but she’s at that stage where she likes to think she’s more “
grown up” than she is. Thankfully I found the perfect pattern in Slpco - Malibu!!! With its twirly skirt and twisted back she felt less like a kid in it while keeping mummy happy that she’s not too grown up just yet!!
Have you been looking for a special kiddie dress that’ll be perfect for the coming
summer months? Do you like to sew primarily with jersey? If yes, then Malibu is the pattern for you.
It comes with several back options, including a modest version for those of us who
don’t like our little ladies with their back exposed.
With the fabulous Mermaid Fabric I got from Flamingo Fabrics (Currently still
available on the website) I made the twisted version which is the slightly, and I
mean slightly, more complicated version.
The instructions are clear and as we have come to expect from Slpco, the instructional photos are what makes this pattern so easy to follow.
My advice, if you’re doing the twisted version I did, is to ensure your left and right
sides of the back bodice match up. To do this I folded mine on top of each other after I’d pinned the twisted pieces into place. It allowed me to fiddle with the pieces prior to sewing to make sure they were completely symmetrical.
The skirt is a full circle skirt which means maximum twirl-ability. I’ve yet to come across a little lady who doesn’t love to twirl. I know many don’t like hemming circle skirts but I promise you it’s worth it. I find if I overlock the hem before I press the hem up 3/4” and use a twin needle to hem the skirt that it sits beautifully.
You can, of course, substitute a gathered skirt if you're a little short on the fabric you're using.
When I finished the dress and had my eldest model it, she loved it! Her friend was here at the time and begged for a dress exactly the same. I’ll take that as a mummy win!!!
Hope you all enjoy sewing it as much as I did
Love
Marie xx
Hi i was looking at your beautiful waterproof fabrics and was wondering what needles in my sewing machine would i need for this fabric .I use a ballpoint needle with stretch fabrics but i have no clue with this fabric . ( new to sewing so any advice would be much appreciated.Thank you
lesley storey on