Who doesn't like Peter Rabbit?

My 19-month old toddler Freya is certainly a big fan! I am biased, but she is at such a cute age at the moment - starting to really show and voice her preferences, and lucky for Mummy, Freya really loves her new Peter Rabbit dress. 

It's pretty long right now (with the end of the sleeves folded in), but I just can't bear the thought of her outgrowing this one too quickly!

After a careful "audit" of Freya's wardrobe, I noticed that she is in need of a long-sleeve, wear anywhere and anytime sort of dress. I pictured it with a loosely fitted bodice, and a lightly gathered skirt, which can be layered up with a cardigan and tights when the weather gets a bit chilly (oh yes, I am serious about her wearing this one for as long as possible). 

Poppy & Jazz Pansy dress was just the pattern, and it fulfilled my vision perfectly. I bought this when it was in baby sizing 0-24m, but its recent expansion of sizing to up to 6-year old was a very welcome move indeed. I can see many more versions of this in the years to come. 

I made size 18-24m (knowing that the sizing works pretty well for Freya), and cut the skirt a little shorter (based on the 18m line). 

The instructions were nice and clear, and straightforward enough for beginners. Part of me wanted to compare it to the instructions of a similar adult dress, like the Colette Moneta (my version here), but that would probably be unfair, and what the Pansy offers is more than fit for purpose. Top tip - if you do want to (and have the time to) pick up some excellent tips for sewing with knits, check out the Moneta sew-along -- you are welcome. 

But as a busy mum, I didn't indulge my perfectionism and take my time over each step, and man did it backfire! Whilst I have had success in the past of gathering knit with clear elastic (no basting and unpicking, hooray!), my impatience got better of me this time. What awaited were me so hideously uneven gathers. Ignoring it and moving onto the next step did not help my sanity as much as I hoped, and I ended up chopping off the entire waistline seam, and starting over. I'm sharing this because 1) we often don't share enough about the imperfections behind all the beautiful photos and 2) to remind myself that sewing when you feel rushed will not provide great results, and that sewing is a hobby that I enjoy, not a task to complete. 

Enough philosophy speak, don't you think? Let's look at those lovely gathers (picture above) that I took my time with in the end. 

The fabric is absolutely gorgeous. There is no hiding from the fact that I have a bit (okay, a lot) of a fabric obsession, but this was one of the prints that grabbed my attention from the get go. The colours, the design and the scale are all perfect, and this fabric would also make amazing t-shirts and leggings. You can also team it with all sorts of cuffings/ribbings, which makes it super versatile. 

Currently this particular jersey is on pre-order here, and you can also grab two other desigs here and here. It's just too good to miss! Any other cotton jersey would work very well for this little dress, too - just pick your design! 

So there you have it, a pretty little dress that is good all-year round. It is a classic design, easy to make, and comfortable to wear. What's not to like?

Until next time, take care and happy sewing! 

Alice from Queen of Darts