Denim Shirtdress (New Look 6487)

One of the patterns I purchased in the tween range from New Look was this shirtdress. It is pattern 6487. 

It has 4 different views varying between sleeveless with tie belt, dipped hem, short or long sleeved and straight cut or with a waist seam.

Boo really liked the look of view D. She described the dress she wanted; denim, tabs on the sleeve, shirt collar. It just so happened that I had the perfect fabric to hand thanks to Nicole (thank you so much!). 

I found the instructions nice and clear, which is reassuring because I think she may want more of these in the future. I can't seem to launder it fast enough! 

I didn't make any alterations and it all worked out fine. The chambray is a good weight for gathering without any issues and I like seeing the wrong side of the fabric when the sleeves are turned up.

She does like wearing a dress and leggings much more than wearing jeans so it is a relief to be building a pattern collection which can accommodate that. I have got some new patterns to make for her which I can't wait to crack open. I will have to invest in some new fabric once I have worked everything out, but that is the easy part. Factoring in sewing time however, is another matter entirely! She needs quite a few new things....

Oliver + S Rollerskate Pattern

I didn't mean to leave it so long to put up another blog post. I have been making a few things and my projects feel rather scattered at the moment. So I have tried to tie up a few loose ends, photograph the clothes I have made for the girls and tackle a few outstanding projects in my wip basket.

The pattern here is the Rollerskate dress/top from Oliver and S. I haven't used it an awful lot since buying it, mainly because Boo was at the top end of the sizing scale for the pattern and L wasn't there yet. Now that I can sew up a size 6 I remembered about this one.

I made a straight size 6 in the top and while it fit her well, I felt that the elastic casing was a bit too high on her chest. When she raises her arms, the elastic stays stuck and makes the fabric bunch. So for the dress I lowered it about an inch and it sits much better.

The top is make from a quilting cotton, lined with some plain white poplin. The fact that it is fully lined means that all those itchy seams are hidden away, perfect for this girl who won't wear anything uncomfortable.

I just love the dress version on her. The style of the bodice suits her and it is easy for her to get on and off. I only altered the position of the casing, everything else, length etc, was perfect.

L chose the robot fabric herself out of my stash. It is a pinwale corduroy that was earmarked for some cargo pants but works really well with this pattern. She loves her robot dress!

Leaving off the ribbon feature wasn't done by design but after it was worn hot off my machine I never got around to sewing the ribbon on. 

I think it should be left as it is, not too girly.

Isn't the print cute though? The robots are really fun to look at!

I think there will be a few more of these dresses and tops in her future!