Made By Lolly: August Sundresses

The red-headed sisters are starting kindergarten and pre-school....that's code to Lolly for "make-new-dresses-so-they-look-extra-cute"! 

I used a Burda pattern to sew up a couple of cotton sundresses to wear in this hot, hot weather. (See another version here.)

You got a peek at both garments last week in my posts. Here they are all finished and ready for the girls to try on. I was hoping that I'd gotten the sizing right as I've found, from past experience, that the pattern runs too wide across the chest. I made some adjustments.

The girls were extra excited about getting new dresses for school and agreed to pose for pictures so that I could show you all how they looked on them.

Jane's sundress was still a bit wide for her small frame. She wears a size 3 or 4 in ready made clothing and I had cut the top using the size 2 pattern and then even taken it up a little after that. It still looks cute, though, and will work as a jumper with a tee underneath in cooler weather.

I didn't mention the creative piecing that took place in the back of the skirt and, as expected, no one noticed! We all love the sweet floral print.

Lula named her dress, The Honey Dress. She even made up a little dance to do while wearing it! Her favorite part is the contrasting band around the bottom and mentioned it several times. (I added the band to lengthen the skirt when I didn't have quite enough fabric for her long legs!)

The golden yellow hue looks pretty with her hair and I think that I got the fit just right for her size 6 slim body.

Coincidentally, the sisters had cute saltwater sandals in their closets to match their dresses. 

We couldn't have planned it better! 

Take 2, Etc.

My second try at making the First Day Dress resulted in a better fit around the neck. Besides making a size 6 rather than 5 like last time, I also used the cutting line for a different size neckline to enlarge the opening.

Next time I might leave the back neckline alone and only cut the front piece with a lower opening. For summer, though, the lower back makes for a breezier top!

It was so toasty outside that my lens fogged up while I was shooting these photos of Lula in her tunic top.... sorry about that!

I added a little ruffle to the front and used the cap sleeve version this time. The pattern called for treating the lining and the top as one when hemming but I chose to hem them separately for fear that after washing there would be some puckering. I think we are maybe ready to try the dress pattern next!

Size 2 summer outfits are as much fun to sew as size 6, I've found!

I've been wanting to try out this Burda sundress pattern 9551. The Posey print by Aneela Hoey is so sweet.... I just adore it! I also love tiny piping on little girl's dresses for some reason. Fortunately, I had some on hand left over from my hand-smocking days.

Lois has been wearing size two clothing for quite awhile now. The length of the skirt was perfect on her but it was a bit wide through the torso with this pattern. 

A back zipper makes for easy off and on. I added buttonholes to the bodice so that the straps can easily be adjusted by just moving the buttons up or down.

Lois, like her girl cousins, loves wearing a cute little dress whenever she can!

Of course, her Lolly, is happy to accommodate! Here's the Burda skirt pattern made up in her size using Heather Ross's strawberry fabric. 

I left off the big bow and did not line the skirt this time.

It seems to me that Lois likes it that way just fine. She even came up with a name for her skirt: The Birthday Skirt!

She must be planning ahead though because she's got a few months to go before her birthday rolls around!

Summer of the Skirt

This summer might just be the Summer of the Skirt since I can't seem to stop making them!

 Burda 9442 is my latest favorite for making a stylish, easy summer skirt. A plus for this pattern is that the envelope contains sizes 2 thru 9: perfect sizes for all the little girls in my life.

  The dropped waist style sews up in an afternoon. An elastic waist band means no zippers and an easy fit. I even cut the skirt out using my acrylic ruler and a  rotary cutter since all of the pieces are rectangles!

 Lining a skirt adds a designer quality, I think, and is simple to do using the same pattern pieces as the skirt itself. I used some Kona cotton that I had on hand and made the lining about an inch shorter than the skirt.

 The large bow is just pinned on so it can be removed for washing or for wearing the skirt with a longer shirt. Adding a label to the back is handy for the girls when dressing themselves.

 The pattern includes a double ruffle version which we will have to try next. This pattern is definitely a keeper!

The fabric for Jane's pink skirt is Briar Rose by Heather Ross. She loves the little bees wearing bonnets!

 Lula's skirt features an Art Gallery fabric called Sweet as Honey. Aren't the little deer adorable!

Oh, how I love sewing for little girls. Sigh!

 P.S. It started raining during our photo shoot but the models, though made of sugar, didn't melt!