Cosmo Dress

I am delighted to be taking part in the Cosmo dress pattern tour.

This is the Cosmo dress pattern from Sewpony and it's another winner. I knew instantly that this would be a dress I would love when I started seeing photos on Instagram. 

I made the pattern as is but I used the cap sleeve from this Miss Polly dress instead.  Freya really likes dresses with short or no sleeves and I wanted to keep using the piping.  I really like how you can mix and match the collars and sleeves from some of the other Sewpony patterns.  

The pattern itself was a fairly straight forward sew and the instructions and photos made each step clear. Adding the piping took a little longer but this dress just works so well with piping, so it was worth it.

It actually took me a while to decide which fabric to use for this dress. I kept changing my mind and finding it hard to commit to one idea. Finally I decided on this one and I'm so glad I did.  I knew I liked it but as soon as Little Miss put it on I LOVED it.

I love the detail of the exposed zipper on this dress.  I haven't sewn many exposed zippers (this is my second) but the instructions were very clear and Suz has even made a video to show you how its done. I used fabric glue instead of pins too which I think helped make it a little less fiddly.

The pockets were a hit as well. She'd only had it on for 5 minutes before she was trying out what would fit in them. 

So another great dress pattern from Suz and definitely one I'll be making again.  I'd love to try and be a bit adventurous with my colour blocking for the next one I reckon. Watch this space!

Be sure to check out the other beautiful dresses on the Cosmo tour!

KaatjeNaaisels//Bel'Etoile//PetiteBoutdeChou//ByDagbjort//Havinsewmuchfun//

WenSJe//GiddyAnts//Flaflinko//Larth//PetrolandMint//DoolittleDesignsCo//Bellevi//

Amore//PimpYourPattern//Cas&Nina//Liivi&Liivi//Whileshewassleeping//

StraighGrain//Kneesocksandgoldilocks//Yaaritg//MendandMakeNew//

Honderdachtentwintig(128) 

A Despicable Tinny Dress

It's another Tinny dress folks.

This is definitely my most used pattern now.  This time I've used the bow collar from the Laure Dress. I really love how some designers make their patterns mix and match. It opens up even more options than the one pattern (although this one still has plenty!)

This dress is actually based on the character of Lucy Wilde from Despicable Me 2. Everytime Freya enjoys watching or reading something now she asks for a dress. I had originally thought of making her a minion denim pinafore but she insisted Lucy was her favourite so that's what I went with.

I used a white and pink fabric for the bow as a nod to Lucy's scarf and of course the twirly skirt of the Tinny is always a winner.

I was a bit worried when I showed her while I was half-way through making it, and she said it was wrong.  But luckily she loved it when I'd finished and wanted to wear it straight away.

I was just happy to make something not based on a Disney Princess. I'm really enjoying making these character inspired dresses.  My goal is to be make wearable for everyday while still having that dress up quality. 

Because one Elsa dress just isn't enough...

After seeing how much Freya loved her first Elsa dress, another Princess dress was always going to be on the to-sew list.

So I went back to Frozen for this one and decided on Elsa's coronation dress.  I used the Magrath dress pattern for this one and have plans to use this pattern to make the next Princess dress on the list (and Freya's list keeps getting bigger).

I added yellow piping between the seams which wasn't the easiest thing to do with the shaped bodice. I got out my embroidery machine for the bodice patterns. I got the design from Daisy Sprouts and it stitched up beautifully.

I changed the back to make it a straight yoke and added more piping.  I wasn't originally going to use and exposed zipper but the piping didn't agree with the invisible zipper so I went back to the original design. This is the first zipper I've ever done that wasn't invisible and I kind of like it.  It's got me thinking about using some more exposed zippers with some other dresses.

Other than the back, I didn't alter the pattern at all.  This is a size 5 and it has plenty of room.  To be honest Freya would probably still fit a size 4 in a few patterns, but I always sew up a 5 to be safe, and to make sure it will last for a while. I didn't lengthen it as I wanted this dress to be a bit more user friendly than the full length one.

The pattern was great.  The instructions were clear and had photos for each step. The PDF itself went together quickly and smoothly. 

Needless to say it was a big hit with my girl.  She's already talking about the next character dress she wants, and luckily it's not a princess next time. Watch this space.