Velvet!

Simplicity 2348

I made my six year old an over the top Christmas dress.  Every year we go to a pantomime and usually somewhere dressy.  Last year it was the Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House, this year it will be a Christmas concert at the Royal Albert Hall.  And, of course, there are parties and church services.  A fancy Christmas dress was in order.  Last year, I made her a chic jacket and skirt which she didn't like much at all.  I felt like a heel at the ROH, with all the other little girl's in pink confections.  So this year, I decided to do my utmost to give her an over the top girly dress.  Especially since, at six, this is probably the last year she will want to be adorned in flounces and flowers.


This one she really likes.  I even made the matching purse (and I really despise making bags.)  Naturally, she wanted the coat on the pattern envelop as well, but I drew the line.  Too much expensive material for a one off coat that might not even be warm enough, if the wind blows from the East!


I used Simplicity 2384.  Bunny, aka La Sewista, was my inspiration.  She shared the dress she was planning to make from 2348, and I thought it would be just the thing.


It's not easy to find a good selection of coordinating fabrics.  Eventually we went with some cotton velvet from Polytex.  I think the dress might have been better with more contrast and less clash, but beggars can't be choosers, and my dear daughter was enthusiastic about her choices anyway.  We bought the fabric online from Dots n Stripes.  Dots n Stripes is a little expensive, but the quality is always good and so is the service.  


Just a quick note on sizing, for anyone who might consider making this dress.  I measured my daughter carefully on all the horizontal measures and found that she perfectly fit a size five, though she is six and a half.  So I went ahead, sewed up a five and then realised that it was way to short when she put on the finished article.  My daughter is very average in height and weight, not particularly tall or thin.  Anyway, I added an extra ruffle from underneath to give it a bit more length.  This way, I can later rip out the ruffle for daughter number two, when she fits the dress, without having to re-hem the dress.  Or maybe she will need the extra ruffle too.  


Finally, velvet!  What lovely stuff!  Now and then I see the odd top or dress in a woman's catalog made of velvet.  I am never interested because I always think of velvet as being this cheap shiny stuff used to make kids costumes, etc.  Good quality cotton velvet is a whole different animal.  This stuff was warm, rich and luxurious without any hints of tacky.  It was also very easy to sew, though it did tend to unravel.  I kept looking at the fabric hoping there would be enough left over to use as facing in a jacket.  I was imagining a brown tweed jacket with this wild pink velvet facing...