Sally Dress Pattern Tour + Giveaway!

For my stop on the pattern tour, I am sharing the first and second Sally’s I sewed.  Shannon was centered on getting a great fit for the pattern so there were multiple revisions, and for the sizes that I made (2T and 4T) the first version ended up being very close to the final version.  The only difference is that the bodice and armholes on the final version are slightly longer.  I thing there may also be some differences in the skirt length, but those changes were minor.

Pattern testing for Shannon was a fabulous experience.  I really felt like I was a part of a team and a process to get the best possible product for everyone who would be purchasing the dress.  I’m sure from Shannon’s side it was a communication storm trying to keep everyone up to date on versions and changes based on the feedback coming in, but it felt very well-managed and informed from my side of the drafting table.  And let’s not forget how adorable the dress itself is – the square neckline, full skirt, and those pockets!  Arden delights in trying to cram as much into them as she can at every opportunity.  Hadley stashes her pacifier in them so she can keep it handy and I don’t take it from her!

One cool part of testing this pattern was Shannon’s method for enclosing the seams on the bodice.  I’ll admit that I had to rip out seams, some of them more than once for the same error, because I skipped ahead on the directions thinking I knew where she was going.  If you read the instructions you’ll find what may be a new fun technique for doing the shoulder seams on this style of bodice where there isn’t an opening in the back for turning.  The construction is different for the versions with sleeves.

The fabric I used is an embroidered cotton from Jo-Ann Fabric.  It began as white, but I dyed the material in two baths so I could give Arden and Hadley coordinating but not matching dresses.  Arden’s peachy coral dress is a custom mix of fuchsia and golden yellow (a little of this, some of that, a little more of this and I ended up with exactly the color for which I was hoping!), and Hadley’s is aquamarine; both Rit dyes.  I used white broadcloth for the bodice and pocket linings and dyed them along with the embroidered fabrics.

It was fun shooting the pictures for this – I took the girls to our local candy store and got them each an ice cream cone.  This was Hadley’s first cone and she had it all over the front of her dress by the time we were done because she kept clutching it to her chest.  This shop is in a little business district with restaurants, antique stores and gift shops and the people walking or driving by were commenting on how cute they were in their dresses.  I agree!

If you’ve made it through my ramblings and gushing over this great pattern, how ’bout a nice reward with a chance to win one for yourself?

a Rafflecopter giveaway