Thursday, September 5, 2013

Ottobre 03/2013-17 polka dot dress

On Myra's last day home with me before she started Kindergarten last week, I asked her what she wanted to do. She choose fabric shopping at IKEA! I love that kid. Anyway, she picked out a home dec weight cotton in red with large polka dots and told me she wanted a dress.
I think it was the perfect choice. It couldn't have turned out any sweeter.
The pattern I used is from the 03/2013 issue of Ottobre, design #17. The only change I made to the dress was to leave it unlined. The fabric is quite heavy and I thought another layer, even of Bemburg, would have been insufferably hot. Instead, I bound the neckline with bias.
I generally find that Ottobre dresses run a little short for Myra, so I lengthened this one to the next size line just in the skirt. That's a typical alteration for her. I like the length it is, but I also think the length as drafted would have been fine, so it looks like this style is a little longer than usual.
In back, there is an invisible zip, which lined up quite nicely at the waist. I also put a small button and loop at the top, concealed under the collar. I like the way the collar squares off at the back - a nice detail that is different from most peter pan style collars. I'm also pretty pleased with the way the polka dots lined up throughout the dress. In a print that large, a mismatch would have been pretty obvious, so I'm glad they behaved.

My favorite detail of this sweet little dress is the front "placket". It is actually a pair of pintucks pressed away from center front with decorative buttons down the center. Pretty sneaky, eh? The front is cut on the fold, which made aligning the dots super easy there. And I didn't have to sew a full placket, which made this dress pretty quick to sew.
Myra loves it! And it's great for dancing. Just don't tell her she looks like a Dalek... ;)

15 comments:

Lori said...

Myra looks darling in her new dress. I love the pintuck idea for the placket.

SEWN said...

Great pattern matching!!! Cute little girl and dress!

Sarah AJ said...

That is adorable. Great fabric choice, Myra!

Michelle said...

O.M.G. Cuteness overload. Myra is definitely a girl with exquisite taste and style. The dress is wonderful!

The Hojnackes said...

This dress is so cute!!! I just love it.

Pippi creates said...

Ooh I have this dress cut out on my table at the moment, I loved the style, a bit different from the usual Otto dress. Yours is lovely, love the bold print.

Heather B said...

She's gonna exterminate you with her fabulousness. It really really really is stinking cute!

Brooke said...

Wow, she picked some great fabric for a dress! And you turned it into the perfect thing! She has no idea how lucky she is to have a mom like you (I'm jealous)!

And she makes the cutest Dalek ever!

Sewing Geek said...

Boy, does she look cute ... and I can't believe she started kindergarten!

Uta said...

I've no idea what a Dalek is, but your girl is adorable, and I love how you used that last day before school. The dress is so pretty, and your work as always impeccable. My girl started first grade in a red and white dotted dress from an Ottobre pattern last year :-). Have a look (you have to scroll down): http://el-little.blogspot.de/2012/08/hello-sewing-friends-remember-me-summer.html

Diana said...

A sweet little dress on an adorable little girl!

Anonymous said...

I love Myra Mouse!!!!!!!

auntninn said...

So sweet! Those bunny buttons, I die.

Jane M said...

Such a sweet and vibrant dress on such cutie! She looks so happy to be wearing a custom outfit, smart little girl!

Shaffer Sisters said...

This is so sweet. I bet the weight and the length of the dress is going to help it stick around from the beginning to the end of the year. What a sweet choice.