An Easter Dress

I love to make clothing for my grandchildren for special occasions, especially with smocking somewhere on the garment. I was recently asked to make a garment for Bear Threads Ltd. for their monthly newsletter (March 2015 to be exact) that goes out to their retail customers. Bear Threads is a wholesale provider of exquisite fabrics, laces, Swiss trims, mother of pearl buttons, etc. It was a good way to get me started on the Easter parade of grandchildren clothing...nothing like a deadline to get me motivated. 

I decided to make a dress for my oldest grand daughter who is tall and thin for her age. I selected a beautiful pink cotton Pique Jacquard Floral (made in Switzerland). I also used Bearissima II Swiss Batiste (also all cotton) for the smocked collar, and some gorgeous French Valencienne Lace to add to it.

I had her measurements and double checked the Children's Corner "Emily" pattern measurements: I could use the size 8 pattern and just lengthen it a little. I added one inch to the yoke bodice, and one inch to the dress skirt. Easy enough. But I was adding a regular collar to the dress which was made for a lowered neckline. A slight adjustment was needed to make the smocked collar work. So I took the Children's Corner "Lee pattern" regular neckline and laid it under my "Emily" neckline (after adding a bit of tissue paper to the "Emily"). I drew the "Lee" neckline onto the tissue paper after aligning the shoulder seams and center fronts.  Easy as pie...or should I say as easy as jelly beans. So the smocked collar, made for a regular neckline, would fit the now-altered dress neckline perfectly!

Beautiful white piping sets off the collar on the finished dress, a detail that I decided to add to make sure the collar laid down well on the garment.  It ties in with the white piping on the bottom of the cap sleeves. The ties in back, which you can't see in the photo, add extra fit to the dress.

The smocking design is my original that I developed for my daughter, now in her mid-thirties. But the design is another story...and another post that will include the smocking plate and instructions for you to enjoy!