Dogwood Dress by Sew Like My Mom

Part 2 of my summer testing! I had the chance to test the Dogwood Dress by Sew Like My Mom. This is a knit dress that is perfect for summer weather, so perfect for Arizona. This dress comes in 3 versions - straight hem, a curved hem, and a hi-lo hem. All 3 versions come in either knee length or maxi length. The only sleeve option for this is sleeveless with bands, so we used this as a cover up by the pool and just for fun. (Yes, we live at the pool in the summer, so my little girl is VERY VERY tan! Normally she's as white as can be.) But it can be modified and made with the sleeves from the Posey Tunic from the same designer if you wish. This dress is available sizes 12m-8, and 6-16.

When testing, I chose to do the hi-lo maxi version of this dress, because my girl loves long dresses and this version is so fun! Recommended fabrics are lighter weight knits with at least 30% stretch. Lighter weight fabric is recommended because of the weight of the dress. I chose a heavier jersey fabric which was perfect for my model because she's not super tall, but if I were making this in a size 8+, the heavier fabric would have been too heavy. But I'm so glad this fabric worked for my 5 year old because she LOVES this pink Jack dress!

I was concerned when starting this pattern, because measuring was different from other patterns I've used. Normally I've always started with chest/waist/hips and adjusted height, but for this pattern you start with height, and adjust from there to chest if needed. Thankfully, my girl's measurements were right on the chart, so no blending for me. But the directions were very clear and it would have been easy to do. This pattern is in layer format so you can print all or only the one you need. This pattern is also written with paper saving in mind. You print out the bodice and different skirt options, and mix and match as desired. No need to have one full dress printed out for every option available. Definitely a great option to include.

The bodice is put together similar to the Posey Tunic and is a snap. The entire dress was very quick to cut and assemble. The bottom of the dress has lining on the inside, and as you can see on the dress I made, looks fantastic with coordinating/contrasting fabric on the hi-lo version.

The first day my girl wore this dress, I received so many compliments and everybody fell in love. This doesn't scream homemade to me, but the fact that the ladies at the pool know I love sewing, and this doesn't scream store bought, they all asked if I made it and fell in love! And my girl? Well, let's just say that she can't stay out of it! I didn't use a stretch stitch on the lining seam because I honestly figured the bottom was big enough I didn't need to worry about it. Well, let's just say it's in my sewing room right now waiting for me to use my new twin needle to fix it since my girl lives in it. And when she wears it, she also curls up entirely inside the dress. Great that she loves it, but not great that apparently I really needed a stretch stitch. :)

Once again, Sew Like My Mom has pages on facebook and on etsy. I'm sure you'll love this and will be just as hooked once you try it!