Penelope Dress // In the "Studio" + Review

Apparently last weekend was dress fest around our home. Yesterday I shared the Clara Dress I made for myself and it was only fair that my beautiful daughter get a new dress too! While shopping at our local quilt shop last week she picked out the Penelope dress pattern. They had an adorable version displayed on a mannequin and she wanted to take it home with her. When we got home she dug through my stash helping me pick out the fabrics, she chose a Cocoon print by Valori Wells and Cotton Couture in Lipstick. I decided it would be fun to share a snippet of the making of this dress for this weeks In the Studio video series episode #8. This video is by no means supposed to be a tutorial on how to make the dress if fact I don't show all the steps. If you choose to make it you will need to purchase the pattern and follow the written instructions. I just simply wanted to invite you into my sewing room to watch me sew for a bit. The Penelope dress was incredibly fun to make even more fun than the Clara Dress. I did have an "Opps!" moment when choosing what dress size to make. Without thinking I measured my daughter who is really skinny and tall, I looked at the sizing chart and based on her chest and hips she fell under a size 2. Well since I was making something "handmade" I didn't even stop to think what a size 2 really was. My daughter is 4 years old that would mean technically she is a 4T not a 2T. I didn't realize this until I was getting ready to finish the last step of hemming the skirt. I held the dress up to my daughter and busted out laughing, it was almost the length of a tunic shirt on her. She did only need a size 2 for the bodice of the dress, but lesson learned I need to consider the bodice size and skirt size separately. In fact thats actually the beauty of making something handmade, I can make it fit her perfect! To fix my mistake I added a 8" ruffle to the bottom of the skirt and the problem was resolved.

Pattern Pros

• The pattern has illustrations for every step, I feel this makes the pattern really clear and easy to follow.
• The pattern comes with a cute 18" doll size dress (which I am sure I will be making soon).
• The dress has pockets!

Pattern Cons

• Though messing up the sizes was all my doing, I do feel that the dress bodice might run a little big or perhaps maybe the skirt is a little shorter than I am used too?

Overall the dress is beautiful, the pattern is really well written and I would strongly suggest this pattern to anyone with a little princess.

Alyssa