This year, Ellie and I collaborated on her Easter dress.  This was a stretch for me as she choose both fabric (giant polka dots!) and buttons (glitter!) that I never would have chosen.  She also chose between two different Oliver+S patterns that I have, eventually choosing the Library Dress over the Family Reunion dress (last year’s Easter pattern).  I’m hoping that this means she’ll actually want to wear the dress I made her.  I’m also glad that it helped us both practice allowing her to have a significant voice in the way she lives her own life.  (How’s that for deep meaning in a dress?)

front

back, with nine buttons!

collar and front waistband (recognize last year’s Easter dress?) with adorable pleats

back pleats with those fancy buttons that delight Ellie’s soul

so you can fully appreciate the glitter

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A word about the pattern – as has been true with every Oliver+S pattern I’ve sewn, this one was easy to follow, had lovely details, and I’m super pleased with the result.  My only complaint is that the waistband is only on the front, rather than carrying over to the back as well.  I have this pattern in sizes 5-12 so the next time I make it, I’m planning to figure out a way to add the waistband to the back too.  I think it will be pretty easy to draft a pattern for doing that.

in the “almost finished but not quite” phase