girl dresses Archives - girl. Inspired.

Geranium Dress – finally!!

September 12, 2013 by girlinspired 20 Comments

It’s possible that I’m just slightly late to the party on this one, but I finally sewed up a Geranium Dress. I would be shocked if you haven’t heard of Rae’s adorable dress pattern by now, since it’s been out for our enjoyment for almost a year!! But, I’m behind with my sewing list. always.

The dress is a quick sew with a lot of options for the finishings. I did this cute curvy notch on the front – there are also pattern pieces/instructions for some other necklines. The pattern also comes with the cutest flutter sleeves, which I am looking forward to sewing next time, but this time I was tight on fabric and loved the simplicity of the bodice with the faux cap sleeves. The bodice is fully lined and the whole thing just came together so crisply. I used mismatched vintage buttons for the back closures.

I attached a gathered skirt, along with pockets, since pockets are AWESOME and my little one here loves pockets in her dresses. There are also instructions for making the skirt pleated – I love options, don’t you?

The skirt length was a little longer than what I typically make but I really like it. It gives the dress a nice modest feel and it’s a nice change. I sewed a regular old hem on the dress, but used gold metallic thread and added a couple extra rows for a total of three parallel lines of gold glitz on the bottom hem. It’s a cute touch, I think.

This fabric is Amy Butler’s Josephine’s Bouquet in Ink, which I was given by XO Gigi Fabrics. It’s still available if you love the soothing colors and gorgeous detailed design as much as I do.

The Geranium Dress pattern is available for purchase through the Made By Rae site.

Happy Sewing, friends!

Sewing Projects with Piping

July 29, 2013 by girlinspired 3 Comments

You may have noticed that I’ve been sticking piping in a lot of my sewing projects lately. That’s because you get a lot of bang for your buck. Once you master how to make your own piping, you’ll need some projects to jump into! You should be able to click on the picture to get to the post. Enjoy!

Daphne Wrap Dress Pattern Review

Weekender Travel Bag

adorable girl's dress pattern | Girl. Inspired.

Narita Dress Pattern Review

Vintage-Inspired Dress

Recital Dress Tutorial

Introducing Five and Ten Designs – Volume 1

July 22, 2013 by girlinspired 10 Comments

I’ve been hard at work behind the scenes, keeping a secret for quite a while now. And today is the day that I get to make a very VERY exciting announcement!!! I have collaborated with some of my very favorite sewing friends to create an eBook with 10 amazing dress designs that I think you’re going to love! Five & Ten Designs is debuting today with our first pattern book, Volume 1. The basic premise behind our work is this: we’ve taken one basic pattern block – the bodice block in this case – and from that, we’re showing you how to design 10 totally unique dresses!

The designers behind this new venture are: Jessica Abbott from The Sewing Rabbit, Delia Randall of Delia Creates, Jessica Christian from Craftiness is Not Optional, Heidi Kettner of Elegance & Elephants, and me, Stef! Get it? Five Designers – Ten Designs – Five & Ten Designs!!!

Grace was all over it when it was time to model the first design – the basic dress for Volume 1. I put together this tutorial and it is used as a foundation for several of the other looks in the book. It’s your staple dress – lined bodice, full gathered skirt. Perfect for embellishing or whipping up a closet full to practice your basic sewing skills. If you’re ready to take the leap into garment making – this dress is the place to do it.

And then when you’re comfortable with the basic techniques of constructing a sleeveless dress, you can delve into some of the more complex designs…there are pattern pieces for a cap sleeve, peter pan collar, even pockets! And then step-by-step instructions and high resolution photos to guide you through each of the ten designs.

I am so excited to debut this book…there is so much potential here for sewists of all skill levels! I’ll show you more of my other design later this week – I think you’re going to love it!! Bet you can’t guess which one it is – haha! Alrighty! Please check out 5 &10 Designs and consider putting some of the amazing designs in our Volume 1 book to use! See more of all the designs HERE or click below to purchase the eBook!

Project Run and Play Summary

April 24, 2013 by girlinspired 12 Comments

Participating in the All Star Season of Project Run and Play was beyond wonderful. Similar to my first go at the competition, I’ve finished the competition with four new children’s outfits that have pushed my design, pattern-making, sewing, and photography skills to new heights. Not only that, but I feel so blessed to have designed alongside some of the most talented sewing bloggers I know. I am so grateful for these friendships that have strengthened, for Liz and Elizabeth who continue to orchestrate such an inspirational series, and for my readers who continue to support me and leave the most encouraging messages to rally me on! Thank you!!

I want to get all four looks here in one place for your easy reference.

Week 1: Petal Splash – Art Inspired Design

I was so flattered to win for this week’s art-inspired design. It was a fun dress to make and continues to please Addie as she romps around in it dripping popsicles down the front. Follow the link to see more of the Petal Splash Gown.

Week 2: Schoolgirl Sophisticate – Chevron Inspired Design

This look for the chevron week is probably my most proud design – it took so much work to manipulate the chevron fabric into the skirt and the shirt is the perfect combination of delicious fabric and complimentary design. Plus, the photo shoot for this one was super fun bonding time with my little schoolgirl! Follow the link to see more of the Schoolgirl Sophisticate Chevron Design.

Week 3: Sparkle and Shine – Detail Inspired Design

For the “detailed-look” week, I based my design on one of the most important goals I have when sewing – creating something that my children will love. I used comfortable fabrics, casual styles, and non-traditional color accents, paired with my recent obsession – metallics – and came up with this fun design. I also came up with some of the cutest pictures of this kid!! Follow the link to see more of the Sparkle and Shine Detailed Design.

Week 4: All Dressed Up Formal Design

This formal dress was really fun to make – I didn’t really have a design in mind and it developed from start to finish through draping on my child dress form. The peachy pink silk, the gold and sequin accents, and the comfortable fit of this dress reflect so much of my own personal style preference – it’s like all of my favorite things wrapped into one dress. Follow the link to see more of the All Dressed Up Formal Design.

Did you enjoy the All Stars season? I found it really inspiring! Instead of feeling exhausted and drained at the end this time around, I feel like I’m exploding with ideas and goals!

How about you? Are you working on anything special?

Sweetheart Dress Pattern Review

February 5, 2013 by girlinspired 26 Comments

Well, this little dress is just perfect for the month of February, is it not? Have you ever seen anything so sweet as a girl’s dress with a heart cutout in the back? I was so happy to get my hands on this Sweetheart Dress– I’ve been eyeing it ever since Shannon released it last October!

More Girls' Dress Patterns

Petite Princess Sewing Pattern

The Mille Feuille Dress Pattern

Fall Photo Dresses with Four Corners Fabric

Luxe Fur Coat Pattern

Geranium Dress - finally!!

The Narita Dress Pattern for Girls

Country Girls Dress and Fabric Line by Riley Blake

Holiday Photo Tips with Pattern Anthology

Sleeveless Peasant Dress Tutorial and the Prairie Rose Pattern

Knit Twirl Dress Tutorial

This dress is an ideal choice for someone looking for a cute, fairly easy pattern that is quick to download, print out, and get sewing with! The pattern pieces are minimal (no taping together required) and the instructions are super straightforward. If you read Shannon’s blog, you’ll feel right at home following her pattern! The pictures are clear and helpful.

I think this dress pattern is perfect for showcasing a really cute printed fabric. The heart cutout on the back adds interest to the design so that the rest of the dress can just show off the fabric. I chose this absolutely adorable Pernilla’s Journey Cotton Candy elephant fabric by Tina Givens for Free Spirit. I had only one yard, which is less that the fabric requirements, but I was able to reduce the width of the skirt pieces just a tad and squeeze out the whole dress in a 4T with just the one yard. Sweet!!

I tied a little ribbon around the waist for a splash of contrast and made a quick matching headband. I think these little details are easy to do and add a nice finish to this sweet dress.