Question about sewing a Girls Dress...

[SouthernTNBelle]

Well, I got my pattern for the girls dress from Elizabeth Stewart Clark. I measured my daughter up and she fell between the size 3 and the size 4....
so I cut the bodice out at the size 4. Figuring that its better to have too big than too small.

According to the pattern chest circumfrence for size 3 was 30 and size 4 was 32.5. My daughter was 29.
Waist circumfrence for size 3 was 26 and size 4 was 28, and she measured 27 inches.

So chest wise a size 3 might have been fine, but on the waist it would have been snug.

I did cut out a bodice first out of scrap material and it looked like it would be fine. So I went and cut the bodice out of the good material on the 4, and now that its done, it looks like it is much to big for her. Especially in the waist.
At least she can grow into it!!

Any suggestions???

I actually had enough material to cut out a second bodice in the bateau neckline and short sleeves. I cut that out on a size 4 but have not sewn it together yet.

[chatrbug]

Take your scrap material and work on adding scraps or taking away where its needed. Then you will have your own pattern piece.

My 11yo (12 soon), I made the size 4 and she about swims in it, I think Im going to make up a toile for her and get her a good fit (especially since shes getting a stay for this season).

Do make it slightly bigger, or make it so that you can take it out easily in some spots, that way you arent sewing for every growth spurt!

[SouthernTNBelle]

Thank you!! Do you have the same pattern, HMP-250?
My daughter will be 10 in June, but she's just about 4 ft tall.

I am going to trace the size 3 and increase it so that's its in between the 3 and 4, then cut it out of scrap and see how it goes.

The bodice, although much big for her, came out beautifully!! At least she will have it in the future.

[chatrbug]

Yep.. love Lizs pattern and have made my girls dresses with it. My 11yo (she will be 12 in April) stand 4'3.. maybe 4'5 now lol.

If I didnt make any sense, I apologize, I probably shouldnt be posting with as tired as I am.

I dont think I have any pics of my 5yo in any of Liz's patterns, have no clue why. But heres my 11yo in 2 of them
ummm... ignore the chalkboards lol. She was having a bit too much fun!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0803/chatrbug/civil%20war%20reenactments/Kyler1.jpg

heres another one... Shes the taller one lol.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0803/chatrbug/Gettysburg%20Nov%2007/100_0994.jpg

Dawned on me why I have no pics of my 5yo in her dresses.. she seems to be stuck in her red dress!!!

[uozumi]

If it's too big an apron will create that "fitted" look at the waist until she grows into it.

[SouthernTNBelle]

Thanks Dulcie!! I love those pics!!

I noticed on your 11 yr old the skirt is attached to the bodice. I made a waistband for the skirt which is seperate from the bodice. And then made tucks in the skirt. However I think I might have to go for a fourth row of tucks for my daughter.

I like the idea of an apron to make it fit as well. As I do have a pattern for a pinafore. Would that work??

Now I can't wait to upload pics to show you ya'll! I love the fabric though I got. It's a grayish green with darker colored tiny designs on it.

Edited to add, the second pic with the four children. The dress your oldest girl is wearing looks like the same one I am making now....and the second bodice looks like the one your little one is wearing!

[ElizabethClark]

Sounds like it's going well--it will be fun to see pictures!

Every child's shape is different, so doing a customized fit from a muslin version as suggested in the pattern book is a great plan. Many kids fall between two base sizes. As mentioned above, it's better to go a slight bit large (this is a period growth-management technique, too), but still avoid a baggy look.

A pinafore made with a fitted waistband can definitely help with a dress that's a bit roomy; there are pattern instructions for three pinafore variations in the free patterns section of the Compendium on my main site, or use a good period pinafore pattern from another source (Karen Crocker's For The Little Ones At Home line has one.)

To convert a separate skirt/bodice into a one-piece dress, simply take both pieces off their waistbands, and join them together in one band instead; I recommend a faced waistband, as it's the most easily alterable as the child grows. (Instructions for a faced band are in the pattern book.)

Some common alterations to any base pattern for children include:

Width: excess width can be condensed with gathering or pleating; the most commonly-seen places for gathering or pleating on a girl's bodice correspond to where darts would be placed in an adult bodice. (Darts are also an option for girl's bodices, though they're most commonly seen on older girls starting into their development.) Keep the sides of the bodice smooth, concentrating any gathers, tucks, or pleats in the mid-front and mid-back sections of the bodice. You can also create a bit of a "fan front" look by concentrating the extra fullness at the center front, letting it spread out naturally into the bust area.

Another common width adjustment is to shave a bit from the side seams. Be careful here; shave too much, and you've made the armscye smaller, requiring some adjustment with the sleeve as well.

If a child is wider in the body, but has a thin neck, you can cut the body in the appropriately larger size, but cut the neck along a smaller size's lines for a better fit.

Length: length varies widely from child to child. Adjusting skirt length is explained in the pattern book; if you end up with unexpected additional length in the process, adding a tuck is an ideal way to deal with it, as is putting in a slightly deeper hem.

If a bodice fits well in the upper chest/neck area, but is too short or too long at the waist only, you'll simply mark the accurate waistline, and either add fabric along the waistline edge to reach your length, or cut fabric off to reach your length; add 1/2" to the desired waistline length to allow for a seam allowance to join to the skirts/band.

If the child is short from bust to wait, and average or long from bust to neck, the process is more complex, but I'm happy to walk a person through; it's really just combining and blending two size blocks into one.

Hope that helps a bit... can't wait to see pics!

[chatrbug]

We do the pinafore trick too, mainly with the white and red dress as its slightly big on her... though for some reason I made both the same size and the blue fits better... hmmm or maybe she just grew?

Yes both her skirts are attached to the bodice.. I didnt even think about doing skirt and bodice... just more things for me to keep track of :)

My daughter loves the blue dress, but it is heavier for those cold days. It was a throw together dress.. but I love it. She just reminds me of so many CDVs that I have seen.

[SouthernTNBelle]

To convert a separate skirt/bodice into a one-piece dress, simply take both pieces off their waistbands, and join them together in one band instead; I recommend a faced waistband, as it's the most easily alterable as the child grows. (Instructions for a faced band are in the pattern book.)


I think this is where I got a little confused. I am so use to making ladies bodices I piped the bottem of the bodice and left it without a waistband. And then constructed a waistband for the skirt.

What I was trying to do, was construct it seperate. Since I went berserk buying fabric (its a very nice fabric!) I actually had enough to make the two bodices. The second one I actually recut to a size 3, as I made a "trail" one out of scrap material and that fit her much better, although still a little baggy in the waist. I'm making that with the short sleeves, and then thought of making undersleeves in some pretty white fabric.

The other question I wanted to ask, is there a number or limit of tucks you can place on a skirt? I left the fabric long on the skirt, since my daughter is so tall, 4 ft. and I have already put four tucks into it. Possibily may have to do a fifth, or I'll might trim it off the top a bit.

I'm working on taking pics, so that you ya'll can see!

And thanks so much for the help!!

[ElizabethClark]

There's really no limit on tucks--the human eye tends to find odd numbers "balanced" more than even, so adding another to make 5 won't look odd at all. It definitely adds body to the hem area, and that makes the skirts stand out better, and looks very nice. If you're tired of sewing tucks, and want to trim off a bit from the waist, that works, too. :)

When you get to the point of a LOT of tucks, they cease to become merely functional, and become a true embellishment. You'll even see some gorgeous children's sheer dresses that have the entire skirts worked with narrow (1/4") tucks in groups, all the way up to nearly the waist. Tucks, narrow or broad, are a very pretty treatment, whether on a sheer or a more substantial fabric, print or solid.

If you have a great deal of extra fabric, you can also take it up in one or two very deep folded tucks (4-6"!); you get the overall look of a flounced skirt, without cutting or attaching any flounces. (These don't let out well in cottons, so be forewarned... you'd have areas of greater fading on the tops, and still-bright fabric underneath.)

If the waist is still a bit large, don't be afraid to taper the side seams, taking out more width in the waist.

One two-piece sets for girls; it's less usual than to see that done with women's things, but if the two are basted together, just as with a woman's dress, it's going to work just as well.

A little white undersleeve will be lovely.

[SouthernTNBelle]

Thanks Elizabeth!
As far as the bodice goes, the size 4 I cut out, I think I am going to go back and take the piping out of the bottem, and then pleat it in the front. Like you said, and create a fan front, and then place it on a waistband. Or maybe I'll just re-pipe it to the waist size I need. then see how it looks. At least that way when she grows, I could go back and undo the pleats and redo piping. Since making piping isn't a big deal for me.

That way I can have the skirt for two different style of bodices to accomdate what kind of weather we are having! ;)

[SouthernTNBelle]

Here's some pics......I still haven't finished the short sleeve bodice. When its all finished, I do plan on taking a pic of my daughter wearing it for ya'll to see!

Here's a pic of the skirt so far. I still have to gather it and put it on a waistband. And I probably will add at least one more tuck. This picture came out the best so far, and you can see the color of the fabric.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/trukat/Clothing%20and%20artwork/DSCI0007.jpg

The front of the bodice. For some strange reason, the lighting suddenly went "yellow" on me. Even though I took it right after the skirt pic.
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/trukat/Clothing%20and%20artwork/DSCI0008.jpg

Here's the back of the bodice. I still have to do buttonholes, which I am doing by hand.
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/trukat/Clothing%20and%20artwork/DSCI0009.jpg

[ElizabethClark]

That's looking very nice!! I like the spacing on your buttons; too often, folks skimp on the fasteners, but the close spacing replicates what's seen on originals, and they hold up better, too. You're doing a lovely job.

[SouthernTNBelle]

Thanks Elizabeth!!

The second bodice, I am going to trim the sleeves with that same white braid that is on the skirt. Except probably use a thinner one. And copy the design. I figured it might look good, especially if I have the white undersleeves to go with it!

[SouthernTNBelle]

Here's a pic of my daughter in the finished dress. Please excuse the deshevled hair braid. The picture was taken around 11 pm saturday after we got home from the Lee-Stonewall Jackson Birthday Celebration.
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k241/trukat/Stephanie/cwsteffi5.jpg

[Quiverful]

Since I'm sewing for a bunch of little ones I started putting a drawstring inside the waist. I made a dress for my almost 2 year old and wanted to see if I could get more than one event out of it since she is growing so fast. The drawstring pulled it in and made it look more gathered and I didn't have to worry about her having the dress fall off of her or for her getting a draft up underneath. I seem to recall there being drawstrings in some originals that I looked at so that gave me the idea.

We've used Elizabeth's patterns for most of the girls dresses and now have ventured into drafting our own patterns using the information from her books. Its fun to come up with variations.

When all else fails you can always turn around and sell your dresses here or with Dulcie's consignment shop.

[ElizabethClark]

Kathleen, she has the coloring of a china doll, doesn't she? Good job! (On a sweet girl, AND a dress!)

[chatrbug]

Looks wonderful.. she looks like she had fun too!

[SouthernTNBelle]

Thanks Elizabeth! Now I am itching to go buy some silks to make her something really fancy!!