Back to School Striped Dress

We are headed back to school at our house this week…and this time of year is always incentive to make a dress. I keep cherishing the “one more year” I get to make her a dress, because my worry is that every year will be the last. But I will keep up the tradition for as many years as she agrees to it.

This year since it is still so darn hot we opted for a lightweight dress made from some awesome black pinstriped shirting fabric that I found in LA at the Fabric Market.  It is super soft for shirting and my hope is that it will wash up well too.

For the dress, the only instructions I had was “comfortable” so that is what I went with.  I drafted a simple yoke bodice and then added ruffle sleeves and the full skirt.  I unfortunately made the dress SUPERBLY short on round one….but decided to add the horizontal band on the bottom to mimic the bodice and I think it actually looks much better that way.  That one was a happy mistake. Love it when that happens…
The back of the bodice is 3 buttons up the yoke (although it was pinned when this picture was taken—ahhh!) so I didn’t get a picture of it, but they are on now and it is officially ready for the first day of school. I am hoping to sew a few more things for fall for her….some skirts and a blouse or two. I went through my patterns last night and paired up some great matches and I am actually really excited to get some things sewn.

Are you ready for back to school?  I didn’t think I was until last week…and now we are getting ready. Although the scheduling and the homework loads I am NOT looking forward to, but the few extra minutes of sewing time I am looking forward to.  It’s a catch 22 for sure 😉

~Elizabeth