FREE Pattern: Sleeveless Sunday Toddler Girl's Dress

Make a versatile sleeveless dress that is nice enough for special events & church on Sunday, yet still casual for everyday with my 

FREE PDF pattern Sleeveless Sunday Toddler Girl's Dress!

I originally created this pattern in girl's size 8-10 and 10-14 versions and they've been wildly popular.  It's been incredible seeing all the dresses people have made with them!  This style dress, in those sizes, is hard to find in stores.  Same goes with patterns.  And lots of these big girls have little sisters (like mine does), or other relations, that would look sweet in a matching version.  While there are dresses like this in toddler sizes, many patterns have lots of fiddly, complicated assembly details or take ages to sew.  And store bought versions are kind of pricey for something so small.  

This pattern is easy and it's also FREE, 

so you can make beautiful dresses for very little $$!  

The bodice is fully lined to give a nice finish.  

The snaps along the back center add a little detail and make it easy to wear too.

And there's a a nice full skirt for pretty girl twirls:)

It's the perfect year round dress style too.  Sleeveless for warm weather, or pair with tights and a little sweater (or a long sleeved top/onesie underneath) to work just as well in cooler weather.

My test version was made with some lovely fall themed fabrics from the Fort Firefly collection: 

For this one I used this sweet print called Scandi Dove Hygge Glow Red (available in my shop) to make it the ultimate dress for the Christmas, but still very wearable through the rest of the winter season.  

Added bonus, this fabric also glows in the dark.  How cool is that!?!

  

This pattern sews up quick, so you can have a dress ready in next to no time - very handy during the busy holiday season.  Now we have some cute dresses for every season and the ability to do some matching little & big sister versions!

And it's easy to modify with decorative buttons down the front or trim the hem with some pretty ribbon like this:

Using this design and cotton quilting fabric, it's easy to make a beautiful, durable dress, in whatever print you want, for under $15.

Sizing: My FREE pattern is for US girl sizes 12mos-2T.   My pattern is US girl size 12-18 months if you use 1/2 inch seam allowances, shorten the bodice by 1/2 inch and the hem by 1 1/2inches.  It's a 24mos/2T if you use a 1/4 inch seam allowance and the measurements below.  My daughter is an average sized 22 month old and the 24mos/2T version has plenty of growth room.

If you need a bigger sizes, try my Sleeveless Sunday Dress Pattern, which fits most girls US 8-10 or Sleeveless Sunday Tween Dress Pattern which fits most girls US 10-14.  As my littlest lady grows, sizes in between the toddler & these will follow!

Materials:
- 1 yds cotton woven fabric (1 1/4 yds if self lining)
- 1/4 yd cotton woven fabric (only needed if using lining fabric)
- Lightweight fusible stabilizer 
- 3-4 snap sets (or buttons)
- My FREE PDF Sleeveless Sunday Toddler Dress Pattern
Notions: Iron, yard stick, rotary cutter/shears, pins, tailor's marking pen or chalk

Optional: 1.5yds of 3/8in or 1/2in wide ribbon (I used this metallic velvet trim)

Printing the Pattern:  Click HERE to download my PDF bodice pattern.  Print at 100% (actual size) no scaling.  Measure with the test square to make sure the scale is correct.  Cut out pattern pieces.

                  

Start by cutting out the bodice front and back pieces from the outer and lining fabric. Transfer all markings.  For the skirt portion, cut two rectangles that are 14 inches long by 28 inches wide.  Mark the top center points of both rectangle pieces.

Start with the bodice.  With right sides facing, pin together the front bodice outer and lining around the neckline and the arm scythe.

Stitch together using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  Do the same on the back bodice pieces, also stitching down the straight center sides. Trim down the seam allowances of all the seams.

Cut two pieces of fusible stabilizer that are 1 inch wide by 8 inches long and fuse to the wrong side of the back pieces, just next to the newly sewn straight side seams.  This will be to stabilize where the snaps/buttons will be.  

Turn the front bodice piece right side out and press around the seam to get them nice and flat.  Insert the shoulder sections into each of the shoulder sections of the back bodice pieces, matching up the fabrics and seams.  

Pin so that each shoulder will be a little tube.  Stitch all the way around.  

Turn right side out and press entire bodice flat.

Now, take the open sides and match up the raw edges and, with right sides facing, sew across from the outer to the lining on each side of the bodice. Trim seam allowance.  

Turn right side out and press layers flat.  If doing button closure, do button holes now.

Overlap the back center of the bodice by 1 inch and baste layers together along the bottom.  Mark the bodice front and back centers.  Set aside.

With right sides facing, pin the short sides of the skirt rectangles together and stitch both sides.  To easily gather the skirt, with fabric still turned wrong side out, baste from one side seam to the other and then repeat on the other side, leaving few inch tails on both ends.

Pull up the bobbin threads and spread gathers evenly.  

Insert bodice, right side out, into the skirt, matching up the raw edges at center markings and side seams.  Adjust gathering as needed and pin.  Stitch together with a 1/2 inch seam allowance.  Serge or zig-zag over the raw edges.

Try on to determine desired length of hem and finish as desired.  I preferred double folding the hem up 5/8 in (for 1 1/4in total) and then topstitching.  

For a little extra detail I added some 3/8in wide metallic silver velvet ribbon to the hem edge and used a triple zig-zag stitch to secure it.  This ribbon is great because it looks like glitter but is actually metallic thread and totally washable, so no shedding and loads of sparkle.  Yay!  I bought a bunch to use to decorate other wearables and it was very easy to sew with, so I'm excited to do more with it.

Lastly, set the snaps along markings, or as desired, and enjoy your little one's pretty new dress!

Merry Christmas!!

A Little Dress For Fall

When this season started things were still quite warm outside and the autumn-themed dresses I'd bought for my little lady were still too heavy.  I wanted to make a good layering dress for the in-between weather and came up with this simple one:

It's a littler girl version of my Sleeveless Sunday Dress, which I have free PDF patterns for in size 8-10

and tween size 10-14: 

  I'd been wanting to make a smaller one so my two girls can have matching dresses and finally got around to mocking one up with these fabrics.

I'd been hoarding this fall-themed organic cotton fabric (Fort Firefly by Birch) for AGES.  I had a selection of these pretty coordinating 1/2yd cuts but could never come up with a good enough project to justify cutting into them.  So they sat on the shelf for many an autumn.  Since this was a small enough sized dress, it meant they finally got used, which is great since they're so cute:

Like my bigger girl versions, this lined bodice dress snaps up the back:

  I paired it with a little crochet sweater I'd found tucked away amongst my great grandmother's things.  She'd made it more than 25 years ago, but had never gifted it to anyone.  She had been an avid crocheter her whole life and had made countless sweaters, hats and blankets for us when we were small.  I'd loved putting them on as a child.  It warmed my heart to see my littlest daughter wearing this one, as though it was meant just for her:

I made the bodice a bit shorter on this toddler size.  

I do plan to offer this as a free PDF pattern like my bigger ones, but this was my test version to make sure the fit was right.  Apart from her drooling all over it just before I took the photos, I was happy with it.

Since I only had 1/2yds of these particular prints, the skirt wasn't as full as I'd originally planned.  I've got a lot more yardage of a Christmas print that I'm planning to use with this pattern to make her holiday dress this year so that version will be fuller and I'll roll out the free pattern with that one:)

Now that the weather is turning colder, I'm pairing it with some cable knit tights and either a long sleeved onesie underneath or a cardigan over it.  A cute little outfit and I finally stash busted a bit.  Hooray!

Seamingly Smitten Maxi Dress Pattern Review

In June I shared one of my summer sewing goals was to make myself some maxi dresses.  I made it into a dress making challenge for myself (and anyone who wanted to join me) by noting some maxi dress patterns I'd found and was considering trying.  

Today I'm sharing my results with one: the 

Seamingly Smitten Racerback Maxi Dress Pattern.

One of the big reasons I decided to buy this pattern was the "real women" result photos.  This pattern maker uses a big pool of testers which means lots of finished dress images.  There were so many different body shapes & ages and they all looked great in the dresses.  Seeing all the different dress variations with lengths & finishing helped a lot too.  

The key change I made was instead of doing the racerback, I re-drafted the back bodice to be a normal tank style using a curved dressmaker's ruler.  I don't own any racerback bras and hate the whole "different color undergarment straps sticking out" look.  I didn't want to have to go buy a bunch of bras just for these dresses so I altered that bit.  Everything else about this pattern was exactly what I wanted so I did that minor change and, quite frankly, LOVE it.  

I made two versions of this dress.  One was with the cotton blend knit above (which had been in my stash for eternity) and the other was with some new double brushed poly knit I started carrying in my fabric shop that I wanted to test sew.  Both dress are flattering, super comfortable and I've gotten a number of compliments on them already.  

I used Swedish tracing paper to redraw the neckline area of the back to make it 

normal tank style rather than racerback.

I also want to mention that years go Seamingly Smitten was an advertiser here, but it's been quite some time since then. This, like any other recent patterns, were my own purchases, and I'm not any kind of affiliate, so this is an unbiased, independent review.

Pattern Review Time!

I made the empire waisted, petite size S (4-6).  One thing I really like about Seamingly Smitten patterns is all the sizing & style options that are included.  This pattern covers sizes 0-26, petite, normal & tall and has empire & normal waist and even has optional pockets.  There are also circle skirt and shorter length options if you don't want a standard length maxi dress.  That much fit variation being included in the cuttable pattern saves a ton of customizing time, which is a huge plus for me.  At a 5'0",  I usually have to do a lot of modifying to get the right fit.  I also end up wasting a good amount of fabric that ends up getting cut off the bottom.  Not this time!

I also liked that the skirt portion was printable.  Yes, it takes a bit of paper to make that bit, but it's SO much faster and easier to position that on the fabric that to wrestle with yard sticks and measuring for something this big.  It also made it easier for me to reposition the bodices a bit for cutting so I was able to make one dress with just 2yds and the other with 2 1/4yds rather than the suggested 3 1/4yds, which meant big savings & no fabric wastage.

There are two finishing options for the neck and arm areas: a full lining or doing binding (with the same or coordinating fabric).  I did the lining option on both which was very fast.  I find you're less likely to run into issues doing that if you've got a really stretchy or fiddly fabric, which some stretch knits can be.  There's nothing worse that a fabric giving you trouble at the most noticeable parts of your dress like the neckline.  

My white fabric was a bit thicker and about 30% stretch.  It made the front waist sit a little higher than I'd like, so if I were using a fabric like this again, I'd probably use the normal waist length, but I still really like this one.

The instructions are really clear and there are lots of photos, so if you're a newbie sewist you won't easily get lost or confused.  The pattern instructions recommended sizing down a full size if using fabric with a 4-way stretch.  I was a little concerned that it would be snugger than I wanted so I made the double brushed poly version in the same size and still think it's the best fit for me.  The bodice actually hits in the ideal spot on this one, so I'd definitely do it the same way for future 4-way stretch/DBP versions at this weight.  

This PDF pattern is also just $4 (thank you summertime sale prices!), over in the Seamingly Smitten Etsy shop, so it's an incredibly good buy.  I've already made two and definitely plan to make more dresses with it, so that price tag is a bargain.  With a little hemming tweak you could also use the bodice portion as a basic tank or tankini top too.  

Now I've got some beautiful, bargain priced, summer dresses that weren't too time consuming to whip up and I've got a dependable pattern so I can keep making myself more for future summers. 

My Pattern Review Score?