Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Vogue 8060 - Little Girls Dresses

As you know my daughter has four little people living with her now.  She is a pretty thrifty shopper, scoring some amazing finds on eBay but still clothing four little people can get expensive. So I decided to give her an assist by sewing for the girls this year.

Last year I made shorts for Danny and his sister Lena was a little jealous. She is thrilled that Nana is sewing for her this year. She and her little sister will be the recipients of some Nana-made garments. I decided to start sewing for the littlest one first, using Vogue 8060.



This pattern is now out of print.  It has a 2005 date on the pattern envelope and it's been in my pattern collection for a decade. I started off thinking that I would just make the dress and move onto the next lil girl's pattern that I set aside to use.

So I traced off the first size, rambled though the scrap pile and the notions stash...and then I lost my mind! Seriously, lost my mind! It was so much fun putting combinations together, using techniques like piping, inserting zippers and not worrying about FIT! I could just sew and be creative!

After we tried the first dress on Miss Sammy and determined that the length was good. I went to town.  Here are the first couple of dresses...

1. Navy Gingham with a Daisy Trim Dress



This one was made from the scraps of the skirt from the last post and not the actual remaining yardage because you know I have at least 3 yards left.  But on to the dress' details. I took way too long to make this one because I matched plaids, inserted an invisible zipper, added daisy trim to the front (purchased during The Expo) and added binding to the armholes and neckline. Hey it was the first one and I had to shed some of my more advanced sewing techniques because even little girls are harder on their clothes than grown women and I want her to wear these dresses with no worries. 

2. Pink Knit Stripe Dress



This dress is from a questionable rayon jersey I purchased from Fabric.com about four years ago. It was a border print that was more panels than a traditional border print. I could have made a series of pattern pieces for this dress but honestly she won't be this size in 3 months so why? Instead I folded the pattern pieces up and cut out the fabric. To add the skirt, I cut a band double the length of the top and the width of the border print. Then gathered the band and attached it to the bodice. The neckline and armholes are turned under and stitched. Most of this dress was made on the serger so it was a really fast sew.

3. The Milly Dress



I purposely saved the scraps from my Milly dress to make a little dress for a granddaughter.  Of course I added piping and an invisible zipper to the dress. Also, the pieces are underlined with cotton batiste because the cotton is really light. I'm thrilled that I was able to get a dress out of this for Miss Sammy!

4. Lavender Floral Denim Dress



This one is made from a lavender floral denim that I recently purchased from Fabric Mart to make pieces for the granddaughters.  I added a lavender & metal button from the button stash and lots of topstitching in lavender to make this cute little jumper. The front and back necklines are lowered so that it will slip over her head. The front band was made by cutting the fronts into two pieces and folding, pressing and topstitching. I also added a 2" band on the bottom of the dress that was attached and topstitched down. As of now this is my favorite one! 

5. Black Denim and Lace



This dress was inspired by a piece of clothing I saw online at one of the RTW sites. After a quick trip through the notions stash I found some trims to make the center embellishment. The skirt is four times the size of the dress front and gathered using clear elastic. The hem is the selvedge of the denim. The dress has button/buttonhole closures on the shoulders. This is the same pattern piece from the original dress just folded at the waistline and side seams to make a straighter top.

6. Pinstripe Magic Dress



This dress is inspired by a series of dresses I pinned on Pinterest. I added two pieces of piping to the dress ~ a white piping and a thinner metallic blue piping. The base of the dress is a pinstripe denim from Fabric Mart and the insert is one of the scraps of quilting cotton gifted to me by Oona for the #fatquarterchallenge. It has a loop & button closure on the back and again the pattern adjustments were made by folding the main pattern piece.

7. Pinstripes & Tucks Dress



This is a slimmer version of the dress and how the next set of dresses I'm making will look.  I pulled the front piece about 4" from the fold and used the pinstripes to make the tucks in the front.  A piece of floral ribbon was added to the center of the tucks.



It also has a button & loop closure in the back and the pleats are only sewn 3/4rds of the way down the front of the dress. The tucks are pressed and then release out. This is probably the plainest version of the dresses.


...here is a group shot...


I'm going to make about 5 more dresses before I start on Miss Lena's outfits. She is four years old and has requested a maxidress or two! Really!?! A baby fashionista in the making! *LOL*

I will share a few modeled shots of the girls when I'm completely done and there will probably be another post or two about the garments construction. If you're not interested in children's clothing, I understand if you ignore the next couple of posts. 

When I come out of little girl land, I will be working on the Vogue 9079 dress. 

...as always more later!




57 comments:

  1. They are gorgeous! The poppy dress is my favourite.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hate to yell, but you make ABSOLUTELY sure to get photos of you with the gal in your coordinated dresses (particularly the Milly dress). It's the law! We have a billion photos of my sister and I in our annual, overmade flannel nightgowns my stepgranny made, posed on the 60's modern fireplace (flannel ruffles are not easy to sleep in).
    It's the LAW!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The dresses are so adorable. You are a great Nana and I can't wait to see the girls in their dresses.

    ReplyDelete
  4. They are so cute and I love them all. Looking forward to seeing the girls in their dresses.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow! Is there a best-dressed list for babies?! I nominate Miss Sammy!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Aw they are amazing! She'll be so stylish :).
    X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are all so cute. What an awesome grandma you are!

      Delete
  7. These are just adorable and I admire your creativity with this pattern.

    ReplyDelete
  8. They are all adorable. She will love them!

    ReplyDelete
  9. They are all so beautiful. Nana's creativity at work.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I echo the pics with you both in the co-ordianting outfits!

    The dresses are so adorable! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a cute way to use up some of your scraps!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Holy smokes Carolyn! This is an amazing wardrobe of dresses. And so creative and generous of you to spend all that time on litle girl dresses.I'm just starting on a long white dress my first DGD needs for graduation exercises. No matter how much I love my Gd's, I find it hard to sew for them because they are not near me to try on at every turn!

    ReplyDelete
  13. These are so beautiful! What a lucky granddaughter! The Milly dress is making me swoon. You've inspired me to get sewing for my neices now!

    ReplyDelete
  14. These are adorable! What lucky little girls!

    ReplyDelete
  15. These are such cute and creative dresses. They clearly show all the variations you can sew from one basic pattern - a true TNT for Sammy!

    ReplyDelete
  16. These are all seriously adorable. Save the scraps. My grandmother made me a quilt out of all the scraps of dresses that my mom made me when I was growing up. I can still reall each dress.

    ReplyDelete
  17. They are mini Carolyn dresses. You are so productive!

    ReplyDelete
  18. So much fun! I love sewing for little girls - they really appreciate the efforts! My youngest really does. And most of the time, they use up scraps and remnants, they are quicker sews, and smaller areas to try techniques. You are giving me ideas for my seven year old...

    ReplyDelete
  19. You are so inspiring! Thanks for a peak into your creative mind!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love seeing these recreations of your gorgeous clothes...and I bet you will love seeing them on your granddaughter!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love every version & how creative you are in using up scraps !!! I'm so jealous that your cuties live near by . It's very hard to figure sizes when DGD lives 2500 miles away .

    ReplyDelete
  22. These are seriously cute. You do realize there's no going back. It's Nana made or nothing

    ReplyDelete
  23. Those are the cutest little girl dresses ever.

    ReplyDelete
  24. OMG, you are amazing. Those are the cutest dresses ever! can't wait to see Sammy in them.

    ReplyDelete
  25. OMG, Lena!!! Maxi dresses! Hmmm, wonder where she gets her strong opinions about fashion... ;)

    These are seriously cute! There's something so fun about sewing little dresses- it's super rewarding to pick out the fabric! I wish little boy clothes were a bit more fun!

    ReplyDelete
  26. As an avid home sewing, I looked forward to the day I'd have kids and could sew little dresses and...had two boys. Little Hawaiian shirts are cute, but, well. Now I have a grandson. *sigh*

    ReplyDelete
  27. Love the little dresses! I always enjoy sewing clothes for my kids. The fit is simple, and they just don't use nearly as much fabric!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Oooh I love those daisies in the first dress! I've just started sewing for my little one and I love it.

    www.StyleSewMe.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Oh, I love these little dresses. All boys in our family, so I make shirts.

    ReplyDelete
  30. So cute!! Makes me miss my girl sewing days. Can't wait to see the pictures and projects to come.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Aw they are amazing! She'll be so stylish :).
    X

    ReplyDelete
  32. Soooo cute! And such a joy to sew for grands!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Very cute and inspiring as I start a sewing binge for the grands too! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  34. They are so cute. M's Niayh loves yellow so I made her yellow Easter dresses this year and last. Last year, she told me that "I need a long yellow dress" So I made her a yellow halter maxi dress and she loved it.

    Now she wants a green dress because "yellow and green are my favorite colors". I'll make her some dresses to wear to church for spring and summer. The rest of her summer clothes will come from the consignment store since my sewing time is so limited. Thanks for the inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I am in awe and in LOVE! Great use of your pattern. She is going to look so beautiful in her different dress renditions.

    ReplyDelete
  36. What a wonderful grandmother! I loved looking at each of these, they are adorable! Now I can't wait to see her sister's versions:)

    ReplyDelete
  37. You heave made my night with all of these pretty little dresses. I have been saving pictures of dresses I want to make for my 7 month old niece and have fallen in love with all of these. It's hard to choose but I think my favorites are the jean dress and the one with the flower trim. I can't wait to see what you come up with for Lena!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I just love little girl dresses and you have done a wonderful job. What a fashion show! Can't wait to see the next set!

    ReplyDelete
  39. I love these! How beautiful and creative. You have an amazing eye for mixing fabrics and trims and the piping... love it. I don't have a little girl, but I sew for my niece from time to time. Harder to sew for little boys (which I have) especially when there are so few patterns for them!

    ReplyDelete
  40. They are adorable! You'd better get started on Lena's dresses before you have a very jealous little girl! You are the queen of dresses.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Oh ! I don't know which one I love best. I love the silhouette. I sew for granddaughters too, and I am going to try some of your ideas. I love sewing for the littles because it takes so little fabric that I get to use scraps that I can't bear to throw away.

    ReplyDelete
  42. OMG, adorable. Beautiful little dresses.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Wow. You work fast. I really like the first 3 as they are reminding me of Spring/Summer and that is where my mindset is at the moment. Can't wait to see the others you are making.

    ReplyDelete
  44. These are so cute!!!! Love them!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Carolyn, this is the sweetest post I have ever read! I love all of these dresses. The one with the flowers done the middle is particularly beautiful. Miss Sammy is one lucky gal! -Amanda

    ReplyDelete
  46. That's one lucky little lady! I literally cant pick a favorite. They are all so darn adorable.

    ReplyDelete
  47. These dresses are so cute. I have been following your blog for so long that I can remember some of the items you have made using the fabrics in these cute dresses!!!

    ReplyDelete
  48. How absolutely sweet and gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Sooo much fun. Sewing for little girls is great! Didn't have as much time/fun sewing as my girls grew.... (didn't have the $$$ or time) with 4 kids and babysitting full time. But, now I'm a gramma.... what's not to like! Lol.... they all turned out so cute. Have fun with the next batch.

    ReplyDelete
  50. I haven't done nearly enough of it, but sewing for little girls is so much fun, looks like you had plenty of that making these!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! It is so appreciated!

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails