Kid's Coco Dress

My new binge watching obsession is the Great British Sewing Bee. How did I not know about this show before now? Oh my goodness, I am having so much fun watching the contestants as they work on the sewing challenges each week. It's really cool to see which techniques I already understand and what I still have to learn. I love it when the judges are examing a project and I know before they say anything what's good and what's not so good about a finished garment because it makes me feel so very smart. Plus, it's revealed a whole world of British sewing bloggers and pattern makers that I wasn't aware of until now! 

In Series 1 there was a contestant named Tilly who, although she didn't make it to the end, was pretty dang awesome. I loved her creations and the fact that she was drafting her own patterns instead of using pre-made ones. Well, it turns out she has a sewing blog, www.tillyandthebuttons.com, and several really cute patterns. Jared took me sewing shopping for my birthday and the Coco pattern was at the top of my sewing wish list. It's a super cute knit dress/top with long or three-quarter sleeves, funnel neck, cuffs, and optional patch pockets and what looks like a ton of ways to fiddle and customize. Color blocking, contrast yoke, and short sleeves are what come to mind first but I'm sure there's more. 

Anyway, I couldn't wait to make my first Coco and it was a great sewing experience! It took less than two hours start to finish, including reading the directions (full color and so easy to follow), tracing the pattern pieces (seven total, but only three are necessary for the basic dress), cutting the fabric (directional print, eek!), and assembling the dress. My plan was for this to be a dress for Samantha, even though it's a pattern for adults and she's the same size as her ten-year-old sister!  I took her measurements and they lined up with the smallest size of the dress except for the height. But that was actually perfect because the dress would hit well above the knee on an adult so it was just the right length for shorty Samantha. 

Sam wasn't home when I made it so I was excited and nervous to check the fit. It's always a little scary to cut into your pretty fabric because once you do, there's no going back and what if you've done it all wrong? I've thrown away an entire dress before because the finished dress just wasn't flattering and I was so disappointed in myself that I didn't even want to see it anymore. Despite my high hopes, the Coco wasn't a perfect fit for Samantha without some adjusting. The pattern dips in at the waist and then skims out over the hips. A flattering silhouette for most women, but Samantha doesn't have any hips. It was a quick fix, all I had to do was run it through the serger and change the shape to make it more of a sheath dress. 



I'd call that a success. Emily and Abigail both liked it as well and tried it on before the alteration. It fit them as well but looked totally different since they do actually have hips! I definitely see more versions of Coco in my future. I for sure want to make myself the shirt version, and the older girls would love their own dresses as well. Now I just need to find more lovely knits to add to my stash!

Comments

  1. LarisaFebruary 27, 2017 at 7:43 PM

    That's a super cute dress! Your girls are so lucky!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah MoranFebruary 27, 2017 at 9:25 PM

      Thanks Larisa! I'm lucky I have girls who are willing to wear the things I sew for them!

      Delete

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