Toddler Coat dress

Season 6 of PRP kicks off this week and I (Major Moma) will be participating in the sew along again.  But I will not be sewing with them every week.  I am still enjoying making "grown-up" clothes and I have a big project coming up in February that I need to have time for. So, I have decided that I will not participate in the week where you up-cycle a men's button down shirt.  And I may not make a signature look during the final week.  Even harder for me, I am going to scale down my outfits.  Normally, I would make three pieces for each week.  This time, some of my designs will be more simple or will be mixed with RTW.

Scaling back is hard for me.  I am one of those go hard or go home types.  In everything.  I just don't know how to do things casually.  This doesn't mean that I do everything well, it just means I obsess.

And sometimes that obsession pays off.  Have you seen some of the pretty clothes I have made myself this year?  It took years of obsessing to get those skills.  Now when I wear something pretty to church, my friends assume that I made it.

But other times, what every I am obsessing about takes over my thoughts all the time and I have a hard time focusing on other important things.  So, this will be a good time to practice doing things well but not obsessively.  Because I am not a competitor in PRP, I should be able to just take things easy every now and then.

This first week's challenge is the remix of The Party Dress from Lindsay at The Cottage Home.  Really this is a great chance for me to not go overboard.  This is such a classic dress.  My Sewing For Toddlers (circa 1970s) has a dress that is this same standard design.  And if you skim any of the major pattern companies, you will see this dress in different forms.  The great thing about this dress is that it cam be changed up so many ways.  It is a fabulous starting point to get your creative juices going. 

The other thing is that it is perfect for beginner sewists.  You learn how to do closures (buttons or zippers), a dirndl skirt, and set in sleeves... (if you are making a sleeved version. Lindsay's doesn't have sleeves.)  Really, making a dozen or so of these for my eldest girl really developed my skills.  It was when I was sewing for her during her baby and toddler years that I truly learned how to sew.  I made a ton of basic t-shirts and dresses similar to this while getting comfortable with my machine.

Now, we are here making this versatile pattern again, but this time for my third child.  It is pretty cold in Germany these days, so I thought a coat dress would be great.

Deviations I made from Lindsay's are:

• Sleeves
• Front opening
• Peter pan collar
• Chunky belt loops at the center back and two side seems.
• and I used elastic thread for the button loops.

The fabric I chose is minky; a fabulously soft heavy weight fabric.  It is often used for blankets and bathrobes.  This particular minky is cream and has raised hearts.  I lined the bodice and sleeves in a silky pink lining fabric.  And I used cute little bow buttons.

 

 

So, you should be seeing plenty of sewing from me, but not all of it will be kids clothes for 6 weeks straight.  And hopefully, I can practice moderation.