Summer Fun Dress Version 2

Remember this really simple, Summer Fun Dress I made for Ella a couple of weeks ago?  And remember that I told you how easy it is to mix this dress up and embellish it in different ways for a varied and unique look?  Well, I wanted to show you how I made another Summer Fun Dress, this time in a size 2T for a my friend's little cutie pie Auburn fan.

First of all, I wanted to test the measurements I had come up with for a size 2T.  I think it worked out well for her little girl (you'll have to take my word for it because I don't have any pictures of her modeling it)!  As I mentioned in the pattern, I recommend you measure your child's chest to get a more precise fit for the elastic top.  In this case, the little 18 month old girl has the same size chest and nearly same size waist as my 3 1/2 year old!  So, I used the little girl's chest measurement minus 1" for a comfortable fit (I used 20").  

Here's my 3 1/2 year old, Ella, modeling it for you.  It's really too short for her as a dress, but she could actually wear it with leggings or jeans for a cute fall outfit.  In fact, she has already put in an order for one exactly like it!

Ella is roughly 8 or 9" taller than the intended wearer, so I am thinking that the length should be just right for the other cutie pie!

Here's what I did differently for the Summer Fun Dress Version 2:

   1.  No ruffle at the top
   2.  Added two rows of shirring roughly 4 to 4 1/2" from the top so it falls just above the natural waist.

Shirring just above waist

   3.  Made ties out of ribbon (make sure to add fray check to the ends) to tie at the shoulder instead of around the neck
   4.  No decorative vertical strip (I added the specified width of fabric for the decorative strip back to the width of fabric required for the main fabric)
   5.  No hem strip (I added the specified width of fabric for the hem strip to the length of fabric required for the main fabric)
   6.  Attached jumbo orange ric rac to the hem of the dress.

Ric Rac Hem

Version 2 was even easier to make than the first!  Another plus about this dress is that it can be worn year round by simply adding a white t-shirt underneath and pairing it with leggings or jeans.  And, when your child grows, the fit is so forgiving that she can still wear the dress as a top!  This piece of clothing could potentially fit the same girl for 2 or 3 years!

Now my friend's little girl is ready to attend all those fall Auburn football games in style!  Go get 'em Tigers!