Caroline Dress by Kelly's Kids Knockoff

Whew!  What a week!  Our family visited some dear friends on the Gulf Coast last weekend where we ate way too much food and stayed up late every night!  But what a fun time we all had.  Thanks for your hospitality, Melissa, Fig, Michael, and Madalyn, and all the treats you gave the kids!  You guys are awesome!

L to R:  Michael, Ella, Connor, Madalyn, Fig, Melissa, and Me (Veronica)
My Wonderful Husband is taking the picture!

Me and My Wonderful Husband!

While there, my friend Melissa was so gracious to listen to way too much talk about sewing and fabric!  She is the best and never showed anything but enthusiasm for my new found hobby.

We even went fabric shopping in hopes of finding some beautiful eyelet fabric similar to the one used to make this Caroline Dress by Kelly's Kids.

Caroline Dress by Kelly's Kids

You see, Melissa loves this dress and really wanted it for her daughter to wear at Easter, but she didn't want to pay the high price tag!  I don't blame her.  

We searched two stores and didn't find anything exactly like the eyelet, but at Hancock Fabrics we did come across this light and fresh specialty cotton piece with a circle/bubble design.  The fabric is called Dots on White Cotton Fabric but also comes in a rainbow of colors. It was the one, however, Melissa was having second thoughts about me making this in time for Easter.  She was feeling guilty about me spending so much time making it, too.  So, we left the store with no fabric.  I tried to tell her that I enjoy sewing and the creative outlet that sewing gives me. Sewing makes me use parts of my brain that weren't getting used all that often since I no longer practice engineering!

Well, when we left her house on Sunday to drive home, my husband and I stopped by the fabric store to buy the fabric anyway.  I had decided to make the dress and just send it to her, but wouldn't you know it, by Monday afternoon, she had changed her mind and started asking me how much of this and that she needed to go buy.  I had to spoil her surprise and tell her that I was already making it!  She was thrilled.

I found a couple of size 8 dress patterns in my collection and used them as a go-by for the overall bodice size and skirt length, but I had to draft up the front bodice because it has pleats and two vertical ruffles.  My son graciously allowed  me (it cost me a big box of Junior Mints) to hold up the pattern pieces to him to see if they would fit (he's the same age and size as Madalyn).  Once the pattern pieces were assembled, I cut everything out and began sewing!  Here's my knockoff version of the Caroline Dress by Kelly's Kids:

Since I was on a time crunch, I didn't take pictures along the way.  I'm already thinking about making the same dress for Ella--but without the pleats and full lining--so if that happens anytime soon, I'll be sure to take step by step pictures and put up a tutorial and the pattern.  It really was not difficult to make, but I am not the fastest sewer and very meticulous, so it took me longer to make than it might take you.  Plus, this is the first thing I think I have ever made for anyone at their request, so I really wanted it to be perfect.  I think I came pretty darn close!

I had no idea what the back of the dress looked like because the Kelly's Kids website doesn't show any pictures of the back.  The description mentioned it had a button closure, but I wanted this all white beauty to be extra special, so I thought adding the pearl buttons and loop closure on the back made it look more fresh and youthful.  Don't you?!

It's now in the mail, and I can't wait to get a picture of Madalyn wearing it!  I hope it fits, and I hope she loves it!  I had so much fun making it.