The Audrey Dress Plus a Pattern Giveaway!

It's no secret that Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop is one of my favorite sources for children's pdf sewing patterns.  I sew something from here almost every week!  Amy, the shop owner and pattern designer, has become a friend that I enjoy chatting with online and through emails.  She is such a sweet, genuine person with an amazing talent for designing and writing sewing patterns for children's clothing!

When Amy asked if I wanted to review one of her patterns for the Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop Summer Tour 2013, I did not hesitate to say yes!  I've been drooling over the Audrey Cross Over Party Dress Pattern since she first released it, so this was the perfect opportunity to give it a try!

I am an affiliate for Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop and was provided the pattern I am reviewing free of charge.  All opinions provided in this post are 100% my own.  

Plus I had just purchased the perfect fabric for it and found some vintage trim at a yard sale that matched.  It's such a good feeling when projects like this come together so easily!

The thing that appeals most to me about the Audrey Dress Pattern is it's simplicity and vintage style.  There are few pattern pieces required for this dress--just the bodice pieces and a little slit piece for the back opening--plus a chart providing the dimensions for cutting out the skirt.  The bodice is fully lined, and all raw edges are trimmed in bias binding, giving you an opportunity to add color or other visual interest to your new dress.

Instead of using a button, I attached a pearl snap to the back tab.  

For Ella's size 5T Audrey Dress, I used about a yard and a quarter cotton quilting fabric.  I think it is from Fabric Finders, but I'm not sure because it didn't have any markings on the selvedge.  For the bias trim, I made my own continuous bias tape using the tutorial from The Sewing Loft and a fat quarter of Kona cotton.

As I said earlier, I've made a lot of Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop patterns, but I felt like the bodice was cut a little smaller for the size 5T than other things I've made from the shop.  I talked with Amy about this, but she said that several people had commented just the opposite to her.  I'm thinking that perhaps I overlapped the front bodice pieces too much, and she even suggested that I let it out some for more room, but I had already sewn the skirt to the bodice and didn't feel like it was necessary to take apart and do over!  The dress is a great, comfortable fit on Ella, and she adores it (as you can see in the many photos she let me take)!  It think Ella is just growing and this dress design is just a little more fitted than other things I've made lately.

The armhole openings and the skirt length are perfect and required no adjustments whatsoever.  Although the pattern suggests adding a ribbon or sash around the waist as an option, I chose to sew on two long pieces of bias tape that I sewed closed. I attached them at the side seam where the bodice meets the skirt, and then simply wrap them around her bodice and tied them on the side.  I obviously could have made them a little shorter, but Ella loves playing with the long straps--perhaps a little too much.  I can't tell you how many times I had to retie those things!

You'll find this pattern a cinch to follow and sew together.  I made this one in just a couple of hours.  Ella and I love the Audrey Cross-Over Party Dress so much that I already have plans to make her another one using some adorable prints from Ann Kelle Designs.  Can't wait to show you how it turns out!

Would you like to make your own Audrey Cross-Over Party Dress, then you won't want to miss your chance to win a 10 pack of patterns from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop!  Just enter using the rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I know I'm on the last day of the tour, but please make sure to check out all the other amazing Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop patterns that were reviewed by some extremely talented sewing bloggers!
Thanks for visiting and hope you'll come back again very soon!