Girl's Gathered dress or top (See and Sew B5009)

Now this might be my favorite pattern because it taught me a new sewing technique - GATHERING! I did not like it at first because it really challenged me but I have come to love it!!! What is more fun for a little girl than having a twirly top or dress?

In the cousin picture below, Isabelle and her cousin, Virginia Grace, are wearing the same top but I put a blue panel in the middle for Isabelle and a red panel in the middle for her cousin to make them coordinate but not be identical.

Here is a picture of Isabelle and Gabe's matching outfits just so you can see how they coordinate so well!

Then, I decided to use the gathers in the pattern but change it to a vertical paneled top/dress instead of a top/dress that had horizontal panels. Check it out!! I love choosing the coordinating fabrics in the dress top and panel. Fabric stores make choosing the fabric really easy because there are often multiple bolts of fabric in a design line so all you have to do is choose the ones you like in that line. By the way, Isabelle accessorized herself in the brown and red dress. What looks better with that dress than a blue bow and orange necklace?

A matching idea!!! I have made Isabelle's cousin Owyn an identical dress to the brown one above (but in a pattern that is a little warmer) for her birthday. Here is a picture of it:
But another option for these dresses when making them for multiple children is to use the same fabrics but change the order of the panels or use more or less panels in the pattern so the dresses will coordinate but they do not have to be identical. What do you think?? Hopefully, I will have a pic of Owyn in her dress soon to post next to Isabelle's.

There is one thing that I want to change on this dress... Because there are no button holes on the straps, the straps are sewn into the dress and I need the child's measurements to make sure the straps correctly. Getting children's measurements is not always easy, especially if the dress is going to be a surprise for someone. I am also not thrilled with the sewn-in straps because they means that you cannot adjust the straps as the girl grows without taking out a bunch of hand-sewn whip-stitches in the trunk part of the dress to access the straps. I like clothes to be adjustable and long-wearing. One solution is to put in buttons which I will probably do the next time I make this dress.