empire dress two ways

Every time I start to design and sew a dress for my daughter, I hear this: "Is that a Sunday dress?" By which she means, of course, "Can I have that dress to play fairies in, climb trees in, and wear every day for a week straight, or is that the kind of dress that has to hang in my closet and I can't touch it?"

What can I say to that? She's five.

So I took this pattern and simply made two dresses out of it. One is definitely the hang-in-the-closet type:

and the other, simpler one, is just right for my sylvan princess:

Here's what the back of the white one looks like, unbustled and bustled:

So. These dresses are basically a short yoke on an A-line skirt with a puffed sleeve. If that's enough for you...go get busy!

If not, I completely understand, and I've made up a design lesson for you. There are a few sewing tips at the end, but mostly this lesson just walks you through the design process.

$4.95

Enjoy!

~Erin~