Good morning, friends, how is this Labor Day Monday (if you’re in the US) treating you so far? Today, I’m excited to share some pattern re-mixing that I’ve been experimenting with – I think it’s a fun one.
If you remember, I’ve made the sewpony’s Debbie’s Birthday dress quite a few times here and here. It’s such a great basic design and views 1 and 2 are darling, but I absolutely love that the modification possibilities are endless.
I’ve been wanting to make a version with sleeves and welt pockets, and I was finally able to get it all done this weekend. I utilized the “proper” side of the knit I used for my lace tank here, and because I just had a little left, I didn’t even bother trying to match up the print. No matter, it doesn’t take away from the sweetness of the dress, right?
This retro vibe makes me happy. Isn’t it very Mad Men? I wanted to play up the reversibility of the fabric and used the “wrong” side as bias binding for the neckline and sleeves, as well as for the pocket linings. I also added a quasi-exposed zipper (I totally botched that part up – don’t look too closely).
Modifying the DBD was a cinch. I started with view 2 and simply extended the shoulders to make cap/french sleeves, and lengthened the front and back bodice by a couple of inches (with the final version of the pattern, you won’t even need to do this since I was using the shorter version from the test pattern). I actually consulted my own tutorial for the welt pockets and left out the zippers.
I feel like this is another good summer/fall transitional dress. When it gets chillier, she can wear tights and a long-sleeves tee underneath, but for these warmer first weeks of school, it’s comfy as is.
I love it love it love it. When I started sewing for K last July, one of my hopes was to gain enough skills to translate the designs in my head into wearable garments. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become very spatially and mathematically-challenged which is ironic for someone who went to a special school for advanced math and science, and it’s taken me a long time to figure out how pattern pieces fit together. Though I still feel very much like a novice, I sense that I’m getting closer to my goal. It’s so thrilling!!
And do you know what else is thrilling? Suz of sewpony is offering one FREE Debbie’s Birthday Dress pattern to you, my lovely readers — I’m so pleased to offer this giveaway! To enter the giveaway, in keeping with the inspiration of the DBD, please leave a comment with your favorite childhood book. I read a million books as a child, but the ones I kept reading and re-reading were the Madeline L’Engle series, including the classic: A Wrinkle in Time. I also loved international folk tales translated into Japanese – confusing I know, but trust me, they were awesome.
The giveaway is open until this Thursday, September 5th, and I will announce the winner the next day. Good luck!
P.S. Suz is a contestant for Project Run & Play! So exciting!
That fabric is lovely and the dress with the ‘exposed’ zipper is beautiful. Ironically enough, my favorite childhood books were from the Martine book series (the French version of Debbie)
Love K’s dress what an awesome hack. My favourite childhood book was Charlotte’s Web.
This dress is just beautiful! What a gorgeous knit too! I was a huge bookworm as a child. Picking a favorite is hard, but I read all of the Laura Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie) books many times 🙂
Oh Sanae!! I took a little break for the crazy end if summer, and I found myself wondering ‘what is Sanae sewing??’ Ha! Love that little exposed zip, and the welt pockets are awesome. I love the sleeves, I had no idea they could look like this by just extending them out. Sadly, I’ve always been spatially-challenged!!
love the pockets!
What a beautiful dress for K. I love the the “wrong” side as bias binding and for the pocket linings.
When I was a little girl I read everything I could find, but my first ever borrowed book from the library was Heidi from Johanna Spyri. I usually never read a book twice, but sometime when I was ill I read Nobbi from Momoko Ischii and I was to little to understand, but after I got better I read it a second time and I never forgot this book.
I love what you did with this.
I loved any Roald Dahl book when I was a kid. Especially The Witches.
I love it love it love it too! More and more I’ve been looking at the patterns I own and wondering how they would translate into being sewn up with knits rather than wovens. I find that my girls are more likely to wear something in a knit – most certainly the comfort factor. Those pockets are such a great detail – I love them! And what a great idea to use the reversed side of the knit for the binding!
And does your growing comfort with how patterns work mean that you’ll someday be producing your own pattern pdf’s? Keeping fingers crossed!:)
As for childhood books, I was a voracious reader so it’s difficult to choose. But I do remember being so completely enraptured by the Anne of Green Gables series and was one of the rare books that I read multiple times.
There is a book called “The Magic Friend Maker” about two girls who use a rock to make friends with each other. I don’t think it is famous in any way, but it was magical to me. When I got a bit older, I remember liking Gordon Korman books, which were funny. I read them over and over.
What a cute dress! My favorite book was Charlotte’s Web — so much so that I named my daughter Charlotte!!!
I love it!
The book I loved when I was a kid was Maurice Sendak’s Higglety Pigglety Pop, Or There Must Be More to Life. It’s not one of his most popular books, but the story about the dog Jennie’s search for experience enthralled me, and of course the illustrations are great. It’s really a book about self discovery. The book I loved reading best to my older son, who is now 20, is a retelling of Japanese folk tales (in English) called The Magic Listening Cap. Just really wonderful stories. Both of these books are super for the 6-10 year old age range. Now with my 3 year old we are loving the classic early childhood books, and I’m looking forward to reading him AA Milne’s Pooh stories soon.
So cute! I loved the Madeline books when I was little. In fact, she was the reason I picked French in school. 🙂
My favorite book was Anatol and Desiree by Christine Nöstlinger
Adorable dress! My favorite childhood book or in this case books, were the Laura Ingalls Wilder books (in fact, I’m rereading them now). Although Invitation to the Game, Wrinkle in Time, or any of the Redwall books are at the top of the list as well. 😉
This dress is so beautiful.
(Your head must be full of awesome things!)
I grew up with Astrid Lindgren´s books. First they were read to me (actually my mother read them to my sister, my dad and me when we were on vacations) and then I read them myself. I still read them every now and then! I can´t name a favorite but Ronja Robber´s daughter (I hope it is the right translation?) is very dear to me because I went to the book reading, where Astrid Lindgren read it herself and I even got her autograph!
And also books by Christine Nöstlinger (I can´t believe Mony mentioned her!). They are full of Austrian expressions and language and I loved that.
Oooh…I am loving this! The exposed zipper I think just makes the dress! You are always so good at including the perfect finishing details.
I should include my favorite childhood book…hmm…I remember loving anything Roald Dahl when I was a kid (especially the Witches, weird, I know). But my favorite book to read with my kids has got to be Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. They are perfect for both my boy and girl!
My mom still recounts how I used to make her read ‘The Rescuers’ over and over. I also really liked a book that says, “Don’t be saddish, eat a raddish”, but I don’t know the title.
My favourite was Enid Blyton’s Famous Five. The idea of a secret deserted island close to home filled with days of adventure just made my imagination fly. I would design imaginary fort houses and have moments of daring do with my brother.
The dress is so lovely. I love the fabric. My childhood favorite (and still a favorite today!): Anne of Green Gables.
i need to consult your tutorial on welt pockets! love them. and the exposed zip. when i was a young child, when stories were still read to me, i loved grimm’s fairy tales. i still have the old book that my grandmother got for my uncle when he was a child–these are the real deal. that probably paved the way for my fascination with the macabre for the several succeeding years, which is why i’m not citing any of my favorite titles between age 6-16 😉
Definitely the entire Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I loved reading the books and can’t wait to start reading them to my girl!!
I love it sanae!! I have never tried welt pockets buy definitely want to! Glad you have had much use from my pattern!! I love reading little golden books to my kids and anything with good rhyme:))
Like Ute, above, I loved Ronia The Robbers’ Daughter, by Astrid Lindgren. Thank you for the welt tip – I’ve had something in mind that needs a welt pocket, so this is most helpful.
Caroline
I loved the Anne of Green Gables books. I re read them every few years.
Love it x4! The colours and design are perfect. Congratulations for imagining and then creating such a lovely dress. I read everything as a kid and still do. Animal books were favourites, especially horses. All time favourite picture book is Polly’s Oats by Marc Simont.
Beautiful! I love love seeing your Monday outfits. I am a budding “sewist” and have hope I will be where you are in a few years.
My favorite book growing up, and still today, as a teacher and parent of a two and four year old is Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. The simplicity and color of the illustrations are beautiful and it captures memories of summers in rural Maine so well.
The hobbit, read to me by my Daddy, one long summer when I was about 8. “What’s it got in it’s pocketses?”
Beautiful dress. I’m in love of the fabric, it is pretty both sides! you have fantastic treasures. I like also the details you add, the welt pockets and that exposed zipper! nice. I think my favorite book was cat in the hat by Dr. Seuss. Perhaps because I was a bit naughty.
I love that the dress seems so versatile. My favorite books (there were so many) were probably the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. I have probably read them 100 times (not kidding!). And now I read them aloud to my kids.
Sanae, that girl and that dress are wonderful! It’s very cool to watch your daughter grow older-she seems so much bigger now than when I first started reading your blog.
My favourite children’s books were the Roald Dahl ones…my siblings and I read them all and then went on to read the youth and adult books when we were older. I think my favourite was Matilda. I also really liked the children’s poems by Michael Rosen.
Thank you for the giveaway!
What a beautiful dress. So simple but yet with so much detail. I just love, love the fabric.
I don’t have a favorite childhood book as my mother is blind and of course didn’t read to us. But she told us amazing stories of her childhood adventures. When I was old enough to read to my little sister, I read her Redwall and Narnia series.
This little dress (or something like it) would really suit my no-pink, no-frills girl :)! I grew up reading and reading and re-reading the Anne of Green gables series and the Chronicles of Narnia and have almost finished reading Narnia to my 8 yo son.
Love the dress! And even better that it’s knit, my daughter would just wear only knits if she can have her way. I used to read Grimm’s fairy tales over and over. My mum also had these Peanuts books and I never got tired of reading those old Charlie Brown comic strips.
Wonderful dress! Have been thinking about my favs for a few days now, hard to choose! I loved the Little house on the Prairie series, and Matilda, by Roald Dahl. And books by Dutch author Thea Beckman, such as Children of Mother Earth. Many favourites, some of which I still reread every now and then 🙂