new favorite dress.
i think i mentioned in my garden party dress post that when i saw that pattern in the lineup of the new Oliver + S designs, it seemed so much like Em’s style i gravitated toward it first. but then, i started seeing more versions of the hide-and-seek dress popping up (Gail’s, and Delia’s, and Sarvi’s, and Sanae’s) and they were all so different and great, it made me wanna give the hide-and-seek a whirl.
so i gave it a whirl, and i’m really glad i did. this dress makes me so happy!
without realizing it, i used the exact same main fabric that Gail did, just in a different color! it’s andover chambray in eggplant, i love it! it’s really nice stuff – the perfect weight for apparel and so versatile. i think the eggplant looks great with Em’s coloring.
it was a rare online fabric purchase for me – i bought the chambray from LiMa Sews, one of Gail’s sponsors and a local gal with an online shop. you should check her out, there’s some great stuff in there! oh and the yoke? yeah it’s actually super special Liberty Tana Lawn (in Wiltshire). my good buddy Jess sent a few fat quarters to me as a very generous thank you for “Tim Gunning her” as she won Project Run & Play a couple years ago, and i’ve been hoarding it until just the right moment. that moment was NOW.
a fat quarter was the perfect amount for yoke and lining the pockets – i have only the tiniest scraps left! for a pretty little extra detail, i added a bit of scalloped trim to the front yoke in a subtle nod to the fringe Allison used on her adorable pattern cover version.
i made a 4T and added an inch to the skirt length for extra longevity. otherwise, this is view A with no mods. i can’t stop thinking the 4T is going to be too big on Em, but she has grown and it’s definitely her size now!
we had some beautiful weather last weekend, perfect “go take photos in the park then play at the playground” weather, eh?
i actually had trouble visualizing this dress before i made it – i just picked pretty fabrics and hoped it all came together in a nice way. i was surprised that it ended up with a sweet and lovely French vibe (i’d imagine anyway – i’ve never actually been to France).
it’s cool to me that Liesl has the vision to design so many different dress shapes – it’s impressive! the way this dress comes together is interesting, with tons of room to change it up using different fabrics in different places. i realized as i made it that the seaming is sort of like the school photo dress, though they don’t look that similar at first glance.
i love the cuffed sleeves, the neckline notch, the (easy to construct i promise) welt pockets (which Em didn’t take her hands out of during the whole shoot!). it’s an easy and comfortable dress for her to wear – she looked too fancy to be climbing on the play structure and spinning on the tire swing after these photos, but it’s actually a practical (washable) playtime dress!
lately i haven’t been rushing my sewing – i’ve been choosing projects where i can relax and enjoy the process. and though it may seem like i’m blogging/sewing quite a bit, this dress sat all cut out and not sewn for nearly a week because i just couldn’t get to it. sewing and blogging took another few days even though i was excited about it. i just have to spread out my process right now and that’s fine!
PS – i got the pattern for free from Oliver + S. and here’s a dirty little secret – i skipped the understitching and didn’t use the buttonhole guide AT ALL! *gasp*
skirt as top 
Oh, I love this version…I have an olive-y skin tone too and this shade of purple seems to be one that I’m gravitating to more often. I just bought this pattern and can’t wait to sew it up- love that trim detail you used. Also, YOU skipped the understitching?! Shame Shame…. Sounds like something I would do. 😉
Love it with the liberty!!! So sweet!
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What a great dress, the pocket lining is such a nice touch. Thanks for sharing the chambray source. I just bought some Robert Kaufman chambray online, its so light weight and sheer, I can’t imagine what I’m going to do with it.
Perfect! I love the eggplant!
Your version is très lovely! And way to bust out the Liberty! So perfect for the yoke. I love how you lined the pockets, too. p.s. looking at these photos makes me really sad that our beautiful weather has ended, it sure was glorious!
Such a cool dress! E really looks like she enjoys using her pockets too…that’s fun. Great work!
I love this, Kristin! I was just plotting a chambray/tiny floral dress for one of my girls! This dress is perfect. I love it and my daughter Tarikua would love the eggplant.
I do love this version (the Liberty is just too perfect for me) 🙂
I felt the same at first (not quite sure about this pattern) yet I knew I was going to love it – it was just a matter of getting the right inspiration (lol). (Un)fortunately for me (my wallet, of course), you have all come up with amazing versions!!
I used that exact chambray for a spring coat for my girl. I love it!
I plan to use the pink to make her some bubble shorts for the summer. Your dress is beautiful, as always! 🙂
I love this dress, and it looks do good on Em, it’s a great color for her, the perfect shade of purple. My daughters have brown hair too, just a tad darker, I will give this color a try! You are so amazing at blogging and keeping up with projects. My baby is now 16 months old and I still feel so rushed and short of time! But, the more I sew, the more I realize that if I don’t take my time to enjoy the process, I will always feel frustrated and be unhappy with my results, so I am working hard this year to be more process-oriented instead of output-focused, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, sorry for going on at length. Beautiful work, as always!
Makes total sense and thanks for your comment! That’s what my goal is too – I know I won’t have much time as I want, but I do what I can when I can and just enjoy the time I get. My mom said she used to sew in 15 minute chunks (with four kids at home). 😉
Uau Kristin, Em looks gorgeous. This is my favorite version of this dress. Ohhh my gosh, I will have to buy it now 😉
Aw thank you!
my fav liberty print! nice job
I’m not that well-versed in the various liberty prints but this is definitely a good one. 😉
This is so lovely! That chambray color is just beautiful! between your dress and Gail’s, I may be needing to give the chambray a try:) The Liberty, of course, is the crowning touch!
Thanks Lucinda! It is really nice stuff and it’s kind cool to have it in colors other than blue, too!
I love it! The pockets are great! Your little secret is lovely! 🙂
This is divine, and the colours are soooo beautiful. I really wish we could get that chambray here in Australia!
it’s adorable! You’re right, that color looks great on Em, and I love the pop of Liberty-I love using it in small doses like that. 🙂
Oh, I love it Kristin! I haven’t seen that color chambray before and it’s just perfect with the Liberty. Pthe scallop trim also adds such a sweet,romantic touch too. Love, love!
It turned out so pretty! And I’m even a purple hater! It does look great with Em’s complexion though. I’m really looking forward to getting one of these made. Probably as an Easter dress for clover. Gotta find fabric though.
Absolutely stunning. Although I think for your digressions you should be banned from pattern testing for Oliver + S and I should be nominated in your place! 🙂
I’m looking forward to making this one and yes, I thought of the School photo when I first saw it due to the vertical lines and the sleeve cuffs. It’s a bit like that one with some extra “skirt”. Love it!
SO lovely and beautifully made as always. 🙂
This is absolutely beautiful! The color on Em is gorgeous and it looks so perfectly constructed- I love this!
I love this and I want one for myself! It looks so breezy and comfortable!
Beautiful… and love the Liberty peeping out of the pockets
Adorable! I discovered this post via Hawthorne threads Newsletter;) I am so interested in using Chambray, I have yet to do it! Of course, I just love the pattern choice too!