i forgot just how fast (and fun) Geranium Dresses are to sew!
i mean, i’ve made a bunch of them, and i remembered that they were speedy, but making this one in a quick evening just felt so gratifying after feeling like i’ve been treading water with my sewing (and blogging) a bit lately.
as a part of “spirit week” at school, E had “school colors day.” her school colors are navy blue and white. she doesn’t have many pieces of clothing that are JUST navy blue and/or white, so i made her a new dress the night before from stash fabrics. you’ve read this blog, you know how i work.
i printed out the bodice for Rae’s Geranium Dress pattern (View B) in a 5T, quickly taped it, and cut it out of some scraps of Robert Kaufman Washed Indigo Chambray, left over from some recent pattern testing.
the skirt is a 1/2 yard cut of Sarah Watson’s Menagerie in Onyx from her Indian Summer line for Art Gallery. I LOVE THIS PRINT. gah it’s just so great. i’ve loved it in every project i’ve ever seen it used in, and i was happy to use every little bit while really showcasing the print. both the chambray and the Art Gallery cotton are SO SOFT, this dress has a really nice feel and it even seems to wrinkle less than a lot of her quilting cotton dresses.
i got the Menagerie at Cool Cottons a while back (oh look they have an online shop now! how exciting!) and i knew a half yard would be a bit short on her these days, but thought the dress could be a super cute tunic with leggings/shorts later anyway. or i could always add a panel to the bottom or something.
the buttons were an estate sale find that Tara sent me – they’re brass, i think, and were a bit tarnished when she sent them, still on their original cards. but when i ran this dress through the wash, they polished up to a shiny gold! soooo of course i had to go ahead and pair the dress with her gold STYLO leggings which crack me up whenever she wears them.
i did the opening at the back of the dress (below the buttons) the “japanese sewing book way.” i created a U shaped facing, sewed a narrow channel down the middle, snipped, and turned it to the wrong side. then i finished the bodice and skirt together. this added to the speediness and though it isn’t as clean on the inside as Rae’s instructions, it’s totally passable for a casual dress. when i topstitched the bodice it caught the finished seam allowance to hold it in place.
E loves this dress! it’s been getting a lot of wear since i made it and i think it’s just so cute on her. i picked out the pattern and fabrics and sewed it without consulting her, which is increasingly rare – she usually has a say in the decision-making process even if it’s just which buttons or whatever, so i’m extra happy she likes it.
it felt really good to revisit the Geranium, another of my favorite kid patterns, and remember why i love it so much! and now her closet is finally catching up with her growth spurt.
skirt as top 
Ooo I think the shorter length with the leggings is a really cute look. Those leggings just make anything look great. Still wish I could pull them off.
Love the 2 fabrics together, they look really crisp & fresh! The poses in the photo shoot are fab, us ladies could learn a lot from her! 😃
Kristin! My girls would flip over that skirt fabric. So, so awesome. Such a great dress. Surely it was the envy of every girl in her class.
Oh stop! I need that animal face fabric in my life, and I love it paired with the chambray. This would be in weekly rotation on my little one, for sure!
I’m with you…I love every single thing I’ve seen that fabric sewn into. Must.buy.some!
that fabric!!! the best! I need to make another geranium… they are just so cute. 🙂
those animal faces really are the best! i love her hair, too. i’ve been wanting to make another geranium…i think i might be ready for the bigger size range though. darn kids and their rapid growth!
so stinkin cute!!!! I love that you showed the inside too!
So, so cute! I love the fabrics you paired.
I love those cheat-y Japanese plackets too. What a great little dress and I hear you on the need to sew a one evening palate cleanser every now and then
such an adorable dress, and E seems to love it as well – Love her sweet poses:) I generally love anything with chambray, and when paired with the Geranium pattern, it’s a win! such a sweet mom you are to make this for her school spirit day:)
Animal dress! I’m leaning against the same fabric right now on my boppy pillow while Hawthorne keeps me from going to sleep (what’s new). I love this dress with the gold leggings. I also like the facing method you used. Looks fancy.
She’s killing it in those gold leggings!! Love it! And love the dress too. So much cute here 🙂
stop it. This is just too cute!!! the gold leggings are HILAR.
doing a tutorial on how to do a less-campy back closure for Geranium has been on my list of things to-do for a very long time. that facing method is great!!