The Princess Audrey Dress

I just adore the Audrey Cross Over Party Dress Pattern from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop!  You may remember the first one I made earlier in the summer.  It had such a vintage feel to it because of the fabrics and the trim I used, and it reminds me of my childhood!  Oh, those were the days...

Well, I decided to make Ella a second Audrey Dress, but this time, I chose bright, modern prints to make it seem more playful and casual.  What I came up with I dubbed the Princess Audrey Dress!

Don't you just love a pattern that is great for both dressy and casual styling?  I do!

I am an affiliate for Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop, but all opinions in this post are 100% my own.

This time, I made the bodice of the dress using a size 6 and the skirt using size 5.  I was much happier with the fit as a result.  While both dresses fit well and are comfortable to Ella, the second dress is a little looser making it easier for her to dress herself.

Besides mixing sizes, the only other thing I did differently on this dress was to make the back opening more of a keyhole cutout with a tie closure.

I can't claim this as my own idea sadly, but it did come from another great Peek-a-Boo Shop Pattern that I use often--the Evelyn Dress and Swing Top Pattern.

Let's talk about the fabrics.  I just love these fabrics!  They make me want to smile every time I see them!  All the different prints are from Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman.  Kelle designs the most fun, colorful collections that are great for apparel, home decor, or accessories.  I even made Ella a matching backsak to go with the dress (there's a glimpse of it in the pic below)!  Want to know more about the backsak? Read about it HERE.

The skirt is Girl Friends in Jewel while the bodice, sash, and binding are both Ovals in Pink and Ovals in Summer  from her Remix collection.  I've had the best time sewing with these fabrics and others that Kelle herself sent me to try out!

This version of the Audrey Cross Over Party Dress turned out exactly how I envisioned it!  And the best part--Ella loves it and has worn it so many times that I've lost count!

Apparently, just wearing this dress can make you want to act silly!

Today is Thrifty Thursday at Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop, and that means one special pattern is on sale for today only for just $4!  This week's sale pattern is the Hangout Hoodie!  I've had it for a while now and need to make up a couple for Ella for the fall.  Guess I better go and get sewing!

Thanks for stopping by to see my Princess Audrey Dress.  Hope you'll come back again soon or maybe hop over to my post from yesterday to enter a giveaway to win a free Craftsy class!

The Audrey Dress Plus a Pattern Giveaway!

It's no secret that Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop is one of my favorite sources for children's pdf sewing patterns.  I sew something from here almost every week!  Amy, the shop owner and pattern designer, has become a friend that I enjoy chatting with online and through emails.  She is such a sweet, genuine person with an amazing talent for designing and writing sewing patterns for children's clothing!

When Amy asked if I wanted to review one of her patterns for the Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop Summer Tour 2013, I did not hesitate to say yes!  I've been drooling over the Audrey Cross Over Party Dress Pattern since she first released it, so this was the perfect opportunity to give it a try!

I am an affiliate for Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop and was provided the pattern I am reviewing free of charge.  All opinions provided in this post are 100% my own.  

Plus I had just purchased the perfect fabric for it and found some vintage trim at a yard sale that matched.  It's such a good feeling when projects like this come together so easily!

The thing that appeals most to me about the Audrey Dress Pattern is it's simplicity and vintage style.  There are few pattern pieces required for this dress--just the bodice pieces and a little slit piece for the back opening--plus a chart providing the dimensions for cutting out the skirt.  The bodice is fully lined, and all raw edges are trimmed in bias binding, giving you an opportunity to add color or other visual interest to your new dress.

Instead of using a button, I attached a pearl snap to the back tab.  

For Ella's size 5T Audrey Dress, I used about a yard and a quarter cotton quilting fabric.  I think it is from Fabric Finders, but I'm not sure because it didn't have any markings on the selvedge.  For the bias trim, I made my own continuous bias tape using the tutorial from The Sewing Loft and a fat quarter of Kona cotton.

As I said earlier, I've made a lot of Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop patterns, but I felt like the bodice was cut a little smaller for the size 5T than other things I've made from the shop.  I talked with Amy about this, but she said that several people had commented just the opposite to her.  I'm thinking that perhaps I overlapped the front bodice pieces too much, and she even suggested that I let it out some for more room, but I had already sewn the skirt to the bodice and didn't feel like it was necessary to take apart and do over!  The dress is a great, comfortable fit on Ella, and she adores it (as you can see in the many photos she let me take)!  It think Ella is just growing and this dress design is just a little more fitted than other things I've made lately.

The armhole openings and the skirt length are perfect and required no adjustments whatsoever.  Although the pattern suggests adding a ribbon or sash around the waist as an option, I chose to sew on two long pieces of bias tape that I sewed closed. I attached them at the side seam where the bodice meets the skirt, and then simply wrap them around her bodice and tied them on the side.  I obviously could have made them a little shorter, but Ella loves playing with the long straps--perhaps a little too much.  I can't tell you how many times I had to retie those things!

You'll find this pattern a cinch to follow and sew together.  I made this one in just a couple of hours.  Ella and I love the Audrey Cross-Over Party Dress so much that I already have plans to make her another one using some adorable prints from Ann Kelle Designs.  Can't wait to show you how it turns out!

Would you like to make your own Audrey Cross-Over Party Dress, then you won't want to miss your chance to win a 10 pack of patterns from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop!  Just enter using the rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I know I'm on the last day of the tour, but please make sure to check out all the other amazing Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop patterns that were reviewed by some extremely talented sewing bloggers!
Thanks for visiting and hope you'll come back again very soon!