Family reunion dress

My sister in law got married a few weeks ago. Of course I had to sew something special for my girlies, something fitting for such a joyous occasion!

Today I would like to show you the dress I made for Baby L :)

Choosing a pattern was easy. I had my eye on the Family Reunion Dress by Oliver + S for ages. It is such a sweet dress. I love all the small details this pattern has to offer.

I wanted to use statement fabric for Baby L's dress. This Cornflowers panel by Bambiblauw from MaaiDesign fit the description perfectly. Baby L's measurements put her in the smallest size and there was plenty of fabric to cut every piece from the panel, including hem facings.

I sewed the dress as per the instructions and only made a few tiny changes. The most obvious is the fact that I added piping. I love piping and will use any opportunity to add it to a garment. This green piping compliments the panel so well it was practically a sign from above they were supposed to be made into a garment together.

Because of the way the facings are sewn the instructions say there needs to be a cut into a seam allowance along the shoulder seam in order to ensure a neat finish. There was no way I was going to cut into a precious piece of cloth at midnight hoping for the best. I would have lost it if I ruined the dress. I read through a dozen of blog posts looking for a solution and eventually came across someone who suggested french seams. Bingo! I was back on track with pretty insides and my sanity still intact.

The fabric is so pretty stitching over the print to secure hem facings would have been a crime. I watched a couple of YouTube videos to work out how to do a blind hem. It took a little practice and while my attempt is not perfect, it is still very decent.

I took my time sewing this dress. To me, small things matter. Things that might not be too noticeable, like the fact I changed the colour of the thread three times to make five buttonholes (two different shades of blue and green). Oh, and I swear on the well-being of my beloved sewing machine that the back pieces are in fact the same length.

I was super excited about finding the perfect size and colour buttons for this dress at my local Spotlight. Small things, yeah?

To say that I am pleased with how the dress turned out would be an understatement. Oliver + S patterns have a fabulous reputation for a reason. Combine a great pattern with amazing fabric, and you get something seriously amazing. Amazing enough to be fitting for a very special occasion, like you sister in law's wedding ;)