A Ruffle Top for Rosa

In the mood for a little sewing -- then again, when am I not? -- I finally broke down and bought Burda's Baby's Ruffle Top pattern (the download also includes the pieces for this dress, which I didn't realize at first!). I'm so fond of simple, feminine styling for little girls. Fortunately, I had a good fabric scrap just big enough for this project, so I could try out the pattern.

How hard is it to iron out the crease in the front? Not hard. I'm just *that* lazy.

I made the largest size (24 mths, according to them), which is a tad large for my exactly-24-mont-old Rosa. 

It hangs a little oddly, thanks to the too-big hanger!

The pattern goes together easily, though the instructions might best be described as "terse." I did change a few things -- I doubled the width of the ruffle piece rather than hemming it, which I thought would look better should the underside of the ruffle be exposed (and is also easier than hemming!). I also topstitched the bias tape to the neckline, which I probably will not do if I repeat this pattern in a linen or "non scrap" fabric. Oh, and I stitched the sleeves to the armholes before stitching up the side seams; I find it so much easier to do that with children's clothes, as those tiny armholes can be finicky.

A few stash buttons later, and Rosa has a wearable mock-up. There will certainly be more of these coming, and I can picture all kinds of variations -- short sleeves, empire waist with a gathered skirt (for a dress), etc. Simple and versatile is always a winner with me.