A New Spin on an Old Friend

I've had this idea in my head for ages now -- solid bodice, striped skirt, and an itty bitty pocket. I just don't know why it took me so long to work out the details! Of course, I used Teri's fabulous Izzy pattern as a base. Because why not? 

The materials were free -- black knit for the bodice, leftover from a maxi skirt I just made; black stripe knit for the skirt, from a sundress that my mom passed on for just-such-a-purpose; "chambray" for the pockets and tabs, from the reverse side of scraps from my Without A(nthro)pologie skirt. I also used three "bronze" KAM snaps, so technically those weren't free. But I'd already purchased them for another project, so they're sort of in that "already-paid-for-so-kind-of-free" stash stage.

The changes were relatively simple -- I used the Izzy bodice in a size 4T, but eliminated the curves at the bottom of the bodice pieces (this made the bodice longer at the center front). I actually think the curved bodice is one of the best things about the Izzy, but for this project I was looking for something a little different. I redrafted the skirt entirely, giving it a flared shape:

Above is a rough sketch of the shape I used, for a size 4T.

            A: Desired length of skirt at center front (mine was 14.5")
            B: Half of the Izzy bodice measurement (~5.5")

            C: Desired length of skirt at side seams (mine was 12.5")

The bottom curve was "eyed," and I added 1/2" to each edge except 
the center fold for seam/hem allowance. Just make sure you have 90
degree angles at each corner. Oh, and you could make C the same as
A -- I was limited by the size of the fabric I was working with!

Two chambray button tabs (well, snap tabs) on the back:

I love the flare on this skirt! I was a bit nervous how it would look in stripes, but I'm liking the result. And I'm quite pleased to announce that my stripes matched right up on the first try -- which is good, because it's unlikely I'd have had the patience to re-sew those seams! *wink*

Rosa loves her new dress, and she and Little Man even got to "help" put on the snaps (i.e., it took me twice as long, but we all had fun!). More fabric out of the stash, another frock in the closet, and a long-considered idea finally accomplished. Time to move on to the next project!