Climbing Roses

I must confess a recent spontaneous purchase at JoAnn's -- But considering the results, I can't say that I'm feeling much remorse! And I used up an entire piece of fabric from my stash on both this and another soon-to-be-blogged "Boden-ish" dress, so I may actually be feeling a bit smug. No fabric is going into the stash, and some actually came out. Two steps back, three steps forward, right? Or am I just trying to justify myself...

I drafted a pattern for this based on one of Rosa's existing shirts -- first translating it to a tee, and then to a raglan tee (there are many tutorials for this, but I'm pretty sure I used It's Always Autumn's version!). I've actually made two nightgowns for Rosa using this pattern -- perfect way to "stashbust" knit fabric -- so I was already sure that it would fit.

I did add a scalloped Peter pan collar this time. And I totally cheated by leaving the binding exposed, but I thought it worked with the somewhat casual feel of the dress.

A simple pocket for the front:

The gingham fabric doesn't have much stretch, and I didn't want to worry about the neckline being big enough to slip over Rosa's head -- so I opted for a little keyhole opening in the back with a simple ribbon tie:

Of course, matching leggings are a must! I cut out this dress at the same time that I made the afore-mentioned "Boden-ish dress," so I could be sure I'd be able to fit all of the pieces. The leggings are the same pattern, so it was super simple!

I really like the gingham with the floral print -- and while I'd purchased extra of that gingham knit specifically for another Izzy once Rosa grew out of hers, I'm glad I was able to change things up a bit!

Of course, I realized after I bought my fabrics that Rosa has quite a full summer wardrobe -- oops! But there's always room for a good play dress, right? Now, back to the stash! *wink*