Sewing: Peter Pan Collared Dresses with Ribbon Sashes

I had in mind to make simple dresses for Audrey and Scarlett to wear under their crochet sweaters (the upsized "baby announcement" sweater for Scarlett and the toddler version for Audrey) and found this great pinpoint fabric on clearance at Joann. It is a gorgeous color--somewhere between apricot and pink--and it is a cotton-poly blend, so practical for little girls. I had purchased this equally gorgeous ribbon months ago thinking it deserved to be the inspiration for some girls dresses and look how beautifully they work together!



I used NewLook pattern 6769 but used the same fabric (instead of contrast for the sleeves) and used the ribbon for the sash. I love the simple, feminine lines of this dress, the puffy sleeves, the pleats in the front...


And I love this ribbon! These dresses are my favorite thing I've sewn for my girls, so far anyway.

Look how cute they look:

Crochet: Toddler Version of Baby Announcement Sweater

I loved this sweater from the "baby announcement" layette I made for Scarlett so much, that I decided to try making it larger for Audrey. Thankfully, it worked! I love this sweater! Instead of the fingering weight yarn the pattern called for, I sized up to a DK weight and used KnitPicks Merino Style yarn in Nutmeg. Then I just followed the pattern as it was written. (I tried upsizing the sweater for Scarlett too, but used the original yarn, with a larger hook, and modified the pattern and it was not nearly as successful...)

I loved working with this yarn. It has great stitch definition and it's really soft. I think the sweater drapes beautifully too. This may be my favorite project yet!

I picked this warm, woodsy color because I thought it would coordinate well with Scarlett's sweater without being too matchy-matchy. (I'm trying to move away from the identical outfits to the complementary outfits, which I find even more fun, and my husband, an identical twin, finds less spooky.)

I added buttons, which the pattern didn't call for, but I thought necessary for a toddler sweater. I also modified the collar, as with Scarlett's original sweater, so that it doesn't overlap the front facings.

I can't wait for Audrey to wear this! It may even work for the Fall if she doesn't grow too much.