That last dress…

This is the last dress I had planned for KCSC that I sort of just fizzled on (partly because I hadn’t found a contrasting fabric I loved that brought out the pears).  The pattern is Simplicity 1814.  I love the sleeves on this pattern.  They are so sweet and it makes a novel twist on a basic dress.  However, this pattern runs BIG.  Big big.  I’m hoping that it will shrink enough to be wearable this winter but I don’t expect it to fit well until next fall.  I made a size 2 for my 2.5 year old Lu and it fits like it is a generous 3.  So, overall, make this pattern, it is fun and has darling details but size down if you are uncertain on the size.  I also didn’t have enough contrasting fabric to fully line it in the green flowers.  I made sure the sleeves were properly lined in green because they flutter open a bit but the rest of the bodice had to be pieced.  The pear cord was on red-tag clearance at JoAnns.  The green flowers I picked up at my local quilt shop on a hexies paper run (which they were out of, argh!).  I’m not sure of the designer of the green and wasn’t even sure I liked the fabric until I had the dress all made up—I do like.