The Jump Rope dress is the first Oliver + S pattern I ever purchased, and it’s always been one of my favorites. I’ve put it off for the last seven months, I think because I was nervous about the placket and collar. When I was finally ready to try it, it took me another month to commit to fabric (I have serious problems in this department) – this was the third fabric purchased specifically for this dress. It’s Alexander Henry’s Colour in Stripes in Dove from the Matisse collection. It kind of says Fruit Stripe gum to me.
I know you should always err on the side of too big when you sew kids’ clothes, but after working on something for hours and hours (and hours and hours), I really want the gratification of it fitting RIGHT NOW, not six months from now. Especially something that’s season-dependent. So based on her measurements, I made the 18-24 month size.
The length is just right, but the bodice is on the narrow side. Actually, the fit is perfect once the dress is on, but getting it on and off is a challenge. The only way to do it is with her arms straight up in the air, and even then a little maneuvering is necessary. After I finished the dress I read here that the smaller pattern sizes do indeed run snug. Oops. Maybe it’s time to start sizing up. I should probably make a 2T while it’s all still fresh in my mind, but that would require tracing something like 11 more pattern pieces. Which got me thinking….what if patterns came with all the pieces pre-cut for every size? Can you imagine? Someone should look into that.
Anyway, here it is:
And here are some of the little details that make me love the pattern:
If you’re at all hesitant about trying this pattern, you should check out the Jump Rope Dress Sew-Along from last fall. It guides you through the entire pattern step by step, with lots of photos and helpful tips and tricks. I referenced it several times along the way. That said, the instructions and diagrams in the pattern itself are wonderful (as is true with all Oliver + S patterns), and that’s what made it possible for me to sew something I thought was going to be way too complicated (but totally wasn’t).
And back to the sash for a minute – the center seam is driving me crazy:
See how the stripes didn’t match up? The stripes were otherwise very forgiving – I didn’t even consider matching them when I cut the pockets or the placket, but I don’t notice them there at all. It really sticks out on the sash though. I don’t have enough fabric left to cut another sash, so I’m trying to ignore it and I hope everyone else will do the same. Thanks.
And while we’re on this photo, I’ll mention that I cut half an inch off each belt loop. They just seemed really long for the bodice of the dress, and the sash fits through just fine without that extra bit of loop.
Okay, final photo….
