Oh, this dress.
It’s consumed a lot of energy, mental and otherwise, but I’ll spare you the details. This is the finished product, and I’m sticking to it. It’s not the finished product I’d envisioned, but it’s been a good lesson in being okay with things as they are, and not making myself crazy. Because I think it may have been heading in that direction.
The pattern is the Oliver + S Ice Cream dress, minus the notches, in a 2T. I made the shirt version last spring and have thoroughly enjoyed the pattern both times – it’s so smart and simple, with lots of fun possibilities for variation. This time I used various shot cottons (aqua for the dress, steel for the band) and pieced the pocket yokes (in steel, sprout, mushroom, ice, and raspberry). The shot cotton is soft and light and flowy, which fits with this pattern, I think.
Here it is before the madness began. I had a million different ideas for how to finish this dress, and tried several of them, but nothing really worked.
Then I got tired of thinking about it and added the gray band to the bottom. Lila’s happy that her dress is blue and has treat pockets, and that’s good enough for me!
Haha, you are hilarious. You’re so down on this dress and I still think it’s fantastic! The color combo on the pockets is super interesting and perfect, and because of the shot cotton, I’ll bet it’s even more gorgeous in person! I’m pinning it. It’s great and inspiring and it makes me want to make a new ice cream dress for Em. π
thanks for brainstorming with me on this one! π
Oh wow! I love those pieced pockets! This turned out really cute.
It came out perfect. Here in France you see a lot of that grey colour on small children’s clothes. I always love the way it looks. I have fabric and patterns stashed for ice cream dresses for my four girls. You’ve inspired me to get them out!
The colours are fantastic. It really stood out on the Oliver+s flikr pool so I had to come over and comment. Now I am inspired for the summer, pieced pockets here I come!
oh my goodness, I’m swooning!
Absolutely perfect. I predict pinning madness today!
Oh my goodness, this is so beautiful! Don’t be so hard on yourself! I think it is so bright and fresh and just perfect for spring! Great work!
It is gorgeous. Nothing more to say….
I think i need to get my hands on this pattern- so many cute ones out there! I like that you left the notch out. And the band on the bottom is perfect.
Oh it is just perfect! I really want to make a dress for my almost 4 year old and this one is just right!
it’s darling! I love, love, love the pocket detail and the grey band balances it all out.
Beautiful! I love your style. Shot cottons are some of my favorite fabrics. Very nice.
beautiful! so original. and the grey band is perfect.
I was just thinking how I would like this dress so much better without the notch. I am not sure what you had it mind but it looks just right to me.
The colors are just beautiful!
oh. my. word.
This is stunning, and now I want one for my Lilah!! Those pockets bands are perfect – what a creative spin on the usual band! And I actually think I prefer the bottom dress as a solid rather than more piece work – it lets the pocket bands shine that much more. I have made this pattern as a dress (in the same color as yours, ironically enough) an twice as a shirt – love it each time! But I’d have to say this is my favorite rendition I’ve seen of this pattern yet anywhere! Thanks so much for sharing – and inspiring:)
ps – did you buy your shot cottons locally or on-line?
thanks so, so much! i bought the shot cottons locally – it’s so great to be able to actually see the colors and play with combining them!
Oh, I envy you your local fabric stores! You’re right in saying it’s so much nicer to be able to feel the fabric and see their true color before buying on-line. Thanks for listing the color choices in your post – it will help if I choose to buy online!
I love it! beautiful job… it’s funny, my daughter is wearing the shirt version of this Oliver + S pattern today. I love this pattern!
Really cool ! My daugther got the same name by the way ! Your dautghter is really cute !
thank you sooooo much everyone. i had a hard time letting go of my original vision for this dress…but your kind comments are really helping me out in that department!
I love this dress! I want one to wear with leggings and boots.
You just inspired me and now I’m buying the pattern! Thank you!
I LOVE it! Perfect. And of course, it makes all the difference when the child loves it! Lovely. Really.
What a lovely, lovely dress! I’m so inspired!! I keep meaning to try an Oliver & S pattern. I’m convinced that I’ve got to now!
I realize that you may have wanted to kill that dress at times…but I definitely think you won out in the end….the dress is so gorgeous! It’s playful without being too “kid-like” and it looks fantastic on her!
This is absolutely adorable. As is Lila. You really nailed this dress.
Ahhh – I’d love to make my daughters beautiful pieces like this, but garment sewing terrifies me! I mostly stick to quilts. Maybe someday… I just love what you’ve done with this dress – simply gorgeous!
Oh, it’s gorgeous! And it fits her so well, too. I have not mastered the fit yet– everything I make is always too big.
I think I need to get this pattern. It’s the perfect spring/summer dress π
i think the grey band is *awesome* and really grounds the whole piece. perfection!
i wanted to ask you – i purchased the staz on ink, but it says it’s for everything *except* fabric. it says for non-porous and semi porous surfaces only. is this what you are using or did i buy the wrong kind?
thanks rachel! yep, that’s the kind i have – when i bought my twill tape at ribbon jar, they recommended staz on ink, and i didn’t realize until later that it’s not specifically for fabric. it’s worked great on fabric so far, although i haven’t tested it much in terms of fading in the wash. i’ve never tried versacraft ink but i know it’s made for fabric, i wonder if it’s better for heavily washed labels…
This is one of my favorite versions of this dress, ever. I love the simple solid colors and the patchwork pockets are to die for. It is just gorgeous.
This dress is AMAAAAZING! I love it. I’m curious to know what you had originally envisioned because it looks perfect to me. I love your choice of colors and the patchwork idea was brilliant! I love your style!! – Cherie
hey gail! i want to thank you for inspiring me to make this dress without the notches. i made it this way and am so happy with it. i blogged it here. http://www.stitched-together.com/2012/04/kcwc-project-2-ice-cream-dress.html it wouldn’t have occurred to me to leave them off had i not seen your dress for lila. i love it!
What a nice dress! I just love the color combination you chose…
I’m new to sewing and to your blog, and this dress is beautiful! Is there a maker of shot cottons you’d recommend? I love the color combination you chose for this dress and think it would look terrific on my little girl. Thanks!
thanks! kaffe fasset makes beautiful shot cottons – this site has a good selection if you’re looking to buy online: http://www.gloriouscolor.com/store.php?cat=114
Hi Gail, I just discovered your blog and LOVE your work! This dress is just precious! I’m new to sewing, and wondering how you assembled the stripes on the pockets. Did you sew the individual blocks together in a row, then top stitch over the existing pockets? Hmmm….
thanks holly! the top of the pocket is a separate pattern piece (called the “pocket yoke”), so i pieced a bunch of colored strips together, then cut two pocket yokes from my pieced rectangle. i hope that makes sense! you can email me if you still have questions π
Je suis vraiment charmΓ©e par tout ce que vous faites et tout ce que vous prΓ©sentez ici. Votre univers est doux, apaisant et gai Γ la fois. FΓ©licitations.
I’m really charmed by everything you do and everything you present here. Your world is soft, soothing and gay at the same time. Congratulations.
Hi Gail – lovely dress! And also I need some advice. I’m surfing the net studying colours of Kaffe Fassett shot cottons. I’m trying to match some to a dress I’m working on . I think this aqua looks lovely, but Im wondering, how ‘true’ are your photos to the real life colour of this fabric? It looks somewhere halfway between grey and blue in your images, which is the colour I’m after. Is it brighter in real life?
thanks – I know how impossible it is to describe colours! I so wish I had a decent fabric shop nearby!
Victoria
Hi Victoria! It’s definitely hard to say since the color may look different on your screen than mine, but I just held the actual dress up to the photo on my screen, and I’d say the real dress is a bit more blue than the photo. Not brighter necessarily, but more on the blue side than the gray side. Hope that helps! It’s so hard trying to order online, i feel your pain! Good luck!
Thanks Gail – I’ve taken a chance and ordered some. I’m driving myself insane pondering colours, so just have to make a decision! To me it looks like a ‘wearable’ colour – pretty but a bit neutral…. Aaghh this is nuts trying to describe colour with words! I’ll let you know how it turns out! Thanks for your help!
This is Gorgeous!!! im pinning it for later π
I’d love that dress for myself and I’m 56 years young, the colours are sublime, well done, you’re very creative.
I love this dress! The link for the pattern is no longer there… would you be kind enough to share your pattern with us?
here you go! http://oliverands.com/product/OLV-OS016ICD.html