Peppermint Swirl Birthday Dress - Kids Clothes Week

I've been waiting for nearly a year to make the Peppermint Swirl Dress from Candy Castle Patterns. I wanted my daughter to be old enough to actually fit it for a while and be able to twirl in it. Today, I gave her this dress to wear for her second birthday. It was so much fun to make and I'm so glad its been Kid's Clothes Week to give me the extra incentive and sewing time to make sure I got it done!

The theme this time for Kid's Clothes Week is Storybook. This dress in partly inspired by one of our favorite storybooks: Mary Englebreit's Mother Goose book. It was given to my oldest son by his Nana and it has been read nearly to shreds these last nine years. The spirit of the Peppermint Swirl Dress, the whimsy of the fabric, as well as the color palette all connect well with Mary Englebreit's illustrations in Mother Goose.

In case you've been thinking about making your own Peppermint Swirl Dress, here are a few of my thoughts (but remember I already said this is my first one, so these are just my thoughts. I am by no

Photo from Amazon.com

means an expert. If you are looking for an expert, join the Candy Castle Patterns Group on Facebook - several women there have made many of these dresses and are very helpful!) One other note - my dress is the size 2 bodice with a size 18 month skirt.

1). It was not that difficult. I've sewn other patterns by Rebecca at CCP and I find them very clear and thorough. This one was no exception.

2). Cutting the flounces wasn't that bad. I cut three layers at a time using my rotary cutter and using canned food to hold the pattern piece in place. I think it helped that the day I cut flounces, that was the only goal I had. I wasn't trying to get everything cut and sew in the same day. In fact, I did cutting of the skirt one day, serged the skirt flounces another day, and then decided to go ahead and make the dress version instead of just the skirt - so I did the cutting and sewing of the bodice on a third day. It was manageable and kept it enjoyable. I only get short pockets of sewing time, so for someone who has extended hours to sew, this wouldn't be necessary.

3). Yes, I used a serger, and I'm glad I did. You don't need one, but it sure was nice. I also used the rolled hem option and I will confess I did it twice. The first round I missed the skirt in a couple places, so I went back and did a whole new rolled hem and cut the first one off with the serger blade as I went. I do like the appearance of the bias tape hem (especially the really beautiful lace edged bias tape), but the rolled hem was a quick option.

4). I am still planning to put on a sash/belt. I got it in my mind that I wanted a particular fabric for the sash and when I went to the fabric shop, they had sold the last of the bolt the day before. So now I am back to square one. Maybe I'll find a ribbon or make a toddler sized belt from from trim.

If you've been thinking of making a Peppermint Swirl Dress, but are afraid to try, you should do it. It was fun, I enjoyed it and look forward to making more. And did you know there is a pattern for a matching doll dress? Or a tutorial for a skirt only version? And a women's version? I've been considering making the doll sized version as a skirt for our new baby girl due in a few weeks... we'll see what I have time (and enough fabric) for!

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