Harley Dress by Little Dress Pattern Shop…

October 5, 2012 9 Comments

Recently I had the honor of sewing and reviewing the Harley Dress ePattern by Little Dress Pattern Shop… 

Isn’t it gorgeous???



I was really excited when Ann, the fabulous owner of the Little Dress Pattern Shop, contacted me because I had actually pinned this exact dress nearly 6 months ago after stumbling across it in Pinterest. 



Yes, of course I wanted to sew it!  And as it happens, I know two little girls who would both love it…



I really took my time going through my fabric stash deciding what to use to make this gorgeous dress. 




After pulling out all of my solids, polka dots, and linens – I decided I really wanted to use a print. Which opened up a whole new drawer (ahem…bookcase) of fabric to choose from. 



But fate knew what it wanted, because just as I was about to settle on a beautiful Valori Wells Wrenly fabric…my fabric pile collapsed over spilling everything onto the floor!  What was left on top after the avalanche?  This gorgeous Daisy Chain fabric by Amy Butler that had somehow been hiding underneath the stash.  



YES!  It was perfect.



I couldn’t be happier with the results.  It is stunning. When Chloe got home from school and saw the dress it was the first thing she commented on!  



My pictures make the fabric look a little darker than it actually is, I would say the background green has more of an olive tone to it, rather than the Hunter is looks like here. Just couldn’t get my lighting right for the camera to pick up on it. But I love it because even though the dress pattern lends itself to being a Summer dress, I believe that with this fabric choice it will be suitable for Fall weather.

 


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The pattern was fabulous to work with.  It was actually one of my favorites, and I will tell you why.  It didn’t have too many words to read.  It was made for more visual people, like myself.  I could simply look through the photos and know exactly what to do.  I wasn’t spending precious sewing time reading through descriptions, but rather I would look at the instructions and know what to do almost instantly.  I loved it!



And the details, look at this pleated sleeve?!!  I love that!  



Or the way she tied her sash in the back…



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Perfection.  



Furthermore, the pattern was made with a European style in the sense that there was no seam allowance added into the pattern.  You add your own.  Having first learned to sew while living in Germany, this is actually my preference when it comes to patterns.  

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Funny story & side note – when I first came back to the US and tried my first American pattern to sew – I just didn’t understand why it came out so huge. It wasn’t until later that I learned I was sewing on patterns that had no seam allowance in Europe. So much for my German.  I had picked up the trait without realizing it to just sew with very little seam allowance myself.  It has been an adjustment since then, and sometimes I still stumble when patterns use more than 1/2″.



Lol – back to the review…

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The only modification I made was to add piping around the neckline, hemline and sash.  I wanted to break up the floral fabric with an added touch of whimsy – considering this is a children’s dress and my fabric choice is a bit mature. 




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And after all, who can resist a good polka dot? You know I cant. 



So be sure to head on over to Little Dress Pattern Shop to check it out.  



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Especially if you like dresses that have matching dolly sizes to go with them. 



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Thanks so much for stopping by, and until next time…


Happy Sewing!


Filed Under: Amy Butler, daisy chain, little dress pattern, pattern harley dress, review, sewing, shop

Comments

  1. Emily says:
    October 5, 2012 at 7:26 am

    Beautiful!!!! Love the piping and the fabric choice and the execution. :) I seriously struggle with that 5/8 seam allowance. Maybe if I ever get a serger I will be less grumpy about it. :)

    Reply
  2. Alida L. says:
    October 5, 2012 at 10:00 am

    I think it’s gorgeous. Love the sweet details on the shoulders!

    Reply
  3. Cindy says:
    October 5, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    It’s a darling dress! I think your fabric choice is spot on. The contrast for the belt and the piping around the neck are great details.:)

    Reply
  4. Palak says:
    October 5, 2012 at 1:33 pm

    I also prefer tiny seam allowances so you caan choose weather you serge or use the traditional sewing machine.

    The dress is gorgeous. I also love the way the sash is done.

    Reply
  5. Kristie says:
    October 5, 2012 at 1:53 pm

    Adorable dress. Those girls of yours sure are lucky!

    Reply
  6. Jenni says:
    October 6, 2012 at 1:15 am

    I love that shoulder pleat and sash! Such a beautiful material you chose, too!

    Reply
  7. Katie says:
    October 6, 2012 at 8:18 am

    Wow, that is BEAUTIFUL!

    Reply
  8. sallyavena says:
    October 6, 2012 at 7:45 pm

    The polka dot was a perfect addition. Love the dress!

    Reply
  9. Bridget Hall says:
    January 23, 2013 at 11:02 pm

    I bet those look good for a typical weekend shopping trip in the west end. Maybe I should think about moving to england then :D .

    Reply

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