Ella's Party Dress - Fig Tree & Co.

Oh how I love this dress.  The construction is quite clever and completely appropriate for children's clothing.  I can see myself using the pattern time and time again.

This is my first exposure to Fig Tree & Co.  I searched a long time for this particular dress and finally found it on Fairytale Frocks and Lollipops a couple of years ago.  It's taken me this long to drag out the pattern and trace the dress.  Turns out there are only two pattern pieces (the front and back bodice).  Who knew?

I had this Cinderella fabric in my stash and thought this would be the perfect pattern to showcase the fabric.  What little girl wouldn't want a Cinderella dress?  As you can see, I was able to restrain myself and leave off any embellishments.  (Trust me, it was not easy).

The pattern gives you the option on how to finish the back... buttons, snaps or hooks and eyes.  I chose buttons and used my vintage buttonholer for the first time.  It worked like a charm!

This dress is also fully lined.  I used a perma press shirting for the lining on this dress because, quite truthfully, I consider it to be an ugly fabric.  I think my mom may have purchased it. 

The instructions have you cut the rectangle for the skirt lining one inch shorter than the dress, which is, like I said, quite clever and completely appropriate.  The lining is essentially free flowing.  It is not anchored to the dress hem.

Here's a back view of the lining.  (I was way too lazy to button up the dress just for this shot.

I also made the dress in a Robert Kaufman cupcake print.  This dress was actually assembled first as I wanted to get any mistakes out of the way before making Cinderella.

Here's the back view.  I chose red buttons for this dress, which kind of blend in.  It wasn't intentional, I just liked the red buttons.

The lining is a shirting that was, once again, in my stash.  I had just enough for this dress.

It definitely makes a cute lining and this is a much better use of it than what I had planned, which was the donation pile.  I'm pretty sure this is another mom purchase.
And there we have it, two dresses that I love out of a pattern that I consider to be one of the better ones I've encountered.  I'll definitely be using it again.  I do not, however, recommend this for a beginner because of the the lining.  However, once you figure out how the shoulder pieces go together, it's a dream. 

I can't believe I almost forgot.  The pattern does not give seam allowances, although there is mention of using a 3/8" seam allowance when it's time to attach the skirt to accommodate the gathering and to avoid having to remove the gathering stitches.  This lead me to believe that the seam allowances are 1/4".  Fig Tree & Co.'s main pattern collection consists of quilts, so that is how I came to this conclusion.  Before I make this dress again, I'll be sure to inquire as to the proper seam allowances.  Right now, we just wanted to get the gifts to them since they have a tree with no gifts.  I guess they really are going to have a hand made Christmas.