Oliver & S Ice Cream Dress

I'm ashamed to say it has taken me more than a year to make this dress. It was on my To Do list for the Spring Kids Clothing Week Challenge back in 2011!

It lay around, all cut out, for quite some time.  I eventually started work on it but, as the most complicated bits - the neckline and pockets - are tackled straight off, I got a bit disheartened.  I felt they weren't done well enough and that the dress was going to look very obviously homemade. So it lay in pieces for a few months more.

Once I picked it up again, I sailed through and was kicking myself for having waited so long.  Of course, my little girl has been growing taller in all that time and the finished dress only just fits! It's fine with white leggings so she should get some wear out of it for a little longer.

I absolutely love it and, because the Oliver and S patterns are so well thought-out and explained, I like to think that the finished article, at least from a distance, isn't too obviously made by mum! 

The fabrics were bought during a visit to Japan.  I didn't have enough of the orange to make the top sleeve section so used it just for the lining.  During wear, the font v folds over a little and I like the way the orange fabric just peeps out, giving a bit more interest. 

I want to make another version, this time in View B, with four bands of plain fabric.  No doubt it will be various grades of pink if the small person has any involvement! Next time I'll try to get those points and curves to look rather more precise.