KCW Day 8: Citronille Suzanne

Kid's Clothes Week Day...uh...8!? This dress was finished with plenty of time to spare, but my little model was getting a bit fatigued with the photographing, so I let this one slide until the very last possible second yesterday to photograph.

For the sake of my self imposed use-the-stash rule for this KCW I cobbled this look together from a few of the most burdensome pieces from my stash. You know those pieces of fabric you love too much to cut into and are happy just to own, or the perfect vintage pattern you are so satisfied with the cover art that you don't need to make anything from it? Well this is the opposite.

I bought this pattern when I was brainstorming for the summer 2014 KCW (you can find the original article I wrote for KCW here). But I never found the "right" fabric, and didn't end up making it. Now, 9 full months later, I was feeling pretty guilty about this pattern.  I came across this version by At Luce Ends, and I decided to give the ol' Citronille Suzanne a try. The fabric, on the other hand, is a very recent acquisition. I'm not even sure it ever made it into the stash cabinet. I bought it for a design I pattern tested a few weeks ago (have a sneaky-peaky over here). When I opened the package, I had a what-was-I-thinking moment. Nothing against the print, or the colors, it just didn't resonate with me, and I knew I would never wear it. Sometimes when you set very specific parameters for yourself magical things happen. But all I can feel for this dress is indifference (though now that I'm looking at the photos, I'm sorta liking it better).

PATTERN: This is the Citronille Suzanne, and my first Citronille pattern. I was drawn to this pattern because it it written for woven fabrics, but it has no fasteners and goes on over the head. Therefore, it is something my kid can get herself into and out of without my help. The front and back are the same so it's impossible for her to put it on backwards. Both the format of the pattern and the instructions are sparse. It is a very straight forward and very fast make.

FABRIC: The chambray is the very last from my first Lou Box Top. The print is Copenhagen Baby Blue Floral Print from Mood. The under skirt is eyelet inherited from my mother in law's stash.

SIZE/FIT: I sewed a size 6, the fit is rather boxy in general, and with the length, I think this dress will fit for quite a while.

ALTERATIONS: I went down a size on the sleeve, because I thought I would like the proportion better. I do, and it is still easy to put on. I did all french seams, and I lined the skirt. The result is a dress that is 95% reversible. If you look closely at the hem, or the underarm seam you can tell they are the wrong side, but in these fabrics I don't think an innocent bystander would notice (sewing friends will spot it first thing).

While I'm feeling pretty underwhelmed with my first attempt, I will give it another try. This design is too kid friendly, and there are too many cute versions of this design out on the inter webs to give up on it entirely.

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You can also find this dress on:
Kid's Clothes Week
Kollabora
Straight Grain Sew + Show