Kid's Cocoon Dress

The Halloween Cowgirl turned out to be a much bigger project than I originally intended, there was a lot of trial and error with the embellishment, and the sequins drove me very near the edge of sanity. When it was finished I needed a break. Not a break from sewing, just from figuring. I impulse bought the Cocoon Dress seconds after I saw Trine's blog post. It's got great style, and I suspected from the t-shirt like construction that it would be a sure thing. Not to mention, L is suffering from a serious shortage of cold weather clothing (how does she grow so fast?!). A couple of Cocoon dresses would go a long way to fill that gap. 

Pattern: This is the Cocoon Dress from Groovy Baby & Mama. It is a basic t-shirt dress with the addition of a few curves to give it a cocoon shape. It comes with optional shoulder ruffles. This is a great first release from GB&M, the fit is accurate, the instruction clear, the price very reasonable. I will definitely make it again, and can't wait to see more from GB&M.

Fabric: Quilted Knit from the Joann Doodles Collection. I rarely impulse buy at Joann. I go in, get my staples, and get out. But this fabric had to come home with me. I only bought a yard (because I was originally thinking sweatshirt), but it's extra wide (57"), and I easily got a size 6 dress and two sets (oops) of sleeves out of it. The one short coming is that it isn't fleece on the wrong side, and isn't very cozy.

Size/Fit: I think this is a pretty accurate fit. I sewed a size 6 based on L's measurements. I could probably have gone up to a 7 for additional wear, but wanted to play it safe since this is my first attempt, and L wasn't home when I was cutting.

Alterations: Because this is a Groovy Baby & Mama pattern decided to do it up in GB&M style. Instead of the optional shoulder ruffles,  epaulettes at the shoulders. The pleather accent goes a long was to give this super sweet fabric a little edge. To make a clean neck finish with the added material I used a neck band rather than turning the raw edge under as directed. This fabric is sweatshirt weight and I wanted it to wear like a sweatshirt. I lengthened the sleeves by 3 inches and added 2 inch cuffs, so that L could wear it without a cardigan.

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Pattern: Cocoon Dress by Groovy Baby and Mama
Fabric: Quilted Knit from Joann Doodles Collection
Leggings Pattern: Playtime Leggings from Oliver and S (blogged here)
Shoes: Coed Chukka Boots from Lands End