Cocoon Dress No. 2

Cocoon dress no. 2. I had more ambitious plans for this fabric, my sewing time, and December in general. This dress is so easy it kind of made itself, and I just let it happen. L wears her quilted heart version all the time. It is a sweatshirt, it is a dress, it is an effortless outfit all in one simple piece. In December when holidays and everything associated with them  just sort of suck you in, it is good to keep something simple. This dress is simple.

I wish I could remember where I got this fabric. It is probably from a local discount store, but I'm not sure. It is a cotton french terry. It's my first time sewing with french terry and it is much more delicate than sweatshirt fleece, but seems a bit nicer to wear. I went with the same long sleeve and banded neck modifications as last time. I will certainly make this pattern as directed at some point, but I am happy with this snugger version for now. It's made even snugger by L's instance on wearing her heartwarmer (and sometimes all 3 of them at once) as a scarf like a big kid. I promise you it was not that cold on the day we took these photos, but a little extra hand knit never hurt anyone.

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Credits:

Dress Pattern: Cocoon Dress by Groovy Baby and Mama

Dress Fabric: Cotton French Terry

Dress Accent: Jersey Knit

Scarf Pattern: Bless Your Heartwarmer by SweetKM

Scarf Yarn: Creative Focus in Lavender Heather by Rowan Yarn

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