I sometimes find it a little challenging to get sizing right for my kids.  Both daughters are quite slim for their height (I was the same at their age; up until my late teens really). To get the combination of style, ease, and fit preferences right is not always easy.

I sewed this Boo Designs Sleeved Skater dress in a mixture of sizes to accommodate Stella’s wishes. She wanted a tight bodice with a fuller skirt. Stella chose all the pattern elements – which sleeve type, what skirt length, and which fabrics went where.

It’s interesting to me when I look at photos – it appears that Stella has the same issue as me of fabric pooling a bit at the back waist area while the front bodice is still quite fitted! When I look at this dress on Stella I think it looks too small. She thinks entirely differently and really likes it.

Now I am trying to cast my memory to last year (that’s when I sewed it) but I think that I sewed the width quite a bit smaller than the length for this dress. I kept the armhole depth and bodice length appropriate for Stella’s height, but the body width was a few sizes smaller in accordance with her measurements. The shoulder width was something in between.

The fabrics are superb European quality cotton/spandex knits from Crafty Mamas Fabrics. I finished the sleeve edges with a very narrow zig-zagged hem, and did the same with the skirt. Construction was primarily on the overlocker. The neckline is bound with the printed knit.

From the pattern website:

• 2 lengths: Regular (above knee) or maxi (slightly above ankle)
• Also interchangeable with skirts from (sleeveless) Spandex Skater Dress
• 2 hem styles: even or hi-low
• 4 sleeve styles: long, short, mini or flutter

We’ll see how much wear this dress gets when the weather warms up again – and if it in fact still fits her! Stella looked over my shoulder while I was typing up this blog post and did say “oh, I do like that dress” so maybe it will be a winner after all.