Crazy Cat dress

So it is already February.  I am not doing a review of last year - I think I am a bit late for that! It was a good year sewing-wise and everything I made got worn a lot. The next few posts will be quick(ish) catch-ups just to document what I have made over the last few months.  I definitely have got the sewjo, not so much the blog-jo, not that that is a real word!

I have a list of things to blog about, so I shall start with the one finished the longest time ago which is another dress for Eldest:

This is using the same pattern as the last dress I made for her (Simplicity 1699), but I don't think this one fits her quite as well.  I took some length out of the bodice on both, but I don't think it was necessary on this second dress.  Her shape is still changing and I think she is taller now than when I made the first one. There also seems to be too much room in the bodice in this one. I think if I use this pattern again I might size down one size for her.

She chose the fabric. We have a newish fabric and sewing shop near us called Sew Contemporary and we got both fabrics from there. They don't immediately look like they go together, but the darker plain fabric is the same colour as one of the cats. She also wanted the same zip and trim for the sleeves as last time. Why change something if it worked! Although going through my photos I realise I did an invisible zip on this and an exposed zip on the other - shh, don't tell! The orange ties in with the cat fabric as the balls of wool that the cats are playing with in the print (that are too small to see properly here) are orange.

I made this probably around September/Ocotober time, so don't remember much more about it, other than almost having a disaster as I was nearing completion. I was overlocking a seam and managed quite by chance, to nick the trim  and hem on one of the sleeves: 

I saved the day by some deft hand stitching and a spot of fray check.  I owned up to the mistake but I shouldn't have bothered as Eldest didn't notice!

I haven't manged to get specific photos of this dress - this is taken from a photo 'shoot' where Husband and his sister were trying to take a succcessful picture of all cousins on a family holiday. As you might imagine we have loads of pictures but hardly any where they are all looking at the camera!