Family Reunion Dress

My friend L is a great quilter and loves all things handmade. She only sews quilts and calls on me when she wants something else sewn. I'm always happy to oblige. L has great taste in patterns and fabrics, she's very easy to please, and she's easy with my timelines.

Last year, or maybe the year before, we were on a shop hop and she found the Family Reunion Dress by Oliver+S made up and decided she wanted one for her little girl. Would I make it? Of course.

I had a gap in my quilting and got started - it made a great break in the middle of trying to quilt my sister's wedding quilt.

Everything went really well and I can happily recommend the pattern - I'd use another one made by this company (and they don't sponsor me at all).

I made a few adjustments to the pattern - see below. I'm really happy with how it turned out - and so is L. The fabric is from Art Gallery but I can't remember the pattern or line. If you check below, L might leave it in a comment.

To make the neck facing the pattern called for sewing a fold line and gathering it - instead I made a freezer paper template and used the applique technique of starch and pressing and I got great results - see below for how nice and flat the facing sits

there were some instructions I first thought were funny - like this pressing above, but it made sense in the end

I had a little trouble in the sleeves with attaching them correctly - without pleats in the wrong place. That is totally me and nothing to do with the pattern.  I made size 12-18 months and really, those sleeves are pretty small. It took a few adjustments but they got in there the way they should be. Certainly not a deal breaker for the pattern.

See the little ridge between the sleeve and dress - it shouldn't be there.

And the finished product - L loves the buttons - so do I (cuz I picked them out)

The only other adjustment I made, and I don't have photos, is I changed the fully buttoned back to a snap closure and it only opens to the waist, so I sewed closed the rest.