The Color Block Dress {Free PDF Pattern 12m-6Y}

So I made Abbey a dress, I made it with a bodice pattern I made ages ago. You know when you are cleaning through piles of papers that have needed attention for quite sometime, and low and behold you come across a drafted pattern that was never made. Yeah I am pretty sure I have a few more of those. So I thought I would go ahead and make the bodice up, and I added a color blocked skirt to the bottom to finish it off. So, I thought I would go ahead and share the pattern with all of you. So the pattern is in sizes 12m-6years. It is for the bodice and sleeve and then you can make the skirt piece pretty easily. 

The sleeve has cute little pleats, and I double pleated the sleeve (top and bottom) for a fun shape.

So the pattern has not been tested in anyway, but I made one up and it came together fine. So if you would like the pattern you can download the pieces here:

Colorblocked Pattern (media fire)

or

Colorblocked Pattern (google doc)

Please do not share, copy or sell the pattern. Do not share the link to the pattern, please just link to this post. 

I used about 1 yard of the purple and 1/2 yard of the white. 

You will also need a zipper I used a 7" zipper

 Start with your bodice pieces all cut out, like so.

 Then sew one front bodice piece to two back bodice pieces. You will do this twice so you have two identical pieces.

Then pin a sleeve into the arm curve. Add pleats to fit. Then sew in place. Repeat this for the other sleeve and the two sleeves for the lining as well. 

 Then with the right sides together sew from the sleeve edge to the arm pit and down the side. Again repeat for the lining as well. You should have two identical bodice pieces now.

 Grab one and with right sides together sew the zipper down the edge of the back. I did not use an invisible zipper since I was ok with the zipper showing. Sew as close to the zipper as you can.

 
Then when you fold the zipper to the back you will see that the zipper is sewn the right way. It is a good time to check yourself if you are new to zippers.

 Then right sides together you are going to sew the other side of the zipper to the other side of the back. Sew the same way you did the first side, sewing as close to the zipper as possible.

 You can check your zipper again. At this point your zipper should look how it will when it is done (more or less)

Now with right sides together you will sew the two bodice pieces together. You are sewing along the same line you sewed for the zipper. Start a few inches up from the bottom of the back edge. Then sew up the edge, around the neck and down the other edge. 

Turn the whole bodice right side out. Then on the back side you will want to fold the edge in that you left un-done.

Then you will top stitch along the zipper edge. Nice finished zipper with fully lined bodice... done. 

I tacked the bottom under the zipper together since it will be sewn together to the skirt part. 

Then fold the edges of the sleeves in and top stitch along the edge. 

I also added pleats at the bottom of the sleeve since the sleeve was a little too full for my liking, and I loved the pleats. Just pleat the bottom and sew in place. Bodice done. 

 For the skirt I made it the same way I made this skirt I decided how long I wanted the skirt to be and divided that by 3 adding in seam allowance to each piece. I made the strips that height and the width was the width of the fabric. I simply cut 3 stripes for the front and 3 for the back. Then pieced them together the way I did the skirt and stitched the front and back together at the sides.

 Then gather the top of the skirt. Mine was pretty full which I wanted, you can make it as full as you want.

 Then with right sides together sew the bodice to the skirt piece. Hem the bottom of the skirt piece and you are done!

 Zipper down the back... not too bad right? And how in love are you with color blocking?  I think I am making Abbey and the new baby matching ones for Christmas this year... color blocked with red and white, or green and white... oh so many options.

Abbey loves the big full skirt, and since she was a pill for the pictures we ended up on the trampoline, let me tell you a full skirt has some great movement.

So if you make one upload it to our flikr group we would love to see it! (link found at the top of the page)