Sew Happily Ever After: Summer of Sewing--Norah Dress and Tunic

I was so excited to sew this adorable little dress. From the moment that I was inspired to make it, I knew it was going to be adorable. I just might have to name this dress the most favorite thing I have ever sewn! I love it when a plan comes together so perfectly.

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I started with the Norah Dress and Tunic by Mouse House Creations. I was going to make a tunic, but then I settled on the dress. You can purchase this pattern at the (aff. link) UpCraft Club. Are you a member yet?

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Here's an easy way to get wide striped fabric if you can't find it easily:

Cut fabric strips that are all the same width. For this dress, I used strips that were each 2 & 1/2 inches wide. But if you are making a dress for an older girl, you may want wider stripes.
Sew all the strips together keeping your seams nice and even. I used 1/4 inch seam allowances, which made my finished stripes each 2 inches wide.
Top stitch your fabric if desired--I left off the top stitching for this dress.
Use the striped fabric that you made to cut out your pattern. You will want to line up your fabric carefully to get the stripes to match perfectly on the back and side seams.

I also opted for a full lining instead of a partial one. I actually prefer a full lining on a dress like this, especially with the white fabric. To do this simply cut the lining from the full dress pattern instead of the lining mark. Also cut the lining a couple inches shorter than the finished length of the dress so it doesn't show at the bottom of the dress. Assemble the dress and lining following the regular instructions in the pattern, except substitute the full lining in place of the partial facings.

I wasn't too sure about the collar on this one, but that navy just contrasts so nicely with the red and white. And the chunky button on the back just adds the right amount of pop to the dress.