oliver + s croquet dress

Currently, I'm starting to read through a teacher's manual for homeschool curriculum I chose for Clover to start this year. Kindergarten is typically for older kids than her (turning 4 in February) but I chose Oak Meadow's kindergarten curriculum. It seems very gentle and holistic, and whatever doesn't work for this year I can reuse next year. So in Sept I am planning to get started on the whole homeschool journey.

As a person with a very disorganized brain and two crazy children, I'm a little terrified. Lol. But I'm also really excited because homeschooling is something I've been looking forward to since before I even got married and had kids. 

So this new dress has been marketed to Clover as her new school dress! I've got another one percolating in my head that's made out of some black/white chambray and some other print. This will have to come after designing Clover's princess Leia dress, because she is chomping at the bit for that to be produced.  

Clover is pretty pumped about her new school dress. It's very sweet and comfy, and of course pink with a bow, which meets her criteria of being "princess". I used the Oliver + S croquet pattern, which is a loosely nautical inspired design. Nautical gets me every time. I love the drop waist and square neckline on this dress. 

 

It looks a heckuva lot cuter without jeans underneath, but those mosquitoes around here are BRUTAL right now. Our legs and ankles are all bumpy, so I decided to play it safe and do pants on her for the day.

Based on Clover's measurements and the advice of friends more knowledgeable than me, I decided to make her the 18 month size in the 4T length. Actually, I even added on an extra inch or so on the end of the skirt for her long leggies, so it's more like a 5T (the pattern only goes to 4).  It fits really well, I think. If I had used the 4T size it would have been falling off of her tiny little shoulders.

I used Anna Maria Horner voile and some leftover bone colored kona cotton. The dress feels so soft and delicate! 
 

"Clover, smile for mama!"....

 

The keyhole opening in the back is so cute. Plus....no buttonholes *hurrah!* 

 

This pattern was more challenging than my sailboat pattern from O+S, but it came together beautifully. Definitely more complicated though. Can't wait to make more of them!