Inspiration: Little Bow Pleat

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I’m sure just about every one of you has seen this Jottum dress at some point.  I tried to get my hands on this second hand a few times, but it was just too pricey.  Several years back, I tried to knock it off because I loved it so much!  I learned quite a few things during that project, like how much I disliked sewing all of those bow tails and calculating pleats and hand sewing bows.

So, in spirit with what I learned but still loving the look of this dress, I decided to just do a couple of pleats on my pattern.  No, it doesn’t quite have the same look, but I think it still has the spirit.

This darling dress was also a huge inspiration for me.  You can see the bodice style and the stripes were definitely carried through to my design, but, as usual, with some modifications.  I decided that a sweetheart neckline was perfect for such a princess like dress and decided to include two necklines with the final pattern.

Because every princess needs a sash, this pattern includes my first sash ever!  It’s slim and understated at only 1 1/2″ but I thought it suited the final look I was going for.  It’s a great way to spice up the zipped back and add a pop of color.

I’ve made a slim skirt version as my sample, but you can also cut the skirt twice as wide to give lots of fullness to your skirt if your princess loves to twirl.  I love the opportunity for good color blocking and playing with stripes and had so much fun with this pattern.

• Blue striped fabric – Hawthorne Threads Poplin Play Stripe in Cornflower.
• Coral Fabric – Hawthorne Threads Poplin Stardust in Petal 
• Pattern – Duchess and Hare Little Bow Pleat
• Shoes – Children’s Place