Tribal Soleil Dress

Ruby lucked out this KCW season!  She got 3 new items of clothing.
I suppose the reason I’m sewing more for her than the others is because it takes less fabric, and sewing for girls tends to be easier than for boys.  Apart from the outfit I made Dev, which was pretty simple.  Most of the patterns I am drawn to for boys require a bigger time commitment than I am wanting to put in right now.  Devon LOVES his outfit though, so he’s happy.  Carson really doesn’t care if I sew or don’t sew for him.  I guess neither does Ruby, though ;).  I’ll also add to this that Bailey has worn her outfit 3 days this week and slept in it as well a couple times.  yes, that’s how we roll in the summer sometimes.

This dress is the fabulous Soleil Dress from Selvage Designs.  I super duper love it.  The tribal fabric is a jersey spandex knit that I ordered a long time ago from Girl Charlee.  You can also purchase the Soleil Dress on Girl Charlee HERE.

It doesn’t look like they have the same fabric currently, but THESE are similar.  Although I really love the print, and the fabric would be fantastic for shirts and skirts that you want to drape well and flow, I probably should have used a thicker knit.  This is pretty lightweight.  It actually sewed up just fine, but it stretches a lot more easily and just doesn’t hold it’s shape as well like the dress seems to need.  That may also seem so because Ruby is small and the smallest Soleil is a size 12.  I easily could have cut off some of the bottom and taken in the sides to fit her well, but it’s nice to have something that she will fit into for a while, as well.

I think we all can agree that the cutout in the back is the best feature.  It is what totally sold me on the dress.  I love it!

Ahem…please ignore the fact that her headband is coming off in most of these pictures.  Focus on that great dress, mmmkay?  :)  Yes, I left it un-hemmed once again.  With the fabric being so thin I was afraid of a wavy hemline because I’ve been meaning to find some wonder tape stuff made for knits and have not purchased any yet.

Those little foot accessories are from Sabra.  Adorable!

Ruby took 7 hours total in naps today!!!  So when she woke up and was only happy outside, I figured I might as well take some pictures.  If she had been miserable I promise I wouldn’t have taken them.  She was quite sad at home, but like I was explaining before, just take this girl outside and she’s pretty happy.  For about 5 minutes this time :).  She still had a fever today and is coughing soooo much, but she is a notch up from yesterday for sure.  Thank you for your kind thoughts and comments for her here and on instagram!

Busy little girl. She is into everything!  And I’m so thankful.

So that concludes Kids Clothes Week day 7 for me!  I hadn’t even intended to participate, like not at all until I sewed on Monday and thought I’d just tag along with that one project.  But it’s so fun to feel unified in sewing for kids!  It’s my all time favorite stuff to sew.  I just love seeing my kiddos running around in clothes I made for them. Makes me smile.

Thank you for stopping by.  It’s always fun to connect with others sharing the same passion for sewing!

Here’s the links to the posts for Kids Clothes Week:
Sun Bonnet
Adventure Tee with Scalloped Shorts
Pippa Peplum Pattern Remix
Ottobre Tank Top and Shorts
Star Ash Jumpsuit
Tribal Soleil (which of course, I won’t link because that is this post)
I was given the Soleil Dress pattern from Girl Charlee in exchange for this review. SOLEIL DRESS PATTERN REVIEW:
Pattern Pieces, Instructions, and Skill Level
The pattern printed out fine with no problems—I did print in color.  The instructions were very clear and I didn’t get confused during the process at all.  I feel like a confident beginner would be able to sew this.
Sizing/Fit
I made Ruby the smallest size, which is a 12 month.  She is small for her age and I’m excited it will fit her for a while.
Modifications to Pattern
Just left the bottom un-hemmed.
Fabric
I used tribal knit from Girl Charlee.  This is a lightweight jersey spandex knit.
How Long it Took to Sew
I’d guess with cutting this first time took 2 to 2.5 hours.  I’m not the fastest at sewing though.
Things I Might Change Next Time
I’d try and make it so the back didn’t gap.  I’m thinking with her being smaller, once she is older and fills more of it out, it won’t gap so much.  I will be making another one in the near future.
Wearability
Anything knit seems to be a fave with my kids.
Overall Impression
I love this pattern!  I do wish we were given ribbing length guidelines.  I understand her reasoning not to, but it would be nice.  I had no problems figuring out the binding lengths, but I think if you were a beginner it would be helpful to know if you were close, at least.  Overall I definitely recommend this pattern.  The end result is just the cutest!