Meg's Dress and Pinafore by Olabehle

In March I was busy making lots of fun things.  One of the things I made was this dress found on the You Can Make This website .  The pattern was called Meg's Dress and Pinafore by Olabehle.  My cousins wife had asked me to make this dress for her daughter for Easter and noted that her daughter loves the color blue.

I went on a search to several fabric stores for just the right fabric.  I found just the right pattern at Hancock Fabrics.  They had just put out a new line of fabric, and when I saw it I just new it would be perfect.  The Fabric was a bit pricey so I had to purchase it in two seperate visits so I could use coupons.  I returned home to see what coupons they had online and found a 50% coupon I could use on the first visit (which my hubby was so kind to go and pick it up for me, since he was in the area)  and then I was able to use a 40% off coupon the second visit. They also had fabric in the colors of green and pink in the same line.  I may go back and get more to make some things for my girls.

The pattern I purchased from You Can Make This was an E-pattern, and I found it very well done.  The only thing missing was that it doesn't tell you what they allowed for the hem on the dress, so I put a 1/2 inch hem on the dress (I like the look better), and then continued with the pinafore.

One of the fun things I learned from this pattern, that I had never done before, was hand pleating.  The pattern included the instructions for hand pleating and it was explained very well.  At first I thought I was going to hate it, but I loved it.  I also loved the fact that it gave the dress a more finished look then machine gathering.

Here is my finished project.

I loved this project so much that I have now picked out some Paris fabric at Hobby Lobby to make a dress for my eight year old daughter, and possibly one each for my five year old and baby girl.