Victoria with a Touch of Liberty

This pretty dress pairs the Victoria pattern with the Scallops Add-On pattern. It also has a piped contrast band down the center bodice and a flattened front skirt with pleats and gathers. Contrasting fabric and piping was used for the collar, bodice band and sleevebands. The dress buttons in the back and the front bodice band are finished with decorative buttons.

Shop the Look

Patterns: Victoria & Scallops Add-on Fabric: Super Fine Twill White with Theresa C Piping: Ocean Blue

Buttons: Mother of Pearl Flower Button White

*Products available at childrenscornerstore.com while supplies last.

Supplies

Victoria pattern with Victoria short sleeve

Scallops Add-On pattern View B collar

Fabric and notion requirements from Victoria

¼ yard contrasting fabric for collar and bands

2 ½ yards coordinating mini piping

Extra buttons--3 for sizes 6mo-4, 4 for sizes 5 and up

Cutting and Pattern Marking

1. Trace the front and back bodice. Using the table below measure up from the bottom and draw a new cutting line. Adjust the skirt length by adding the same amount that was taken off of the bodice. Double the amount in the chart and add that to the length of the placket strip. Cut out all bodice and skirt pieces as well as the sleeves.

2. Cut scalloped collar and Victoria sleevebands from contrasting fabric.

3. It is optional to sew the bodice darts. If using darts, mark the placement on front and back bodices. Note that the darts will be much shorter as the lower portion has been removed with the bodice length adjustment.

4. If you are not sewing bodice darts, place a mark on each side of the bodice front at the dart placement line closest to the center. These will be the placement lines for your skirt pleats.

5. For sizes 6-24mo, there are not dart markings. For these small sizes, make the skirt completely gathered as in the Victoria pattern.

6. Measure the length of the bodice at the center front. Cut a contrasting band that is this length by 1½“ wide for size 6mo-4 and 2” wide for sizes 5-14.

Construction

7. Interface the bodice strip and pipe both sides. Press seam allowances toward the center.

8. Place piped band at the center of the bodice. Pin or glue in place. Using a stitch length of 1.5 stitch-in-the-ditch along the piping seam line to sew the band to the bodice. Space extra buttons along center bodice band and sew in place.

9. Follow instructions 1-6 in the Victoria pattern.

10. Follow the Scallops instructions to construct the collar using the 3-scallop pattern (view B). Interface the collar and pipe with contrasting mini piping.

11. Follow Victoria step 10 to stitch collar to bodice. Skip to step 27 and stitch bodice to bodice lining. Turn right side out and press. Continue construction steps 35-42.

12. Measure space between bodice darts or bodice dart marks from step 4. Divide this number in half.

13. Fold Front Skirt in half along center line. Measure over from center and make a dot at the measurement from step 12. Flip fabric over and repeat for other side.

14. Measure over from the skirt dot (toward the side seam) 1 ½” for size 3-5 and 2” for sizes 6-14 and make an X. Repeat on other side.

15. Open up the Front Skirt and place right side up. On the left side fold the skirt dot over to the X on the left folding to form a pleat. Press and baste in place. Repeat for the right side of the skirt.

16. Follow Victoria instructions steps 43-48. Gathering threads will be stitched over the pleats.

17. Pin skirt to bodice at center front keeping the center space between the pleats flat. Bodice darts or marks should line up with the skirt pleats. Pull up gathering stitches from the pleats to the skirt back matching side seams. Finish step 49.

18. Complete construction of the dress following steps 62-65.

Made by Melissa Sansom

Click the printer icon below for printable version.