Long-lasting wardrobe

I finally got some dresses sewn up for the girls over the weekend. I used the Tatum Dress Pattern from Sew Sweet Patterns. It has a great tutorial, but not the simplest dress to sew because of the facing pieces. I would try this pattern after completing several other sewing projects first. A couple of tips I would give is that the skirt pieces should be cut out to be wider than longer ( to allow for gathering). This is unclear in the tutorial and therefore I completed my dresses with one extra seam- to fix the skirt and a lot of extra seam ripping! Also, the sash is only long enough to tie a square knot, not a bow, so, add length if that's what you want.

 

I've had them cut out for to 2 months. With July 4 coming up I thought they would be cute, so I got motivated to finish them up. I also got to thinking about how I like to sew things that I know can be worn for 2 years or more. Here are some ways I do that:

• Make them 1 size big so that they can get two years of wear out of them. Notice in the back of this dress that the sash tightens the dress at the waist to make it flattering, but there is still plenty of room to grow. I try to keep this in mind when selecting a pattern, so it can still look nice both years without looking baggy.
• I've also been known to put in an extra large hem so that there is plenty to let down next year.
• Anytime you can use elastic as a closure it will fit longer than using buttons or zippers. On this dress the elastic is in the neckline.
• My sister in law figured out that for those young toddler years you can get extra wear by making a dress that fits loosely in the chest, maybe wear a shirt underneath, and then next year it can be a tunic top to wear with leggings! I love this idea!

What tips do you have?