Pattern Test: JillyAtlanta's Charlotte Top/Dress

Back around Thanksgiving, a new-to-me designer, Jill of JillyAtlanta invited me to check out her new FB group. I joined her page & saw that she had some beautiful designs using some gorgeous fabrics. She asked if I could test a new top/dress she was working on, & of course, I jumped at the chance. I love testing new patterns!

Here is the JillyAtlanta Charlotte Top/Dress pattern! Isn't it adorable?

In addition to being either a top/dress, you can pick several sleeve lengths including sleeveless (as pictured above), short sleeves, or long sleeves. There's also an optional cinched waist. Sizes range from 2T to 8. I went with the sleeveless version since my girls have an inexplicable disdain for sleeves. We leave in Minne-SNOW-ta, so you'd think their arms would be freezing, but apparently their blood runs hot.

The pattern also called for using shot cotton or a fabric with a great drape. A pattern test is always an excuse to go fabric shopping, so I went to my local fabric store & found this great lightweight shirting material. I'm not exactly sure what it is; the fabric content said cotton, but it feels kind of silky & there's a bit of a sheen to it as well so I suspect that there's some synthetic material blended in as well.

This is actually my second version of the dress. Testing doesn't always go smoothly. I made the mistake of picking a size 6 without making any adjustments for B during my first go around. I knew the chest measurement was just slightly larger than her actual chest size, but I figured it would give us some room to grow. WRONG!

Ignore the bed head. I literally ripped her out of bed  & threw the dress on her to take a quick fit picture.

Eeks--lots of gaping. :(

You can see that the neck & arm openings are too big for my petite monkey. Also, the instructions in the pattern call for a homemade bias tape. I thought a pop of color would be a nice touch on the dress, but the pre-made, crochet edged bias tape may have been too heavy to use with the light dress fabric causing my neckline to sag. Whoops! After discussing it with Jill, we decided a 5T width with 6 length would be a much better fit for B.

And, TADA!!! A much happier girl with a better fitting dress. I would definitely pre-measure your child's chest & add length as necessary to make the Charlotte work for you. There is plenty of ease built in to the chest.

Another goofy pose. We were in a silly mood. :)

Close-up of the ruffly bib. Isn't it amazing? I was impressed that I actually made it! I used a white eyelet lace & doubled up in the middle to make the bib. I also made the bias tape myself, which was a first for me. It looks so much nicer than my pre-made bias tape.

Much better fit! Armscye & neckline was perfect. While this is an A-line pattern, I love that it doesn't flare out as much as most tend to do. With my slim girl, flared A-line styles tend to overwhelm her frame. This slim A-line looks flattering on her & I didn't even have to add the cinched waistband to give her shape.

The pattern is extremely well-written & easy to follow. The pattern pieces fit together nicely & was easy to assemble. Jill walks you through everything & has tons of pictures for the steps, so a confident beginner would be able to sew up this pattern with minimal problems. She even shows you how to do a French seam, so if you don't have a serger, you can still make this outfit. Bonus! I also learned several new techniques, particularly on how to encase bias tape around the armholes & neckline. Whohoo!

Thank you Jill--it was a pleasure!

XOXO,
Jenny