Oliver + S Croquet Dress

This was another of the Oliver + S patterns that I wasn't quite sure about when I first saw it.  I had the same reaction with the Apple Picking dress.  I think it must be the drop waist silhouette that my eye isn't used to seeing, as it hasn't really been in fashion since, oh, the mid-eighties (when I had a peach drop waist dress that my mom made for me, which I loved).  Dropped waists appear to be making a comeback, so I guess we can go with that ;)

Anyway, I decided to give it a try anyway, and I'm glad I did.  It really is a cute pattern with some fun details.  I think ultimately, it was the bow that got me :)

 I made the size 12-18 months, and I have to say, the sizing seemed a little big to me.  I had to bring the shoulders and neckline in significantly.  If I were to make it again, I would go down a size.  I haven't had this problem with any of the other Oliver + S patterns.  In fact, I've almost had the opposite problem with some. Miss S is 18 months and is a little on the small side, so she should have fit it about perfectly.  I'll just have to remember this for the future.

I used a black/cream linen for the body (same fabric as I used for these Puppet Show shorts).  It definitely wrinkles, but I kind of like the rumpled look.

For the waist casing and the bow, I used a polka dotted quilting cotton that I bought before Miss S was born to make her a quilt which hasn't yet happened...

I used a covered button for the back closure, and instead of making a thread loop (I'm way too lazy for that), I used a tip I'd seen on a blog.  Unfortunately, I can't remember which blog, but they suggested using a piece of a hair elastic, which worked great.

A fun summer dress I'm glad I tried :)