My eldest granddaughter is 12 going on 16, she’s at that stage when she thinks she is so grown up. At Christmas she asked me to make her a top like one she had seen on Shein. In typical shein style this was little more than a handkerchief with a few straps on!!! Grandma found a top pattern that was still strappy but somewhat more covered…
She loved it so I made the dress version for Easter! It’s a pattern by Little Lizard King called Edessa. It has a fairly fitted front but the back has two arcs of fabric going up to the lower neck line where they are tied with straps from the shoulder. The skirt can either be short or floor length so obviously Pip would want as short as Grandma would make it!
I made it out of a lilac cotton from the Remnant shop in Harrogate, it’s a much prettier shade than it looks in the photo! I lined it with a soft cotton lawn that was supposedly made for Liberty which came from the Pound Shop in Dewsbury, I’m not convinced about the Liberty bit but it’s nice cotton lawn! I just had enough left to line the top.
She’s a slim young lady so I made a size 8 lengthened to a size 10. It went together nicely. I’ve made a couple of patterns from Little Lizard King, they are well drawn and the instructions pretty easy to follow. It also helped that having made it before I knew how the back worked. The only instruction I didn’t follow was to stitch the gathered skirt onto an already elasticated waistband at the back, it just sounded too much like hard work trying to ensure gathers are even and actually stitching it on whilst having to stretch the elastic out. I stitched the skirt on first, trying to even out the gathers so the elasticated bit of the back wouldn’t have lots more fabric , It seemed much easier.
I felt that maybe at 12, Pip was maybe a little too old for a Made by Grandma label, so I put a label inside with a little message on. A friend printed these a couple of years ago and it seemed a suitable one.
She loved it, I’m just waiting for mum to send me a photo 🙂
I do like being a Grandma!
thecraftycreek 
Lucky grandkids!
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I do like sewing for grandkids 🙂
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It’s a lovely dress and I’ll bet she can’t wait to wear it.
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Thank you, we just need the weather to warm up a bit now!
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Looks like the perfect dress for an on-the-cusp teenager. It’s sophisticated and charming! Can’t wait to see a photo of her in it! I love the label!
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Thank you, I think I might try and get some more labels like that.
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ooh that’s going to be a favourite dress this summer!
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I hope so, as soon as her mum saw it she said ‘ooh that’s so Pip!’
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Perfect for 12 going on 16 🙂 and that label is wonderful!
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It’s a difficult age and I remember when my two were young, there was about a 4 year gap where childrens sizes ended and adults began, both in RTW and patterns, I don’t think it’s changed much!
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What a LOVELY dress! She’ll feel so grown up but still be adequately covered – she will be the envy of her friends! What a wonderful grandma she has to put so much work into the project! Deb E
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Thank you, I hope so.
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Gorgeous dress, your grandkids are very lucky to have such a talented grandma
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Thanks Jane, I am enjoying being a grandma 🙂
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Fantastic creation, Margaret & positively magical how things fell into place!
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I’m sure she will make this dress sparkle!!!! I look forward to the photos of her wearing it!!
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Looks super. Such a nice label too.
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