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6.18.2014

The Bohemian Babydoll Dress

I don't normally like to play favorites.  But I have to admit, this dress is one of my favorites.

bohemian babydoll dress

It's the Bohemian Babydoll Dress.  

bohemian babydoll dress

Heidi from Elegance and Elephants sent it to me as part of her informal pattern tour. 

bohemian babydoll dress

I was immediately drawn to the curved (high-low) bodice and high-low hem.  I've been seeing the high-low bodice on Pinterest and had wanted to replicate it.  But it's so much easier when the pattern has already been drafted by someone else.  And, lucky for me, this was. 

bohemian babydoll dress

The pattern has a flutter sleeve option as well as a sleeveless option.  But Indigo has something against flutter sleeves.  She thinks she's too grown up for them and that they remind her of the characters from a Beatrix Potter story.  (???)



I could have gone with the sleeveless option, but instead opted to draft a sleeve like this one. 

bohemian babydoll dress

To make it fit, I also altered the bodice ever so slightly.  Actually, Dan sketched it out for me while I ran an errand.  He's the best!  :)

The inside orange line (below) is the line of the original pattern.  He simply softened the curve.

bohemian babydoll dress pattern alteration

Then we altered the sleeve so it looked like this.

bohemian babydoll sleeve alteration

bohemian babydoll sleeve alteration

Coincidentally, Heidi told me today that she's writing a tutorial for a sleeve that looks similar to this one and hopes to publish it near the end of the week!   So keep an eye out for that on her blog if you're interested.

I think this fabric was made for this dress pattern.  It's a Nani Iro double gauze that I ordered from the Etsy shop Miss Matatabi.   I had some questions about my order and Frances, the shop owner, provided the best customer service.  She was so awesome to work with.  It was such a positive experience.

bohemian babydoll dress

I haven't used a double gauze in a long while and it feels like it has only improved over the years. This stuff was a dream to work with.  And it's so gorgeous on.  It's so light and airy and cloud-like.  I don't know why I want to use the adjective 'cloud-like' other than that it just seems to fit.  Voile is also light and airy, but it's slinky and hangs more limply than double gauze.  Double gauze is more floaty.

bohemian babydoll dress

I don't know what it is about this fabric that makes it really hard to photograph.  It almost looks like a silk dupioni in these photos, but it's nothing at all like that.  And it doesn't have any sheen to it.  The finish is quite matte.

bohemian babydoll dress

 It's a large herringbone print.  I cut the bodice with the herringbone running horizontally, the skirt with the herringbone running vertically and the sleeves on the bias.

bohemian babydoll dress

One of the great details of this pattern is the contrasting hem facing.  I did try to add it to this dress, but it added both a physical and visual weight that I didn't love with the double gauze.  It felt too heavy for this particular dress.  So I removed the hem facing and finished the dress with a narrow hem instead.

bohemian babydoll dress

Having made Indigo several dresses that were bordering on being too short, I was careful not to make that mistake again on this dress.  After measuring her,  I cut the skirt in a size 9 whereas I cut the bodice in a size 6 width and size 7 length.  Indigo is 7 and so tall and lean.  The fit was perfect this way.

bohemian babydoll dress
 
Another interesting detail about this dress is that there is no back closure.  It simply slips on over the child's head.  I was really skeptical about how it would fit without a back closure.   Would it gape?  (Wouldn't it have to?)  Would the dress slip off the shoulders?  Somehow the fit is perfect with no gaping or slippage.  That's some impressive wizardry if you ask me!

bohemian babydoll back bodice
 back bodice - no closures!

I really love this pattern!

bohemian babydoll dress

I'm also loving the big kicks and sweeping movements of the third trimester.

the baby grows


 I'm 34 weeks already.  I can hardly believe our baby is due in only 6 weeks!  We're all so excited to meet her while also enjoying what is right now.     

the baby grows






29 comments:

  1. This is beautiful. That fabric is perfect.

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  2. Love, love, LOVE everything about this! You are so talented, Rachel. And to do all this while in your third trimester. I'm beyond impressed! :) Thank you so much for participating in the tour and for such a wonderful review.

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  3. oh! I love this dress: I have seen other versions of this pattern and now I want it!!:) thank you for the alteration details, I like your sleeves very much! and wow you look so good! I loved being pregnant so much, I think I will always regret not having a third child!!:) sigh...

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  4. Gosh if that isn't the most divine fabric and beautiful girl. Just perfect. It's pretty obvious where the long, lean limbs come from, you're looking great!
    And of course I am gobsmacked as ever by the amazing Dan. Oh, he just redrafted an armhole while I was running errands. Get you!

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  5. This is absolutely gorgeous. Your choice of fabric is perfect. So simple, easy to dress up or down. Such a grown up looking dress too. I am moving more and more towards the no closure dresses. Your baby belly is growing so nicely! I wish my other half would re-draft an armhole... Or sew a button even. What a star!

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    1. Such a sweet comment! It made my husband smile! :) He's so good at seeing something (in this case my Pinterest inspiration piece) and writing it down on paper. He's a great draw-er, too. I really struggle in that area.

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  6. You look fabulous Rachel! And that dress is gorgeous

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  7. Oh, wow - gorgeous dress and simply stunning photos of Indigo - I do hope you get the close up of her framed!
    As usual, your version really sells this pattern - I love the close fit of the bodice, and your sleeves.
    And you look gorgeous too :-)

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  8. The dress is beautiful and the color is amazing!

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  9. Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. So simple and yet so impressive. I love the colour, it suits your daughter very well!

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  10. Love these pics! Especially the ones with the open background! Soooo beautiful!

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  11. Gorgeous fabric for Heidi's wonderful pattern!
    As always, amazing pictures of your lovely daughter...
    And I loved your photos too, Rachel. You look so elegant!

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  12. Your husband drafts patterns! That's amazing, so lucky! And I'm so excited to see your dress; I've just bought the same fabric and it's winging it's way fromJapan right now... Your dress is so lovely I can't wait for it to arrive!

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  13. Oooh, so so pretty!! I love your choice of fabric. On first look, I thought this dress was really better for the very little girls, Maggie's age (it is a style that I love on her). But it looks smashing on Indigo! The sleeves are perfect (I share the awe and confusion of the others at a husband who drafts patterns; although I do have a brother who enjoys helping me with quilt math, it is NOT the same!).

    You look fantastic, of course! Ooh, boy, do I not enjoy being that pregnant! No jealousy here! The kicks are pretty fun, though.

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  14. So now you have all your blogging fans jealous and wondering why *their* husbands don't redraft patterns for them! (while watching the kids, no less!). That Dan! Such a keeper, I'm sure for many reasons but certainly his design aesthetic is one of them:)
    Such a lovely, lovely dress. Good call on blending the three pattern sizes, as the fit looks perfect on Indigo. My daughters don't care for flutter sleeves either - love your modification. Did you finish them with a rolled edge? I have yet to work with double gauze fabric - your description has me eager to just feel it!
    And you look so fantastic with only six weeks left! That rolling and kicking was always my favorite part too, and something I missed as soon as my babies were born. Enjoy, as I know you are:)

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    1. Lucinda,
      He's definitely a keeper! ;) He was so fast at it, too. The man's got skillz. :)

      I just used a zigzag stitch on that edge. I liked the way it made it fray a little bit. I got that idea from the Geranium dress flutter sleeve, which has held up well. Really interesting that your daughters have the same feeling on flutter sleeves. I'll have to tell Indigo that she's not alone.



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  15. i thought the fabric was silk at first! but double gauze is even more divine! that fabric is super cool, i love the herringbone texture. and i reeeeally love what you did with the sleeves. the whole thing suits her just perfectly!

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  16. Oh Rachel, you did it again ;) Well done altering the bodice to accommodate for the sleeves that don't remind your daughter of Beatrix Potter. Which story? All the best for the remaining 6 weeks of your pregnancy! Note to self - when it warms up, must sew with double gauze next summer!

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  17. wow... this is just beautiful, Rachel! I love how you did the sleeves. I have this pattern too and have completely forgotten about it! will have to give it a go!

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  18. That is just stunning!! I have been eyeing this pattern since it came out but you have absolutely sold me on it!

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  19. The dress is so pretty! When I made a double gauze dress for clover, the same "cloud like" adjective came to mind. And you look AMAZING!

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  20. Wow! That fabric is gorgeous! It is the perfect match for that dress! And I love the little sleeves that you came up with! They are such a nice touch. But mostly I love how you made Dan sketch them out...too funny!
    And how are you in your third trimester already? It seems like you were just announcing your pregnancy! Where does the time go? (that statement officially makes me old)

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  21. like gail, i thought the dress was silk! so pretty - the dress (and these photos!) are gorgeous, rachel. you have such an eye. beautiful. helps that you have gorgeous children too!

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  22. My comment disappeared... I was saying that I've just discovered your blog and it is just stunning.Your works, your kids are wonderful and I'm so impressed by the beauty of your pics ! This dress looks like in a french fairy tale, Peau d'Âne : to prevent her father, the king, to marry her (her mother died and she is the only one to be as beautiful), a princess asked him dress with the color of the sky (the sun, the moon, and the weather). Your dress could be one of them. BTW it is a wonderful, marvelous moovie.

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    1. Thank you so much for leaving such a lovely comment. It really made my day! :)

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  23. Beautiful!! Now I want to make one for my daughter, but it's still a little cold here in Australia so I've tagged it for warmer weather. My daughter has similiar measurements to yours so this is handy information. Can you please tell me how much fabric you need because I can't see the requirements on her pattern page. thanks

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    1. Thanks so much! It used more fabric than I had expected - almost 2 full yards. But I did cut the sleeves on the bias and I made a few mistakes in cutting the sleeves regarding the direction of the print. The print on the bias was running in a direction on one of the sleeves that didn't look right. So maybe you could get by with 1.5 yards, but I can't promise anything! :) Good luck!

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