After we did our Victorian Strolls, I kept working on historical accuracy/appearance. Five looked fabulous in her costume, but it wasn’t super accurate, and I wanted to make a dress that better suited the period. The growth dress was perfect because it would last her a while since it’s designed to grow with her.

I picked the fabric up on a camping trip several years ago in Pennsylvania. Pulling it out of my stash brought back memories of that trip. The fabric is also intentionally bright – Little girls of that era wouldn’t have been wearing a saturated fuchsia like that, even if they would have been wearing calico. And that is the point. My precious little girl could not have existed in the 1860’s in the United States the way she exists in her world now. That world would not have allowed it. So there is a care with which we dress historically, because we want to nod to the fashions of the past, but there is no way in hell we want to go back to that time.

I had difficulty picking a size for her because she didn’t fit neatly in one category for the measurements. She’s a small six year old, but I picked size seven because one of her measurements placed in her in a seven, and I didn’t want to make something that would only fit for two months.The size seven dress ended up being kind of enormous on her. I compensated by adding a second growth pleat around the skirt of the dress (the pattern calls for just one). I probably could have added a third pleat under the first two. I also scooted the buttons in the back over by about an inch and a half to give her a snugger fit. I can move them back over as she grows. I opened up the neckline to more of an oval. I hate the feel of a tight crew neck, especially in a woven fabric. I wanted the dress to be something she’d actually wear. Photos of little girls from the 1860’s confirmed that a more open neckline fits historically, and I could have gone even wider if I’d wanted. I put the bodice onto Five and traced the new neckline to look like what I saw in the photos. (You can click through the above photo to its source, describing historical fashion of the period and the differences between women and girls’ clothing, as well as comparing clothes in the West to Eastern fashion, using the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie series as a reference.)

I’ve been spoiled with my indie sewing patterns – Simplicity, while being true to its name, doesn’t hand hold in the same way the indie patterns do. Instructions were brusque and lacked detail. A couple of times I had to sit scratching my head for a bit before I figured out what they wanted me to do.

I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the inside finishes of the dress – there are a fair amount of raw edges – but overall, Five and I are both pleased with how the dress turned out. Worn with a crinoline, as it’s shown here, she looks like such a little lady. The dress could probably do with even more pouf, so I’ll experiment with layers to see what works best.

On the to-do list are to make the petticoat and pantaloons that came with the pattern to go underneath the dress. The eyelet lace at the bottom of those will peak out at the hem of the dress and look swell.Now, my ten-year-old is also asking for one of her own. The dress doesn’t come in her size, so I’ll have to hack something together, but I think I’m up to the challenge.