A Floral Izzy Dress

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you plan and prepare, projects just come out of nowhere asking to be made. I had planned to work on a couple of fairytale dresses, but nevertheless found myself gravitating towards a pink ditzy printed cotton that I bought from Leicester Market years and years ago. Do you ever find that fabrics dictate when they’re going to be used and what they’re made into?

Izzy interpretations from The Crazy Tailor, Mabey She Made It & PiePie Designs.

After I spotted these gorgeous examples of the Izzy Top (/Dress) on Instagram and Pinterest, I couldn’t help but dig out the pattern from my collection. I just loved the piping detail between the bodice and skirt, the prettiness of adding length and the use of floral fabric. Not that I needed much persuading, but when I discovered the perfect coordinating khaki in my stash, the decision was made: another Izzy top was in the making… but this time it would be a dress! The Izzy Top is a great FREE little pattern from Climbing the Willow which comes in sizes 18mos-12! It’s perfect for beginner sewers who want to start building their confidence with common dressmaking techniques, or for more advanced sewers who just want something they can whip together in a few hours. You can read all about my first attempt at it here. This time I made the pattern in a size 5, and added 20cm to the length to make the dress modification. I didn’t change much in terms of putting it together. I used the button tab from the pattern and hand stitched a buttonhole again (although I reckon I might just make a rouleau button loop next time). However I did add piping which I stitched to the bodice using my zipper foot before pinning my gathered skirt into place. I actually found it easier to sew over the gathers than normal because I could use the ridge of the piping as a guide!

As my final step to finish off the Izzy dress, I decided not to serge the bodice and skirt seam together as the pattern suggests. Instead I spontaneously decided to encase them in some homemade bias binding from the same khaki fabric I used earlier, which I slipstitched onto the bodice lining to hold in place. I really like the finish it creates and I’ll definitely be using this technique again. On a final note, I really like the colours of this dress. The pastel shades of the floral print make it perfect for Summer, but the khaki trim means that when teamed with tights and a cardigan, the dress can see it’s proud owner all the way through Autumn too- pretty and practical!