A Busy Molly Dress

I love a simple dress pattern.  One that showcases a beautiful fabric.  Why then did I use the busiest fabric in the world for this one?  Well, because that’s what my bossy kindergartener told me she wanted.  My husband was trying to explain the “trust the chef” concept to her, but no, she wanted nothing but squirrels and nuts!

Anyway…the neckline on this dress, I love it!  It’s Molly’s Scoop Back Top, Dress, Maxi by Simple Life Pattern Company.  I picked it up when it was first released because I knew I wanted to make something with that darling scoop neckline!

I convinced her to let me add the collar and pocket (from the Geranium Dress pattern) though, something to break up all that squirrel!  I made a size 3 bodice and 5 length, and I think it turned out rather well.  With this bodice, you need to make sure your chest measurements are right on to get the nice scoop neckline.

I’m not super happy with the collar though, as it tends to flip up constantly, but when it’s down, it looks good.  I went back to the pattern and realized that the topstitching around the neckline was actually including the collar (I stitched around the neckline not including the collar).  I find that strange, but I will go back and do that now!

Also, there’s no gaping at the front neckline which I’m very happy about.  She wore it all day with perfect fit, no gaping at all!

Overall I’m very happy with this dress and the size combo.  It was pretty simple to put together, and she even includes a video for the placket piece.  If you’re curious about the fabric, the Squirrel and Nuts is part of the Get Together collection by David Walker for Free Spirit, and it’s a very soft baby corduroy.  The collar and pocket are Herringbone from the Flora Collection by Joel Dewberry for Free Spirit too.

What do you think, should I skip the collar on my next version?  I’m making a Halloween top for her with cute little witches all over it.