Pattern Review - Bay Dress/Top by Brownie-Goose

And my love affair with Brownie-Goose continues. The new Bay dress is indescribable! I mean get a load of that back... swoon! (and that is not even how it is really suppose to look!) I know I say it pretty much every time she release a new pattern, but this really is my favorite. I just don't now how she does it!

When the sneak peak of this dress was released about a week before its release, I literally saved a screen shot on my phone and would look at it every day! I could not wait to get my hands on it and start creating.

I did make a mistake when cutting the bodice (I didn't listen to Ms. Amy... shame on me!) and the top was actually too big. But J would not let me take it off her, so I had the genius idea to put both button holes on one button making the bodice much smaller. It was a quick fix that allowed her to wear it and avoided the fit we would have had if I had taken it off her :) And I think it didn't look half bad either! Although you don't get see that gorgeous curve of the skirt... Here is what the back is suppose to look like. Amazing right?!

Just in case you don't realize, this is a wrap dress/top. Meaning the back is not sewn closed. It does not open at all when worn because it is overlapped quite a bit. Funny story about this feature... I was finally able to get the top off J and get her changed into some pjs. When I unbuttoned the back and took it off her front, this was her reaction: "Mommy, what are you doing to my dress?! Don't destroy it! I love it!" After a quick demonstration of how the buttons worked, all was right with the world again. And this momma was thrilled to know that she loves her new outfit!

I mean come on... I can't get enough of this series of photos!

My Details:
Fabric - This fabric was just something I had on hand and kinda the first thing I grabbed. But boy was it perfect for this little outfit. It is so much better than I imagined.  It is a quilters cotton.

Time - I forgot to time myself, but from reading, cutting and tracing the pattern, cutting the fabric, and assemble I think it took me about 3-4 hours. I worked on it all day between distractions, so it is hard to tell :)

The Pattern Designer:
If you've been following me for any amount of time, you know that I have serious love addiction to all things BG. The ever amazing Ms. Amy is a super star and everything she does is just fabulous in my book.  She is always my number one recommended pattern designer from beginners to advanced seamstress alike. The directions are very clear and there are plenty of detailed photos to help you along the way.

This Pattern: 
Where to begin with this pattern?! There is so much to love about this pattern. There is of course the back. The amazing awesomeness of swoonworthyness! But other features I love about this pattern is the abundance of options. There are two different bodice lengths, two different skirt lengths (top or dress), and two different finishing options for the skirt in the back (curved or straight). When you add in the fact that you can make it with or without the flutter sleeves, it's options galore.

This pattern does require a little more fabric than I normally like to use because of the supper full skirt, but the outcome is so worth it. Look at all of that twirl.

I do have to admit that for the first time ever there was a part in the instructions that confused me. It was information about lining the skirt (for the curved skirt option). I read it several times, but the pictures don't really show what the words are saying so I was a little lost. I think I figured it out, but cheated and just skipped the lining part by adding trim to the curve.

The sizing on this pattern is a bit tricky due to that open back. Normally it is not a problem if something is slightly big. But in this case the open back will cause the shoulders to slip off even if it is a little big. Ms. Amy does warn about this, but as I told you above, I did not listen to her and measure J first. So of course mine was too big for my little skinny mini. So you MUST measure your child to determine the proper bodice size. I don't consider this a flaw of the pattern every child is so different and even store bought clothes are going to vary in size from one piece to the next.

Other features I love in this pattern:

• A large range of sizes - 18M all the way to 12
• Sizing guide to help you find the best fit.
• Color coded, overlapping pattern pieces (and measurements for rectangles!)
• Numbered pattern pages 
• And did I mention it is fun to read :)

So if your a sewing momma, head over to BG's etsy shop and pick up your copy today! I knew you'll be just addicted as I am. I paired my Bay top with the Lilly Rufflers which is also avaliable in her shop.

If your a non-sewing momma, send me a message either on Facebook or at hootycutiedesigns@gmail.com and I'll sew one up for you :)

And one last one because I can't get enough of that sass :)