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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Bitty Girl's Retro Reproduction Dresses

Update:  the free pattern for the Retro Reproduction Dress can now be found here

When my first daughter was a toddler I found the most adorable vintage dress at a thrift store in Kansas City.  The tag in it said "Debby Dare" size 2.  I've tried to research this brand and all I can turn up is a reference to it on the Kansas City Garment Museum website.  I had no idea KC had a garment district and related museum!  Danny and Debby Dare was apparently a children's clothing line produced in Kansas City.  My oldest daughter wore this dress until she out grew it and I sooooo wanted to reproduce it at the time but didn't have the sewing skills I needed.  But now I do!  And I've gone a little crazy reproducing this dress for my youngest daughter.

This is my oldest daughter close to two years old wearing the dress (above). 

And this is my now 23 month old wearing the same dress (above).  Can you imagine the quality of this garment since it still looks wonderful after all these years of wearing by small children?  Incredible.  So different from today's clothing.  
Back to my reproductions of this dress.  I've made three so far and love them to pieces.  
This one is made from a piece of vintage sheet given to me by my Mom.  She shortened our bed sheets when we were little and never threw away the pieces.  Lucky me!
 I guess you'd call this an A-line jumper.  I adore the shape of it on Bitty Girl and just put little bloomers underneath.


 We are supposed to be feeding the geese but she always eats the bread so we make sure there is a good piece (without mold) on it for her!

Now here is the next version (below).  This is also a vintage fabric from my thrifting stash.  The dress really lends itself to an applique and I have another version with a whale on it.  I will try to share that one soon.
These dresses have been some of my main go-to items to dress Bitty Girl in this summer and I've been toying with the idea of scanning the pattern into a document and offering it for anyone interested.  It would be a great beginner garment if you're new to making clothes for your children.  If you're interested let me know and maybe that will be the motivation I need to take the plunge!

Linking up to Frontier Dreams: Keep Calm and Craft On.
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11 comments:

  1. HollyJune 4, 2014 at 7:45 PM

    Oh my stars!! Bitty Bit looks exactly like you at that age. Of course her hair is a little darker but she is the spitting image! Love the dresses. So sweet, they look like some that I made D#1 and D#2. Hmmmm.....I remember that sheet. Brings back such sweet memories. Thanks for sharing. You did a wonderful job on these dresses. I love to see them on the girls instead of on a hanger. Love and kisses to all, can't wait to see you this summer, h

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    1. ElizabethJune 7, 2014 at 4:47 AM

      She does doesn't she! Thanks for your sweet words! Can't wait to see you too! Love E

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  2. JillianJune 6, 2014 at 2:40 AM

    Such gorgeous little dresses, well done! They are a great simple shape and I think could be customised in so many ways. I would definitely love to be able to get my hands on a pattern for this dress!

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    1. ElizabethJune 7, 2014 at 4:48 AM

      Hi Jill! I am hoping to offer at least the 2T soon! And I agree it is a sweet shape perfect for customizing!! I love the fact that the length of the dress doesn't get in the way when there is playing to do!

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  3. JaneJune 6, 2014 at 6:47 PM

    How delightful the dresses look on Bitty Girl. I can't believe you used that piece of sheet. Free clothes! Too cute on the little precious. You did such a good job on them. Love mama

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    1. ElizabethJune 7, 2014 at 4:49 AM

      Thanks Mom! She looks really sweet in them too! And yes, she's always snacking on something! Love to you! E

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  4. JaneJune 6, 2014 at 6:51 PM

    And she always eats the bread! Why am I not surprised? Mom

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  5. Nat @sewoutnumberedJune 7, 2014 at 5:04 AM

    So adorable!! This would be great with tights for cooler weather too :)

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    1. ElizabethJune 9, 2014 at 6:39 AM

      Nat, You are so right!! I'm always glad when I can extend to wear of a garment for my girls. Hoping to get to work on scanning this into a document really soon!!

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  6. AnonymousJune 9, 2014 at 6:35 PM

    What a cute simple dress! I have sewn for years (although not very well!) and with a toddler this would also fit my amount of free time perfectly.

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    1. ElizabethJune 10, 2014 at 2:00 PM

      Thank you! I am working on getting this 2T into a downloadable document, hopefully ssooooonnnn! Please check back and thanks for stopping by our blog.

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