There were so many great patterns in Pattern Parcel #2. I made the Celestial Tee and Hosh Pants from from the pattern bundle, but I loved all of the beautiful dresses that I saw many of the other bloggers making from the Caroline Party Dress pattern.

My 7 year old daughter grew out of most of her dresses from last summer and now that the weather is warming up, she’s in need of a warm weather dress. The Caroline Party dress pattern includes sizes 6 months all the way up to a girls 12! I made a size 7 (without measuring her first, like a good rule-following seamstress). The sizes are right on though, and a size 7 fit perfectly with no adjustments!

(It was a little chilly outside today with no jacket…)

I only modified the front bodice. The pattern uses one whole front bodice piece. I split it in half and added center seam allowances. Then I cut the fabric on the bias to get the diagonal lines going down toward the middle. With bigger stripes, I may have sewn some fabric together first—to get the stripes lined up—then cut one piece from that. Either way, you have to think carefully about which way the stripes are going. (I say that from experience, since I managed to cut one with the stripes going the wrong direction…)

Our favorite part of the dress is the hidden pockets. My little gift-giver always has little bracelets and things to give to her friends at church, so the pockets are perfect for stashing all her stuff.

The directions were clear and easy to follow. The skirt pieces are large rectangles, so there are no paper pattern pieces. I found it a little difficult to manage cutting such large pieces accurately without a larger cutting mat. I ended up trimming the bottom skirt edges before hemming them to even up my messy cutting.

I really appreciated the reminders to finish my seams throughout the pattern directions. The dress lining and interior seams look almost as nice as the exterior because of the detailed instructions.

The zipper instructions were easy to follow with helpful step-by-step photos and tips that could guide a beginner through the process.

Look how close I was to running out of serger thread! I thought those huge cones would never run out. I think these lasted 3 years and white is my most used color.

Pattern Parcel #2 is available for 2 more days! Or you can find the Caroline Party Dress at MouseHouseCreations on Etsy.