The neckline was easy to adjust and I put in a zip in the back of the bodice so she could still get it over her head. The skirt, however, stumped me. If all I did was lengthen the skirt, it would end up looking like a bag, so I had to come up with a way to shape it. The gather on the front and back of the dress made this hard because it added fullness above the waist. I finally decided to cut the front and back panels as rectangles and the side panels flared. To keep the width at the waist reduced, I cut the side panel straight down (keeping the width the same as when it borded the bodice) until it was past the waistline, where I then began the flare.
I then used a old Doona cover to make a mock-up for her to try on. I was pretty pleased with how close I got the pattern to how it needed to be, because I had just guessed most of it. However, there were still a few adjustments I needed to tweek before making the final dresses. I needed to move the shoulder seam out farther and cut the neck a little lower so it didn't choke her.
In the end, I had only one day to sew both dresses so that my sister could deliver them when she saw the family next. It was a tight schedule, but after a full day sewing, I managed to finish both the dresses at eleven o'clock that evening!
God Bless!
Hannah
