The pattern works up very quickly: In keeping with time-honored tradition passed down from dress-making sprints for my own daughter, I made the entire dress the day before the party. There are only two pattern pieces to cut out: the front and back yolks. The rest of the dress is easy rectangle panels that you just seam together. Because the panels are just rectangles, it was easy for me to add a couple of extra inches in length. My Birthday Girl’s mom informed me she was tall for her age.

Another sizing-friendly feature of this pattern is the straps. There are no buttons to worry about placing. The straps are infinitely adjustable by simply sliding through horizontal button holes on the front yolks. My only complaint about the pattern is that the button hole sizing and placment is not marked on the pattern so I had to break out a ruler and chalk to just “wing it”. Aside from that minor issue, the strap length easily adjusts with just a quick tie of a half knot. And the knots on the front are just so fun!

The finished dress can be worn alone as a sundress, over a colorful jersey top or with pants. With some leggings and a little t-shirt, I’m imagining the “Up!” party dress could become the cutest Back-to-School outfit on the block!

Sister Smocks by Indygo Junction

For fabrics (from left to right):

• Philip Jacobs “Coral” in purple and olive. I can’t get enough of this fabric, which first made its appearance in a holiday gift this past winter.
• Gold silk dupioni
• Anna Maria Horner’s “Fortune” in sea, from the Good Folks collection
• … and for the backing, “PURE” by Sweetwater for Moda… welcoming thoughts for a new home.

What’s in your sewing basket right now?

Dear Sewfie,
I’m an avid quilter and I’d love to make something for my boyfriend but my friend warned me about the “Boyfriend Curse”…. if you sew something for a guy he’ll break up with you. Is that true?

Ah, yes, “The Boyfriend Curse”. Actually, this storied curse applies to knitting. The curse purports that if you knit a sweater for a guy, he’ll break up with you. As it turns out, there is even a book about it called “Never Knit Your Man a Sweater (Unless You’ve Got the Ring)” by Judith Durant, see here:

It suggests a variety of knitting projects for men where the level of complexity is proportional to the level of commitment, i.e. a set of coasters of the guy you just started seeing, a scarf once you’ve been dating a bit… you get the idea. The sweater doesn’t come until you’ve got some bling in your top drawer.

But, back to your question, can you sew for a guy without him breaking up with you? This has not been studied as extensively as the Sweater Curse, which has some real science behind it… a poll conducted by the online magazine Knitter’s Review indicated that 15% of active knitters say they have experienced the Sweater Curse firsthand and a whopping 41% consider it a serious enough threat that they’re not going to mess with it.

Sewfie’s suggestion is to not take any chances. If you really must sew for your man, start out with something simple, like a shoe bag. And see how it goes. Work your way up to a pillow and maybe eventually some fun boxer shorts or pajama pants if you are feeling really playful. Don’t even go near something like a quilt until you’ve been married for at least 10 years.