Blogger: Elise Ribeira

Maxi Length Blue Ribbon

When I made my first knit dress, I loved the whole tee-turned-dainty look of the dress. I also loved how quick and easy it was to sew up.

When the weather began to turn colder, I wanted a nice maxi dress for my daughter to feel cozy in. The darling Magnolia dress was my first thought, but I was hoping for a more casual tee-shirt style top. I thought back to how much I loved the top knit portion of the blue ribbon, and thought how easily it could be converted to a maxi!

I had a delightfully soft brushed poly in my stash that was perfect for this project. I made the top as usual according to the blue ribbon pattern.

I used the same skirt width as the pattern called for, but had Penny try on the finished bodice to measure the skirt length, taking care to add the extra half inch needed for the seam allowance on the waist. And in just a quick hour or two, the long and cozy dress was ready to wear!

Of course she loved it! And I loved not paying upwards of $30 for a maxi dress. Since it was such a quick and easy sew, I used extra fabric and time to sew up a matching dress for baby Trixie! I still can’t get over seeing my little baby in a snuggly, long maxi.

I was slightly jealous of my daughters in their matching dresses, so I ended up ordering a few more yards of that wonderful brushed poly! I had been wanting an excuse to make the women’s Magnolia dress, and I loved the idea of having a fully lined bodice for a little more structure and support with the weight that a maxi has to carry. I can see why Penny loved her dress so much. It felt like I was wearing pajamas all day! I didn’t want to take it off at bedtime.

The girls think it’s pretty awesome to have comfortable, matching dresses with their mom, and I think it’s pretty awesome how easy it was to hack this pattern into a maxi dress!