Oh Me Oh My Patterns: Lily of the Valley

The Lily of the Valley Pinafore dress from Oh Me Oh My Patterns has to be one of my favourite makes. The combination of the pattern details with this super cute fabric (from the now closed Cloth and Candy) feels just perfect! It’s probably one of the girliest items my daughter has in her wardrobe, and she seems to enjoy wearing it.

I was really lucky to be picked as a tester for this new kids sewing pattern and wanted to share my experience of both the pattern and being a first-time tester. I’ve made quite a few garments from Oh Me Oh My Patterns already, and when I saw the line drawings in the call out for testers, I figured there was nothing to lose by just applying. A few days later it was confirmed that I’d been picked at random and that was it! I had two weeks to make the pattern, and give specific feedback using a questionnaire.

There are four versions of the pattern – they are made up of a combination of choices between ruffles on the bodice or not, elastic at the waist sides or cute little ties, and a conventional skirt or an open skirt. I loved the ties and didn’t want the ruffles as I like a simple silhouette, so picked View D. As I’d only seen line drawings, I hadn’t realised that this meant the side seams would be open. I hadn’t seen this before, and was a bit confused, so much so that I emailed the pattern designer just to check I wasn’t mistaken. She confirmed that the open sides were intended, as this was the style of a true pinafore. I was a bit apprehensive, but decided, given that I was testing the pattern, I would stick to the intended design before making a final decision. And turns out that I really like the open sides!

The pattern has some nice details, but was still a relatively quick sew. I made the age 2-3 and it fits really well, just as I expected. My daughter is pretty small for her age, but is nearly 3 so she is well into that size band. The pattern is available in sizes 0-3 months to 8-10 years.

I picked a fabric I’ve had in my stash for years – I bought it soon after my daughter was born. It’s a quilting weight cotton and it worked so well. It was also so easy to sew with too. I love making kids clothes out of fun quilting cotton prints and have made a lot from Cloth & Candy before they closed. There are plenty of other places to buy that sort of design from too so I will definitely be trying some more.

My daughter’s worn the pinafore a few times already. She enjoys wearing it and often ask to put it on. It’s nice and airy, great for jumping and running and stretching. The only thing is missing is pockets, so I might add them to the front skirt. As much as if love to keep this ‘for best’, that’d mean it wouldn’t get much wear, so I’m happy for her to wear it often!