Lady Ga-Gathered

I made Heather's top and dress from an "It's So Easy" Simplicity pattern last summer. The dress fits Heather better now.

Girls' tops and pants in girls' size 7-14. I sewed a "7" and a "10" for the length.

I sewed view "B", the top with the elasticized lower edge. My daughter and I call this a "bubble" top.

Just for fun, a slight modification of a bit of the lyrics from  "Weird Al" Yankovic's parody of  "Born this Way" called "Perform This Way":  "...Save your allowance, buy a bubble dress, and someday you will SEW (go) far...


Fabric Used: 
Second version: Maggy London cotton knit.
First version:
For the bodice and shoulder straps: cotton knit that remained from a previous project.

For the skirt portion: poly lycra from fabric.com
Although I used a size smaller at the bodice and skirt than my daughter's usual size (8), I recommend using a woven as suggested on the back of the envelope. 

Elasticized hem tucked under for "bubble" effect.

Instructions: They were satisfactory with helpful diagrams. Although this is an "it's so easy" pattern, it is easy to make errors with certain steps (i.e. forgetting to gather the ends of the shoulder straps, placement of the self-facing on the front upper bodice and sewing it to the back bodice before turning it inside out).

"Pinned This Way"

Pinning front facing to bodice

Pinning the front to the back with front facing to create the side seams

Pinning the front facing over the front seam, before handstitching

Favorite Features
*I like the option to use contrasting fabrics for the bodice and skirt portions.

*I like the look of the gathers at the shoulders, the upper edges of the front and back skirt portions,  and lower hem (via an elasticized casing), but not necessarily making them.

* Elasticized back, so no zippers, yeah!

Not-so-favorite Features:
**The bodice, more noticeably at the back, is rather low and can be easily remedied by shortening the shoulder straps before placing them on the front and back bodice.

*The construction of the shoulder straps which are gathered at the front back edges and at the shoulders (a nice feature to minimize the straps from slipping), The edges are finished with a topstitched hem. I prefer to self-face each strap to avoid a topstitched hem from "peeping out" and to "hide" loose threads coming from the gatthers.


Alterations/Modifications:
*To hold the gathering at the shoulder strap between the dotted lines. I took the loose threads and tied the ends together in a little knot and snipped off the excess.

* Cut an additional 2 pieces for the facings of the shoulder straps. After gathering the facing and strap along the dotted line, I sewed the facing and the shoulder strap, right sides together, along the two lengthwise seams and turned the whole thing inside out at one of the openings.

Elasticized casing at the hem, revealed

*To be able to easily gather the upper edge of the front and back skirts, I adjusted the thread tension to a "0.5" since I was using a poly lycra. The front bodice piece is attached to the front skirt and the back bodice piece to the back skirt, aligned at the corresponding notches.

*I inadvertently forgot to gather the front and back edges. Heather pointed this out to me when she tried it on.

I plan to sew this top again (in a size 10) using a woven as recommended instead of a knit. I definitely recommend this pattern if you want to sew something comfortable and stylish (especially in a fabric of her choice) for a young lady that you know.