Recently I tested the Mini Southport Dress – the latest pattern release by Kelli of True Bias.  The pattern is for girls sized 2T to 10 and is listed for $8.
I think you know from my Mini Hudson Pants here and here that I’m a big fan of Kelli’s work. Â Well, the testing period for the Mini Southport overlapped the testing period of my own Moto Jacket pattern – but I still accepted the invitation because I just really wanted to test it!
I’d been on the fence about a Southport for me. Â Between my friend Jodi of Sew Fearless’ maternity version and the adorable Mini I made for Arden my fate is sealed! Â I have the fabric to make one washed and ready to go.
For the test I used a gray full sized flat sheet we weren’t using any longer. Â Arden of course wishes it were pink and covered with hearts, but I’ll get her a version in a fabric she’s more fond of (after mine of course!). Â If I weren’t in the midst of other things, I would have already made her another in a fabric of her choosing.
I used the factory hem of the sheet for the skirt, but I adjusted to make sure it would end up the same finished length during cutting.  Kelli said the final pattern skirt is a little longer than this, although I don’t find this too short at all.  When she’s standing straight it ends just a little above her knee.  Arden is on the tall side and mostly legs!
While we’re at it, here are Arden’s current measurements – this may prove helpful for selecting the appropriate size for your own children:
Chest: 24″
Waist: 23″
Hip: 24″
Height: 46″
I really love the construction on this – the way the waistband casing and the tie are done are really nice. Â The placket and neckline are finished very crisply and give a professional result. Â Kelli has a tutorial on her blog for how the armhole bias is finished – it’s a simple way to get a nice ending on the join of the bias. Â Head over to Kelli’s shop and grab the Mini Southport Dress pattern (and the adult Southport Dress while you’re at it!).
Outfit details:
Dress: Mini Southport Dress by True Bias
Fabric: repurposed full sized sheet
Shoes: See Kai Run
I actually really like the grey for this dress!
Great dress and pics 🙂
A perfect summer dress! Love the grey.
Oh what a cute dress! Does Arden need help getting it on? Looking forward to seeing your dress now 😉 I fell in love with a big girl version of this dress and am looking forward to warmer weather to make one for myself. I will have to see if my daughter likes this dress. We could be matchy-matchy, just to scare the daylight out of my husband hehe