Raglan Sweatshirt Dress

Sometimes, you just want to wear your pajamas all day.  But, even though some days I don't venture much further than my son's school bus stop, I am a member of a society, so I usually make the effort to put on actual clothes.  This dress is my attempt to feel like I'm wearing a housecoat without actually wearing a housecoat:

I think it was moderately successful.  While I do love wearing it, I have a sneaking suspicion that I do look like I'm wearing my pajamas, or at the very least loungewear.  And I would unabashedly love this dress on a child (my daughter asked me to make one for her, which I will totally do), I'm just not sure if it works on a grown-up.  I also really enjoy the slightly asymmetrical distribution of the print--I think it helps keep the little pink roses looking a little more cool.

But it's so comfortable, snuggly, and warm, that I will not stop wearing it.  Especially on the days when the grocery store is my major outing.

Taking pictures in the cold!

For those who wonder about these things--I made the pattern by copying a sweater-dress that I already own, except that I finished the neckline using the same method I have used for the raglan tees I've made for the kids--from this Craftiness is not Optional tutorial.  If I were to use the pattern again I would lengthen the bodice, probably by 4-5 inches, since I think the empire waist is one of the things that push it into the children's-wear category.  And I added side-seam pockets, because the only reason I don't wear the sweater dresses I already own even more, since they are a slightly more respectable version of this dress, is because I don't have sweater dresses with pockets.

I didn't take a picture of the back, because I wasn't happy with the way it turned out when I did a slight gather across the top of the skirt.  Because of the thickness of the fabric it didn't hang well and wasn't flattering.  I took it apart and turned the back into a reverse pleat where the skirt joins the bodice, and it's much, much better, but I didn't get a picture now that it's fixed either.  Just for description, I should tell you that the neckline dips down a bit in the back which helps it look slightly more adult.

This sweatshirt fabric came from Girl Charlee, and it's a great weight.  Slightly thinner than a standard hooded-sweatshirt fabric, but with that nice fleecy inside.  Nice stability for the pockets, not too stretchy.  I was thrilled to pick it up during their Black Friday sale when it was under $3 a yard.  The trim was also in the Black Friday sale, it's the pink baby rib knit (like this one, but in pale pink, which they appear to be out of) and it was lovely for the cuffs and neckline--nice and soft and stretchy but not too thin.