When Designer Stitch put out the testing call for the Callie Pinafore Dress PDF sewing pattern I didn’t hesitate to ask to join in! I have started wearing more dresses and skirts lately and while I love dressing all girlie girl once in a while, for everyday wear, I need something that can take me through the day, whether that means a day out running errands or doing stuff around the house and garden. The Callie Dress is perfect for everyday AND dressing up, too!
And look at all of these different options! I made the standard strap option for my tester version with the standard back. There are so many pocket options! I actually made the pointed chest pocket, a pair of back pockets and the slant front pockets but I only ended up using the slanted front pockets because I really wanted to let the top-stitching shine through. I used my Janome 1200D Coverstitch to do the top-stitching and this was the perfect excuse to get some more practice learning how to use my machine. The 1200D is a discontinued machine that I received as a gift and I am loving playing around with it. The possibilities are endless!
I did a straight size 5 in the longest length but Designer Stitch’s Ann Gross encouraged me to shorten the hem by 1 inch after submitting my fit pictures. I am almost 5′ 9″ so that hopefully gives you an idea of how long the dress is.
I had a few candidates for fabric in my stash for the Callie. I decided to start with this lightweight navy blue corduroy that I picked up from my local fabric store. I used a caramel coloured top-stitching thread. I have so many tops that co-ordinate with this so the wearability of my dress is quite high! I really want to do one in a coloured denim but that is one fabric I don’t seem to have in my extensive collection of fabric!
I decided to pair the Callie with another Designer Stitch pattern, the Eleni Top which I blogged about here. I was trying to recreate a look I found online of a corduroy pinafore with an off the shoulder top and I think this came out perfectly! I am actually looking forward to being able to wear this in cooler weather with some tights and boots. I can’t believe I just said that out loud as I really enjoy the warm weather while we have it here! At least this dress will be able to take me throughout the whole year in style!
The Callie Pinafore dress is currently on sale for $8.95 US (reg $12.95 US). The sale ends on June 30, 2019.
The Callie Pinafore Dress by Designer Stitch
sizes:
US sizes 2 to 24 drafted for 5’6″ height
Cup Sizes Included – B, C, D, DD (E)
skill level:
Intermediate and above.
features:
– 3 lengths
– Standard or Racer Back
– Choice of 2 Chest Pockets
– Choice of 3 Front Patch Pockets
– Choice of 3 Strap Styles
– Choice of 1 or 2 Back Pockets
pattern details:
-layered options for printing only the size(s) you need
-printable on A4 and Letter paper
-A0 print shop format
-trim and trimless pdf pattern assembly options
suggested fabric
-Medium Weight – non-stretch – mid range dress weight fabrics.
- Denim and Denim types
- Cotton and Cotton types
- Canvas and Canvas types
- Wool and Wool types
yardage requirements
-1.4 to 1.8 meters for size 5 depending on the fabric width.
Embrace Everyday 
Love it! Nicely done!