This sweet little dress is my third Ode To Joy from Maggie Bunch’s Sew-Along. What a great class and what a perfect little dress! The length was for a tunic, but Maggie’s pattern is so adaptable that I added a wider border at the hem to make it a dress.
Can you see the “prince” is riding a unicorn?
Who doesn’t love Sarah Jane’s truly magical prints for Michael Miller? Many are borders, with the the fun part running along the selvage. That allows for two 22″ widths of delightful borders. Most have coordinating prints that can be used for the hem, sleeve and neck binding.
My first Ode to Joy was poorly made, as I was in a hurry and did not read the directions carefully. But I loved it anyway and so did my then 4 yo granddaughter.  MM/Sarah Jane’s “Swan Lake” print,as shown, is still available.
Notice how nicely the smocking lies across the bodice. On the Magical Parade dress shown at the top, I brought the smocking to a point at center and the control was lost. The skirt ripples. How many of these will I have to make before I pay close attention? I’m a slow learner, for sure.
My second OTJ, again made in a hurry, had the neckband applied incorrectly and it rippled. The sleeves were left ungathered which gave a look I liked.   Again, the straight across smocking along the bottom row kept the bodice flat–flexible but flat. The whimsical cat print is my cat-loving granddaughter’s favorite.
Maggie B’s Ode to Joy dress
Maggie’s on-line class is very comprehensive. She take beginners from pleating (though she will provide pleated kits for novices without pleaters), to construction to smocking. If she offers it again, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
So the pink and gray gingham Magical Parade at the top is my latest creation for 5 yo Vivian Rose, though I have purchased yet another MM/Sarah Jane border and companion print to make another. Little girls love it because it just pulls over their heads, no buttons to deal with. Mothers love it because little ones can dress themselves easily, no muss, no fuss. And I love it. Can’t you tell?
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