Mary would've had a little lamb

If I'd followed through with my "Mary Had a Little Lamb" plan this would have been Mary's dress. I planned on making a crisp, white muslin pinafore with a corresponding heart shaped pocket, but when I was finishing up, after Halloween had come and gone,I decided to forgo the pinafore since it was just a dress now, not a costume. When I got it out to photograph today I wished I'd made the pinafore after all. I think it would have been loved and worn even if the pocket wasn't used for carrying lamb treats and bits of chalk to school.

I love the inverted pleat in the hem of the sleeve. There are five more inverted box pleats, rather than gathers in the puffs of the sleeves. I really love those sleeves.
I also skipped the gather stitch on the skirt and made lots of little free-form pleats instead. That method doesn't give the same lift gathers do, and makes the skirt lie smoother. It's the way to go if you're not aiming for fouf.
This ended up being one of Baby Girl's favorite dresses last summer. I was a bit surprised by that, since the sleeves are rather fitted, and the bodice is fully lined, and then there's the matter of the high neck and collar. I wouldn't want to wear it in 115 degree weather, but Baby Girl liked it well enough to do so often. For that reason, I consider this little dress a great success.