beginners luck. that's what i had the first time i made the roller skate dress by oliver + s.

i got this chevron print at the fabric depot in portland oregon when i took nora to pick out materials for the fairy sisters dresses. i had originally planned to just dresses for nora and etta, but realized pretty quickly i couldn't exclude maya. so i planned my cutting and was able to squeeze out an additional dress from my limited fabric.

let me tell you getting the chevrons to match up was not easy, but somehow (let's give credit to the watermelon beer i was drinking and my critical thinking skills, but mostly the beer) it all came together perfectly.

i was doing version b, with the contrasting collar but to add balance (and compensate for my limited fabric), i added a band of the accent color along the bottom. as for finishing the dresses i did straight stitch seams throughout (more on that later this month) and used white grosgrain ribbon that i picked up at gather here for the hem.

not surprisingly the relaxed comfortable style was a total hit with the girls.

and while it was a lot of work, photos like this make me so glad i took the time to match up the chevrons.

this pattern has proven to be a favorite, since these three dresses i've made six more roller skates: nora and etta's back to school dresses in 2013, maya's put a bird on it dress, nora and etta's beatles dresses, and finally maya's ladybug dress.