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Sometimes we come across something sewn from Oliver + S patterns that leaves us in awe, like these incredible Frozen-inspired Building Block Dresses. The talented seamstress behind them is here today to share her experience creating her daughters' dream costumes in this installment of the Sew + Tell series.
Name: Michelle Dale
Country: United States
Where can we find you on the Internet: Instagram
Project details:
Every year, I design and sew my children's Halloween costumes. It’s one of my favorite things to do because it allows me to bring their ideas to life while creating something truly special. Since I have three kids, I usually start working on costumes early to ensure everything is ready in time.
This year, my twin girls took a bit of time deciding what they wanted to be for Halloween. When they finally chose to dress up as little Anna and Elsa from *Frozen*, I knew I had to get moving quickly. My goal was to have two wearable dresses completed by Halloween, with additional details finished later if possible.
The Building Block Dress pattern made it incredibly easy to adapt the design for both girls. By Halloween, both dresses were mostly done, except for the bottom trim. I've since finished the trim on the Elsa dress but am still hoping to add the final touches to the Anna dress before my daughter outgrows it.
Pattern used:
For both dresses, I began with the Building Block Dress pattern. I customized the look by adding a flared skirt, a zipper back, and puffed sleeves. On the Elsa dress, I lined the bodice and omitted the collar, as my daughter preferred the Peter Pan collar over the standing-up collar seen in the original inspiration photo. For the Anna dress, I kept the Peter Pan collar, lined the bodice, created an empire waist, and added a scalloped hem.
Fabric used:
I used quilting cotton, satin ribbon, and a piece of velvet-like fabric I found in a remnant bin.
Did the fabric work well?
Absolutely! The velvet was easy to embroider, and the cotton proved perfect for the dresses. Since these were costumes meant for playtime as well as dressing up, I prioritized fabrics that were easy to sew and comfortable to wear.
How did the sewing go?
I’ve made several Building Block Dresses, and they always come together beautifully. The instructions for modifying the pattern were clear, which made it straightforward to tailor the dresses to match the inspiration photo. For both dresses, I incorporated the flared skirt and puffed sleeves.
The Anna dress features a scalloped hem, which was my first attempt at creating this detail. The curved nature of the skirt made achieving perfectly even scallops challenging.
For both dresses, I used the bodice pattern as a guide to craft the velvet apron details. I hand-embroidered the designs onto the bodices, stitched the pieces to the bodice, and then attached everything to the skirt. This resulted in some thick seams, particularly around the zipper area. If I were to do something similar again, I’d likely handle the back closure differently.
The trim around the bottom of the dresses is also hand-embroidered. To create the snowflake trim on the Elsa dress, I cut two strips of velvet along the curve of the dress, embroidered the snowflakes, and then sewed them onto the dress. For the Anna dress, I embroidered directly onto each scallop and plan to finish it by adding a piece of fabric the same color as the sash to the bottom, similar to the scalloped hem shown in the Building Block Dress book.
What was the best part?
I thoroughly enjoyed adding all the intricate details and embroidery to the dresses to make them unique and special. Seeing my twins so delighted while wearing their costumes made the entire process incredibly rewarding.
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June 08, 2025