Construction Tips: Pattern Suggestions

 

Pevensies' British clothes

For most of the children's British clothes, we recommend checking your closet and/or thrift stores. Shirts and cardigans such as the children wear into Narnia shouldn't be too hard to find! But for those harder-to-match items, mostly Lucy's dresses and the children's coats, we have done some pattern-scrounging!

Unless otherwise mentioned, the patterns below are all children's patterns. Sizes are given for all children's patterns.

 

Susan's and Lucy's Train Coats

    Pattern Suggestions

  • Vogue 7792: Girls' coats. Eliminate pleats at waist and extra skirt width on view B for Lucy's train coat. Sizes 4-14

  • Vogue 7978: Misses' coats. Fitted, straight coat with princess seams. Add cuffs to double-breasted view C for Lucy's or to single-breasted view D for Susan's

  • Vogue 7979: Misses' coats. Flared, lined coat variations with princess seams. View D plus the cuffs and back tab of B would be perfect for Susan's Train coat. Back vent

  • Vogue 8165: Misses' coats. Princess-seamed A-line coat with length and collar variations

  • Vogue 1266: Misses' coats. Double-breasted variation adaptable for Lucy's Train coat

  • McCalls 4220: Girls' unlined jacket. Box-shaped with no shaping seams, could work for Susan's Train coat. Sizes 3-14

  • McCalls 2403: Girls' unlined coats. Single-breasted A-line, easily Susan's Train coat, or Lucy's with some adaptation. Sizes 3-14

  • McCalls 4647: Children's unlined fleece coats. View A adaptable for Susan's train coat. Sizes 2-8

  • Burda 9726: Girls' coat. Adaptable for Susan's Train Coat

  • Burda 9727: Children's coats. Perfect for Susan's Train Coat, even has tab across the back.

  • Burda 8165: Misses' coat. Lucy's Train Coat

  • Burda 8124: Junior's coats. View A or B for Susan's Train Coat

  • Butterick 4665: Misses' coat. Single-breasted with princess seams and large and small collar variations, adaptable for Susan's

  • Butterick 6900: Misses' coat. Loose-fitting and unlined, single-breasted. Susan's Train Coat

 

Lucy's Dresses

Lucy's summer dresses (the Play and Lamppost dresses) are classic styles, and so many patterns still available today would easily work. Below are some that we've found, plus instructions on smocking, the technique used on Lucy's Lamppost dress.

    Smocking (Lamppost Dress)

    Keep in mind that if you use one of the regular patterns below for the Lamppost dress, the smocking should be done separately and added on top of the pattern bodice.

  • Garden Fairies Trading Company: A commercial website with excellent information on smocking, including patterns to buy, a smocking newsletter and a great introduction to smocking.

  • Fashion-Era.com: Two pages of smocking stitches

  • Sew News: Instructions on how to do machine-smocking

  • The Smocking Index: An index with tons of smocking stitches, plus book recommendations

    Patterns

  • Simplicity It's So Easy 4042: Girl's dresses with collar, puffed sleeves, front pockets. View B great for Play Dress, Lamppost dress with some alteration. Sizes 3-8

  • Vogue 7593: Girls' dress with collar and short puffed sleeves, perfect for the Play dress. Buttons on front bodice. Sizes 2, 5-6

  • Vogue 7958: Girls' dresses. Without the tucked inset, view A is excellent for the Lamppost dress. Buttons up back. Sizes 2-6, 6X

  • Vogue 7926: Girls' dresses. View B has pleating similar to what we see on Lucy's Play dress. Button closure goes all the way up front of dress. Sizes 2-6, 6X

  • Vogue 7989: Girls' special occasion dresses. Without sash, view A for the Play dress. Sizes 2-6

  • McCalls 4432: Girls' dress variations, most sleeveless. Add puffed sleeves and shorten for Lucy's Play dress. Sizes 3-14

  • McCalls 4241: Girls' dresses, short and long sleeves. View C or D for her Play dress. Note: skirt is flared, not gathered. Sizes 3-8

  • McCalls 3949: Girls' dresses and pinafore. View B for Lucy's Play dress, buttons up back. Sizes 3-8

  • McCalls 3531: Children's dresses and pinafore. View B for Lucy's Play dress, buttons up back. Sizes 1-6

  • McCalls 4548: Misses' prairie costume. Shorten skirt and sleeves of dress for Lucy's Play dress.

  • McCalls 4351: Infants' dress with bloomers. Works for Lucy's Play dress or Lamppost dress

     

  • Butterick 4320: Children's/girls' costume. View E for Lucy's Play dress. Sizes 2-5, 7-14

  • Butterick 4054: Toddler's dress and pinafore. View A for either. Sizes 1-4

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