So many of the little dresses I’ve sewn for my girls over the years have had square necklines so I decided to let this raglan keep its inherent character by not shaping the neckline at all. Just cast on the required number of stitches, work some easy garter stitch trim, and start shaping the raglan seams. You will be rewarded with a classic neckline requiring no effort at all.

Since the entire piece is worked from the neck down you can customize the finished length. Older girls might like a slightly shorter cropped version that hits just at the waist while little ones will benefit from a longer more traditional fit.

I chose soft colors for stripes and natural wooden buttons to keep with the relaxed feel of sunny summer days but I can also imagine some brighter color combinations or even a solid color with just contrast trim.

Sized to fit all the girls from 2 to 14 this is a pattern you can use over and over again and it just doesn’t get any easier than a top-down raglan!