I got a little mixed up here - this dress is for your granddaughter To wear?- -how old is she?
Does this fabric ravel and/or fray?
if this dress will be loved and played in a lot - do not skimp on the seam allowances - and overcast them so they do not fray.
A serger would be my first choice, zigzagging the edges of the seam my second choicr, and overcasting by hand.
Sounds like a major project - with lots of learning opportunities.
A ziper might be the first choice. You can sew thm in by hand. In fact, some of the "best" garments had zippers that were sewn in by hand.
As far as velcro goes - yoU could get the narrowest, lightest duty stuff available and sew it on the seam allowances. This would not be my first choice unless you cover the raw edges. you could turn in the seam allowance 1/4 inch and sew the velcro over it.
Does this pattern have 5/8 inch seam allowances?
Good luck with this project.
Last edited by bearisgray; 03-20-2015 at 05:14 AM.