Girls dress patern inspiration

Today I spent some time pulling together some images of Printed Cotton Children's Regency Era Dresses.
I had to use originals as my inspiration as the majority of Fashion Plates and Paintings show white, sometimes solid color dresses.

So Here are the inspiration dresses so I can start drafting a pattern

The first pink original found on ebay on Jessamyn's Regency Costume Companion article on Children's Clothes

Next comes a boy's dress from Massillon Museum, Massillon, OH, which was included in Kent State Univeristy Museum's 2006 exhibit Fashion on the Ohio Frontier a better view can be seen on Maggie May Fashions
Tidens Toj shared the pattern for their child's dress.

Then there is this lovely roller print one found on I-like-historical-clothing, which seems to have sold on Vintage Textile

Wisconsin Historical Sociey has another long sleeve dress with buttons on the upper cuff.

Vintage Textile has this lovely dress with long sleeves under the short puffs.

Last is this pink one, for which I have the reproduction fabric from the Lady's Repository Museum

I also have a few saved from e-bay to inspire me.

So far the plan is this: short sleeves with longer lowers that can be buttoned on (or permanently attached if so desired) the back will have ties or a button band. I am wanting a gathered front, but maybe the flat front would be a nice change to see?

Patterns at the chain fabric store

Your local JoAnn or Hancock will carry these patterns. Often they go on sale for $1 or $2, sometimes 5 for $5 or 10 for $10. Opinions are mine.

Simplicity
2354 Women's "colonial dress. quite a bit wrong, pass.
3635 Women's 18th century undergarments to be worn under 3637 Shift, stays, panniers. Rather good for the usual offerings
3637 Women's 18th century gown to be worn over 3635 Rather good for the usual offerings
3644 Children's Pirates of the Caribbean Pirate (licensed by Disney) costume. The coat and waistcoat are actually not that bad, the breeches are not good, the shirt is not a period cut. 
3677 Women's pirate costume. complete fiction, no pirates allowed at the party.
3723 Women's "colonial" costume, quite a bit wrong, pass.
3725 Girls version of 3723, pass
4055 Women's Regency gown patterned by Jennie Chancey of Sense & Sensibility Unfortunately the corresponding undergarment pattern 4052 has been discontinued. Very good for the usual offerings.
4092 Women's 18th century gown styles after PotC Not as good as 3637 (calls for a zipper!) so pass it up.
4923 Men's 18th century costumes styled after PotC Not as good as 3644, the pants are still very wrong.

McCalls
6139 Women's and Girls "colonial" dresses Don't bother

Butterick
3072 Men's "Revolutionary War" costume. Forget the hat. the pants are still wrong, shirt is not a period correct cut. could be reworked to something better.
4254 Corsets for the 18th and 19th century. You want View A or B. there are some issues with these, but overall it isn't a bad pattern. View B was also included in pattern 4484, which also had other undergarments, now Out of Print

6630 Women's "regency" gowns Not terrible, Simplicity 4055 is better though

You may also like to read some other reviews

Jessamyn covers the regency patterns (including ones from other companies I have not included)
Greater Bay Area Costumer's Guild has an excellent pattern review section.

Childrens clothes of the 18th century, basic info

In the 18th century children's clothing resembled their parents for the most part, just like today's child wears jeans a t-shirt just like the adults.
But there were also styles that were exclusive to children that adults did not wear, just as today's adult does not wear onesies. (Okay I know that a woman's body suit is very similar to a baby's onesie, and yes you can find rompers made for adult too, but as a basic rule, they are not the staples of an adult wardrobe as much as they are of the infants wardrobe.)

Little boys would wear dresses until they were breeched which occurred between the ages of 2 and 7 years. boys dress style is slightly different from girls dress style. the main difference could be seen in hair and headwear.
Why did little boys wear dresses? Well the bigest practicle reason is for the ease of changing a diaper, and later potty training. In the later half of the century a new style for boys came about. these were called Skeleton Suits and the pants buttoned on to the top. I would guess that these were for boys who were fully potty trained as there are a lot of buttons to undo to get the pants off.

Girls dresses differed from women's in the fact that a girls dress closed in the back, where as most women's gowns closed in the front. Leading strings or ribbons which hang from the shoulder are also the mark of a young girl's dress.

For more information see Colonial Williamsburg's article on children's clothes

Childrens Fashions 1700-1750 on Wikipedia
Childrens Fashions 1750-1795 on Wikipedia