Stripes At Play

I'm still playing with these stripes. I pinned out another variety to get a different stripe pattern and started thinking about a bodice. At this point I've pretty much decided this wants to be a Little Dress. Here's one version:

And here is the same version with a nice black polka dot thrown in for good measure.

This raises all sorts of possibilities. The way I've tossed this on the Little Dress form raises the possibility of a bottom band on the bodice. It raises the possibility of a sort of drape overlay on one side of the bodice. It raises the possibility of a polka dot sleeve or two. It raises the possibility of more possibilities.

One note about the Little Dress form. This is too small (size 1-2) to actually fit any the little girls around here but it is highly useful for planning and pinning. Being able to drape it and walk away six or seven feet really helps me get an idea of proportions for design and fabric combinations. It's also very handy to just sit and stare at it and let the ideas just dance through my head while I drink coffee.

Several questions have come to mind. What should the back of the dress look like? I think the back of the dress should have some sort of interesting detail because I think the back of the dress should be cute enough that I want the child to turn around just so I can see the front of it. Also, what closure should it have? Buttons? Zipper? And does it need a collar?

The more I think about it all, the more things I have to think about.