DIY Whimsy Dress:Tulle and Ruffles! {The Ups and Downs}

I am not a seamstress. I can sew. A little. Sometimes I get ambitions and think that I can make really fun, whimsical things for my daughters. 

Sometimes I can. Other times . . .i wing it.

This is my story:

I splurged on some ruffle fabric for my two year-old's birthday. It is a little pricy, but when you consider the fact that someone else has taken the time to make ruffles for you, the price might be worth it. It runs about $15-$20. I got it from Ruffle Fabric(.com) 

(and this is NOT a sponsored post)

This is what you need:

Sewing Machine

3 yards of tulle

1 yard of  Ruffle Fabric

For necklace:

elastic, tulle, glue gun and decorative brad, matches, candle

What I like about tulle and ruffle fabric . . . no hemming!

Using my daughter's measurements, I cut the fabric 15 in in length and 6 in in width.

THIS WAS PART ONE OF MY MISTAKE:  My little dog, Maddie tried to tell me that since the ruffle fabric stretches, I could subtract 3 inches so that it would fit snugly around my toddler and not fall down , but I never have been good at speaking dog, so I didn't listen.

 Doesn't the fabric just look fun already!

 The I cut the tulle to the length I wanted, 26 in long in 5 in strips. You can actually use more or less tulle depending on how full and fluffy you want the "skirt part."

 

 This is the part 2 of my mistake.I pinned all the tulle to the base of the ruffle fabric and did not allow for any stretch. Meaning, even the the tulle fabric stretches, once you sew the tulle in, place it ceases to stretch. I should have allowed for 2 small slits. Once the dress was on, the slits would be invisible, but would allow for stretch. Or maybe one of you reading this will; have another solution you"l want to share with me.
Maybe I could have tapered the top so that is was more of an A-line, the top could have been snug and the tulle wouldn't have been tight . . .
Anyway, it wasn't so bad, but it won't grow with my girl for very long . . .
unless, I cut some small slits in the tulle now . . .

 Anyhow . . . I sewed the tulle to the ruffle fabric and then sewed up the sides of the bodice of

 ruffle fabric and got this:

 For the tulle flower head piece, I cut 8 circular pieces of tulle and burnt the edges using a candle in a well ventilated area. Do not inhale this stuff. It is nasty. I stuck a decorative brad through the middle and hot glued it to a piece of elastic that was measured to fir my 2 year old's blond, curly head.

It was fun . . .
Happy Crafting
XOXO,
 Amy!

DIY Flannel PJs ~ Part 2: The Top

So here goes part 2! There are more steps in making the top, but you can do it :)

First things first, lets talk Black Friday at Joannes ~
Doors opened at 6 am & people weren't killing each other to get anything!! Everyone was patient getting in the door and shared their flannels :) It was the best Black Friday experience
I've ever had! I scored some uber cute flannels!


Plus, the store employees gave everyone the coupons when you walked in,
so I got an additional 25% off my entire order & 50% off my oldest daughter's
Christmas gift since it wasn't on sale.
OH YES!!


I can't wait to cut into these!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE :)

What You'll Need:
1 1/2 Yards Flannel Fabric {this will cover the shirt as well}
About 24 Inches Grossgrain Ribbon
4-5 Buttons Depending On The Size
Matching Thread
And Your Sewing Machine & Tools :)
Also, I used my Seger, but if you don't have one use your zig-zag stitch.

Bring back your paper bag and let's make the pattern. If you have a pair of pjs to trace, then trace each piece. If not, grab a shirt that fits your child loosely. If all you have are onesies, you can use it for your pattern, just make sure to add a few inches to give some room.

If you're using a loose shirt, ignore the sleeves for now & trace the back twice.
Cut 1 out & cut down the middle, then retrace adding 1 1/2 inches to the center.
You only have to create one side because you can flip the pattern over. Next, draw
the neck line how you want it. I like an angled neckline on these type of jammies.
For the collar, measure along the neck line of your pattern for the length, then
make a rectangle with the width of 3 1/2 inches. You can keep the angles sharp
or round them, whichever you like. After you cut everything out, take the front
panel and you're going to trace along the center line and 2 inches at the top & bottom,
keeping the angles the same at the neck line. Draw a line connecting top to bottom,
this is for the reinforcement fabric behind the buttons and button holes.
For the pockets, make a 4 inch square.

Trace each piece on your flannel or fleece. Make sure that you flip the patterns
over for the front panel, reinforcement pieces & collar pieces. In this picture
I marked where the 1 yard mark was so you could see.

But I forgot to make sleeves :)


So take your back & front panels, and line them up at the shoulder, then trace that round angle. For 12 month size, measure out 7 inches from each end & then square off the bottom of the sleeve. Trace those onto your flannel.

Cut each piece out and get ready to sew and serge. First, sew at the shoulders,
then serge or zigzag stitch. Next, serge the bottom edges of the sleeves and
pockets & hem the same way I described in part 1. Add the ribbon about
1/2 inch from the bottom and stitch on both edges.

Pin the sleeves to the front & back panels then sew and serge.

It should look like this after the sleeves are on. Set the pockets aside for a later step.

With right sides together, pin along the sleeve & the side of the shirt.
Then, sew along that seam, then serge or zigzag stitch. Next, take the reinforcement
pieces & sew them on to the center of the shirt. I like the fabric to have the
right side showing, so that's how I sewed it on. When both sides are on,
serge the bottom of the shirt then hem like you did with the sleeves.
Don't add ribbon to this hem, since you'll be adding pockets.
Flip right side out and attach the pockets. I forgot to take pictures of this step,
but its really easy ~ just fold the 3 edges under along the sides & bottom,
then stitch on. Make sure to back stitch at the beginning and end.

The collar was my least favorite part of this whole project, so beware,
it may get a little frustrating! The easy parts are: sew the ribbon about 3/4 inch
from the edge, make sure the fabric lays the way you want it to, if the fabric has a
direction. With right sides together, sew along the first short side, then the side
where the ribbon is and end on the other short side. You should have the
long side with out the ribbon left open.

This is the part that drove me a little crazy, maybe there is an easier way
to do this, I just haven't figured it out. . . fold the flannel inside itself at 1/4 inch,
then pin the neckline of the shirt inside the collar piece.

Sew along the pins, go slow to make sure that both sides of the collar stay in line
with each other & the shirt stays inside the collar. Every single one I made
I had to flip over & sew the other side because I wasn't patient enough to
follow this step, but no big deal since you have to look really close to see the mistakes ;)

The final step that I forgot to take pictures of is to measure your button holes and sew them into place. Open each button hole with your seam ripper then sew the buttons on.

DIY Flannel PJs ~ Part 1: Pants

***When I was at Joanne's this morning I found out that on Black Friday
all their snuggle flannels will be on sale for $1.49 a yard!!!
Can you hear me screaming with joy? I paid $2.99 a yard for these PJs,
so it cost me $4.50 per set; but, with this sale
I'll be able to make 18 month PJs for $3 per set!!!
While you're there check out the fleece since it'll be $2.99 a yard.
You can make pants out of them too, and I'll be posting a top variation next
week that is adorable in fleece.


YAY!!! See you at the cutting table :)

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I have been so busy that October & November
have just been a blur! I made a few of these PJs for baby A & have been meaning
to get the tutorial up. There are a lot of pictures & steps so I am going to do
2 posts. In this one I'll show you how to make the pants; the tutorial for the top
will be posted early next week. The measurements are for a size 12 months.

So here goes. . . .


What You'll Need:
1 1/2 Yards Flannel Fabric {this will cover the shirt as well}
About 24 Inches Grossgrain Ribbon
1/4 Inch Elastic 2 Inches Less Than Your Baby's Waist
Matching Thread
And Your Sewing Machine & Tools :)
Also, I used my Seger, but if you don't have one use your zig-zag stitch.



The first thing you'll need to do is draft your pattern. I use the paper bags I get at
Trader Joe's for my patterns. If you are tracing a pair of PJs you already own,
then trace them on to the paper.

For the rest of us, measure your baby's waist then take that number and
subtract 6 inches. So for a size 12 months the measurement, the measurement
is 19 inches, so it brings the measurement to 12 1/2 inches + 1/2 inch seam
allowance for the top of the pattern.


Next take the measurement from your baby's ankle to the point on the
waist/hip where you want them to rest. Add 3 inches for seam allowance.
In the picture below you can see that I originally came up with 16 3/4 inches
for the length, but the first pair that I made comes up to the middle of her diaper,
so I added 2 1/2 more inches for a total of 19 1/4 inches. So make a rectangle on
the paper bag using these measurements.



For the inseam, I measured from my baby's ankle to her diaper & added 1/2 inch.
From the bottom corners measure up & mark it on your pattern. Next, on the
same corners, measure in towards the middle & mark 1 1/4 inch. Draw a diangle
line from each point.

For those who want just the numbers, here are the
Measurements For 12 Months:

Width: 13 inch {1/4 in seam allowance}
Length: 19 1/4 inch {Finished: 16 3/4 in}
Inseam: 8 inches {1/4 in seam allowance}
Ankle: 10 1/2 inches {1/4 in seam allowance}



Now cut it out and you have your pattern!
Go you with your pattern making self!!! :)

After you trace the pattern twice & cut them out, serge or zig-zag stitch the bottoms,
then fold just over 1/4 inch over and stitch at the 1/4 inch mark. Next lay the ribbon
about 1/2 inch from the bottom and stitch on both edges. Sorry I forgot to take a
picture of this step, but the good new is that you shouldn't have to pin the ribbon
before sewing since it stayed really well against the flannel.

Fold it in half with the right side inside. Sew the inseam then serge or zig-zag the edges.

When both legs have the inseam sewn, lay them together & pin the remaining raw edges.
Sew, then serge or zig-zag stitch the edges.

Turn right side out and admire your work.

Take your elastic & align the edges with one of the seams 1/2 inch from the
edge of the flannel. Place one edge slightly over the other & sew in place.
I like to run the machine front and back a few times. Some people may want to
skip this step & thread the elastic through at the end. I like to do it this way
so that it doesn't roll over on it self to much.

Fold the edge of the fabric over sew around.

I pulled the elastic tight so I could better control it and not sew over it.
Go slow with this step because un-stitching is a pain; but, un-stitching from elastic just stinks.

Finish with a back stitch or 2 and there you go,
some cute little PJ pants that will look adorable on your little one!

MEASUREMENTS FOR:

18 Month
Width: 16 1/2 {1/4 in seam allowance}
Length: 21 inches {Finished: 18 1/2 inches}
Inseam: 10 1/2 inch {1/4 in seam allowance}
Ankle: 12 1/2 inches {1/4 in seam allowance}

FABRIC NEEDED: 2 yards




24 Month/2T
Width: 19 1/2 inches {1/4 in seam allowance}
Length: 22 3/4 inches {Finished: 20 1/4 inches}
Inseam: 13 inches {1/4 in seam allowance}
Ankle: 14 1/2 inches {1/4 in seam allowance}

FABRIC NEEDED: 2 1/2 yards

Bubble Skirt T-Shirt Dress

My daughter got invited to the Daddy-Daughter Princess dance at church.
The invitation mentioned that each Princess-King combo should come dressed in their royal attire ready for pictures, food and fun.



Since my 9 year old doesn't have a huge supply of princess dresses anymore,
I decided to make her one with a good twirling skirt.
It worked up really quick and looks great on.





WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1 T-Shirt That Fits
Fabric For The Skirt
Fabric For The Lining
Measuring Tape
Needle & Thread
Scissors
Sewing Machine

First you'll need to get some measurements:


1: With the shirt on, wrap your measuring tape around 1 inch bellow the base of the sternum. Mark in a few places, then once its off draw a straight line & cut.


2: Measure around the base of the shirt and multiply by 2. This is the width of the skirt and lining. It is important to measure around the shirt and not the chest because you want some stretch when putting the dress on.


3: Measure from the same point at the base of the sternum to the knee. Add 4 inches. This is the length of the SKIRT only. Don't worry it will still fall at the knee.


4: Take the measurement from the knee and subtract 3 inches. This is the measurement for the length of the LINING only.



OK now that everything is measured and cut, get it sewn together.
With right sides facing, sew the lining and skirt fabric together along the long sides to form a tube. Turn right side out so that the seams are inside and adjust so that the skirt fabric wraps around the top and bottom, so that no lining is showing.

Fold the tube over on itself with right sides facing, put the machine back to
normal stitching and sew it together. Surge to finish off so it wont fall apart in the washing machine. If you don't have a serger, I've heard that you can use a zigzag stitch, but I've never done that so I can't advise you there. I got mine off craiglist for $90!! It had been used less than 5 times by a woman who had a 5 thread one, so this 4 thread one was 'useless to her.' I looked it up online when I got home and the exact model of it was $1000 brand new, so I recommend checking there first!



Now, adjust your machine so you can do a basting stitch all the way across
the top seam about 1 inch from the top. Make sure if your fabric has a direction
that its facing the right direction. Leave plenty of thread at the beginning and end so
it doesn't pull out as you gather the tube. It should look like this after gathering is done.
Leave the skirt inside out for the next step.

So after you sew the tube shut and have it gathered, then bast, the next part can get
a little tricky. Lay the shirt on the table. Fold it in half so that the back of the shirt
is showing. This point is where you will pin the middle of the skirt to.
The skirt should still be inside out and upside down to the shirt,
just like if you had a dress that was half way inside out. Make sure that there
is about 1/2 inch seam allowance as you pin all the way around.
Before you sew, hang it up from some where that you can get a clear
look at it to make sure that everything is level and pull out the basting thread.
Once everything is in place, sew the skirt to the shirt, then serge the raw edges.

Last you'll want to turn the dress right side out and check that everything is level.
If not just pin in place while hanging and hand stitch from the inside so that its level.
You can leave the skirt with the ruffle along the waist if you are using a cotton material,
but since I was using a satiny shiny material I wanted a cleaner look.
I used a blind stitch along the waist band with matching thread to sew
the skirt all the way to the shirt. It gave it a nice little band around the waist.
I also hand stitched the seam inside the skirt to itself at the bottom so it would lay
flatter at the hem.

Finish off the dress with some sort of embellishment.
I used this flower combination for her pin on her dress,
her corsage and for my husband's boutonniere.
For the tutorial on the flowers used click here.

They looked so good that night! I also made my husband's tie,

which I'll be posting a how to for that soon. :)

My Not So Itty, Itty Bitty Dress

When I was pregnant with Aarilynn, I spent hours searching the internet for free patterns or ideas for baby cloths. I found a lot; but, my favorite site is Made-By-Rae. She is uber talented and has so many crafty ideas and baby patterns!!!!!! This is her picture of the Itty Bitty Dress she created and posted on her site:

I wanted to make the this dress ever since I stumble across it, but I wasn't sure how much she would weigh.
Since her sister was over 8 pounds I figured she would be too ~ and she was. Anyways, I finally got my chance to make it for a baby shower. Everyone I know was having boys, so I was super excited when I got invited to one for a girl!


I pulled the pattern out and decided to go a little bigger in case she has big babies too {I was too tired to think of that when she was born} but I went a little too big for a newborn. I guess I just had 12 months on the brain. Since it fit my baby, I had to crochet a cocoon instead ;)

So if you want a 9-12 months, then print it and add like 2 inches on the sides and bottom. Also extend the round part by about an inch. I didn't do this part because for some sleepy reason I didn't think it was going to be this big! I have been making lots of dresses and PJs for the baby, so I must have just been on automatic. Also, Rae's design doesn't call for buttons or zippers, but I added buttons on the back so I wouldn't have to fuss getting it on and off her. I still love this dress and the next chance I get to make one for a baby girl I will follow instructions lol.

If you want to find this dress in a 3T size click here.



Happy Sewing!!!

Two Layer Girls Skirt Tutorial

Now, I am anything but a seamstress.

Before I learned how to make this skirt, the only thing I was good for was sewing on buttons and stitching up straight lines and I owe those meager skills to a young women's activity night at church. I took Home EC as a kid and what I remember most about that class is getting a sewing machine needle stuck in my finger when I was trying to remove some stubborn thread for a class mate. She forgot to taker her foot off of the presser foot. Ouch! That earned me a trip to the nurses office and a slight aversion to sewing machines.

But guess what?

I made this skirt and You can too!

This is what I used:
A Sewing machine:)
White thread
2 yards pink fabric
2 yards green fabric
1 yard white fabric
1 inch non roll elastic
scissors
pins
safety pin or giant paper clip

I started out with the bodice.

My daughters waist is 23 inches.

I doubled that measurement to 46 in long and made it 11 inches in length.

I folded it in half, turned it inside out and sewed the side together

I hemmed the top and bottom side once and then flipped that hem over and hemmed it again.


This is what you should have so far.



Next I cut the fabric for the bottom layer ruffle. 57 inches (around the waist) long and 7 1/2 inches width

(**)Turn inside out, fold in half and sew the sides together.

Hem one side once, then flip and hem again. This will be the very bottom of your skirt.

Now for the unhemmed side you are going to create a gathered look. Start by allowing yourself plenty of thread from the sewing machine.

Crank up the tension to a level 6.

Start at the hem and carry on your way. When you have sewed all the way around the skirt and find yourself back at the hem remember to again allow yourself a lot of extra thread before you cut. You will use this thread to adjust the level of gathering on your skirt.

If you pull the extra thread tight it will tighten the gather on your skirt, if you want to release some of the gather then you will gently pull the gatherings towards your loose thread and it will release the tension.

Below is a picture of the fabric that you have just gathered. Now you are going to want to adjust that layer to match the length of your bodice so that you can sew the two together. Gently pull out the gathering to adjust the tension on the skirt.

When you have the "gatherings" exactly at the desired tension, you must tie the extra thread together (from the front and back of the place where you began and then ended) so that the rest of the "gatherings" won't be let out.

I pinned my hems together and then began to sew the the two pieces together inside out so that the white layer would be on top when the skirt was being worn the correct way. If you feel more comfortable pinning the fabric all the way around you may do so.:)

Viola! Take a deep breath . . . you are almost done! You can do it!

a close up of what the joined pieces should look like:)

Now it is time to insert the elastic. I measured out 23 1/4 inches so I would have room to sew the elastic together (remember my daughter's waist is 23 inches)

Making sure the skirt is inside out, I folded over the very top of the skirt allowing enough room for the elastic to fit inside. Again you make pin all the way around the skirt if you would like to, but in my case, I pinned off a short area in which I did NOT want to sew. The area between the two yellow pins is where I will insert the elastic.

Sew the fold into place.

When you are done, attach a safety pin (or stick the unfolded end of a giant paper clip through the elastic) and thread it through the little home you just made for it. Don't let go off the loose end or you will have a devil of a time trying to reclaim it.

I like to pin both side together while I am adjusting the fit of the elastic through the skirt so I don't lose it:)

Sew the elastic together, go over it several times. (my finger is not bleeding, I don't know why it looks like that)

Once your elastic is sewed together you can pull it all in to the fold and sew up the gap.

Now for your top layer ( 57 inches long and 12 1/2 inches from waist to knee) Repeat exactly what you did for the first ruffle (** where the stars are) until you get to this point.

Now life gets a little tricky, but don't worry you can do it!
Arrange the gathering so that it fits the skirt just below where you have sewed

the elastic band in.

Once it is arranged to your liking remember to tie off the long ends of thread that you saved for adjusting the tension of the gathering. (tie off the sides that are front and back from each other from the starting point and ending point.)

Fold the messy part of the fabric under ever so slightly so that it won't be seen when you are wearing the skirt. Pin into place . . . I didn't do that and I so wish I had. Sometimes I had to sew over some thick parts of fabric and I was afraid it would look horrible, but you really can't tell. So take a deep breath and plow on through.

When you are finished with this part . . . guess what . . . you are done! Hip, hip, Hooray! (My New Zealand Friends actually say that!)

Cut of any loose threads and admire your work!!!

You can adjust the measurements any way you would like ti fit kids young or old:)

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Amy

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