Family Fashion Week Day 4: Tank Top Ruffle Dress

Happy Thursday everyone! Are you enjoying Family Fashion Week so far?  Today I have a tutorial for a child's tank top dress, similar to the one I made a few weeks ago.  I made this dress for Charlotte to wear to Ryan's graduation (which is tomorrow!).  I wanted something orange and blue (go Gators), but not tacky.

I was inspired by this dress at Janie and Jack:

I liked that it was tiered, but that the layers were connected.  Obviously I changed it some - I added the ruffle to the neckline, and made 4 tiers instead of 3. 
Here are the supplies you will need to make one:

1 Tank Top in your child's size
1/2 yard of each color of fabric (I chose voile because it ruffles and hangs nicely.)
Sewing machine/thread
scissors/yard stick

Step 1:  Cut off the bottom of the tank top.  Try the tank on your child and determine where you would like the first tier to start.  Add 1/2" to that and make a mark.  Take it off your little one and draw a line across at the mark and cut along that line.

Save the bottom portion of the tank top, because that is what you will use to make the ruffle at the neckline.  

Step 2: Cut 4 strips - two of each color - 5" x the width of the fabric.  Press under both long sides of the first tier about 1/2".  On the other three strips you only need to press one long side.  

Step 3:  Gather the first strip.  The easiest way to do this is to set your machine tension the highest it will go (mine is 9) and lengthen your stitch to the basting stitch.  Then while you are sewing, place a finger behind the presser foot and as you sew, the fabric will bunch up as it runs into your finger.  When you are done, you will have a nicely ruffled strip.  Be sure to leave nice long tails of thread on both ends so that you can adjust your ruffles.

Step 4:  Pin it right on top of the tank top and topstitch it on - if you have a knit stitch on your machine it would be best to use it.

Step 5:  Pin the next strip(unruffled) to the bottom of the first tier.  

Top stitch the first tier to the second tier.

When you sew all the way around the strip, the side seam will be open. Just tuck under the raw edges lay one edge on top of the other and topstitch it closed like this:

Continue this method until you have all the tiers sewn on.

Step 6:  Using the left over knit from the tank, cut two strips 1 1/2" x the width of the tank.

Sew them end to end to create one long strip, then ruffle it using the method in Step 3.

Pin it to the edge of the neckline.  You don't have to worry about raw edges because it's jersey knit!!

 

Top stitch the ruffle on the entire neckline.

Step 7:  Lastly try the dress on your little one and mark the hem.  Press it under 1/4", then 1/4" more and stitch all the way around the hem.

That's it!  A sweet little summer dress without the trouble of making a bodice.  I love it you guys.  Seriously.  I made another tank top dress for myself to wear to Ryan's graduation.  I'll show you pics later.  

Happy sewing!

jessica

Free Spirit Tunic Tutorial

I've been wanting to make a tunic for a while. 

I browsed around online at Free People and found this for inspiration. 

It's $298.00

So on Friday I went to the fabric store and spent $ 17.00 on a yard of Anna Maria Horner's gorgeous voile - the perfect thing to make a flowy tunic (or to snuggle with on the floor).

Here's my step by step process - it's not the most precise tutorial, because I was kind of just free-style sewing it -  but I did my best to document it for you in case you would like to make one.  I would also like you to know that I really made it goofy the first time.  Here's your comic relief for the morning.

Bad.  Too blousy - not enough shape. 

So I ripped and ripped and basically started over. 

Here's what you will need:
1 yard of voile - 56" wide
3/8" wide elastic
sewing machine/thread
scissors
measuring tape

Step 1:  Lay the fabric out folded in half.

Then fold it in half again.  Determine the size of your neckline - I cut a triangle 3"x2".

Cut all the layers.  This is the back neckline. 

Now split the top layer along the fold -about 5"down. 

Cut a straight line from the bottom of that slit to the top at the 3"mark (only cut ONE layer).  Flip the fabric over and repeat on the other side.

Step 2:  Hem all of the sides and the neckline.  Turn each edge over once and then again and press. Pin it well and topstitch the hem.

Step 3:  Now it's time to give it some shape (the step I skipped the first time :)
Measure your waist at your bellybutton.  Mine was 31".
Now take half of that measurement and add it to the original measurement.  Mine was 31+15 1/2" = 46 1/2"  Now divide that by 2.  46"/2 = 23" - we'll call this measurement C 
Fold the tunic in half.  Along the fold, measure 9" up from the hem.  Then measure your C measurement out from the 9" mark.  At the corner edge of the tunic draw a line to the 23" marking.

Step 4:  Now measure your armhole.  From the top right edge measure down 8".  (or more if you think you might need it).   From that 8" marking, draw a line to the 23" mark.  It will look kinda like this once you cut it.

Are you still with me? :)

Step 5:  Cut along those lines through all layers.  Open up your tunic and turn it right sides together.  Now we are going to add the elastic.

Step 6:  Find the center of the front of the tunic.  Measure up 9" and place a pin.  Starting at the edge, 5" up from the hem, draw a curved line up to the 9" measurement and then back down to the other 5" marking. 

Pin the elastic to one edge and sew it on - pulling it tight towards you as you go (this will make it gather).

Step 7:  Still right sides together, lay the tunic down back side facing you.  Draw a line 5" up from the hem straight across the tunic back.  Pin the elastic to one edge and sew it on using the same method as before.

Step 8:  You're almost done!!  From the 8" mark (at the bottom of the armhole) sew the side seams,right sides together, using a 1/2" seam.  Stop at the 5" mark before the hem - so that you will have the slits on the sides.

Step 9:  Sleeve detail.  Find the center top of the sleeve.  Sew a basting stitch about 7-8" along the center of the sleeve.  Gather it - more towards the edge of the sleeve - when you are happy with it - secure it with a regular topstitch.

Wow - so if you made it through all that and even remotely understood what I was talking about -BRAVO!!  Load a pic up to the Flickr Pool so I can see! and remember - it's the last day to leave a comment for a chance to win the "kick up your heels" apron!

Happy sewing,
jessica