Simple Summer Dress Tutorial

This dress can be made with measurements for baby to young child and is perfect for the warm summer months! Created by: Stephanie Struckmann, Totally Stitchin’ Contributor Measurements: Measurement A: About armpit level to the bottom of the sternum (this is how long you want the bodice to be) Measurement B: From bottom of the sternum to the length that you would like the dress (this will be the length of the skirt) Measurement C: around-the-chest measurement Measurement D: around-the-waist (or belly) measurement Supplies: To figure out how much fabric you'll need: DOUBLE Measurement B plus DOUBLE the RADIUS OF WAIST MEASUREMENT (see step 2 or just add 15" to be safe), plus 6" for the straps, plus DOUBLE Measurement A (for the bodice), plus 2" for seam allowances. That should be exactly how much fabric you need...you might get a couple inches extra just to be safe.

Projects  

I needed about 1 3/4 yd for my 3-year-old. You'll also need:

• A package of 1/4" elastic • Thread, • Sewing machine • And a serger can be helpful (but, if you don't have one, I will give alternate

methods)! REMEMBER, I did this for a 3-year-old and used 45" fabric, if you are doing this for an older child like 6-8 years old, you may need to take fabric width into consideration and may need to use a 60" fabric (or, if you can't get a full circle skirt with the length that you want (with a 45" fabric) you will need to cut 2 halves to the circle and sew side seams but, you'll also need more fabric...sorry, this tutorial doesn't go over making the circle skirt with side seams. Make sure to get a soft fabric...mine was kind of stiff. It worked, but soft is better (especially for 3-year-olds)!  Instructions:  1. Cutting the bodice & straps.  The bodice is a long rectangle. To find the bodice length, take Measurement A and double it (the bodice is self-lined) and add 1" (for seam allowance). To find the width, take Measurement C and double it and add 1" for seam allowance (the bodice width is longer than the length; it will be gathered up to twice the fullness with elastic). Cut this rectangle with these measurements. Then, for the 1" straps, cut 3" strips (originally I thought I was going to make mine a halter and discovered I liked the criss-cross strap)...so, I would say just cut them long (like 30" long by 3" wide) and you can always cut them down. 2. Cutting the skirt. This may be the hardest part of this tutorial to explain. For a circle skirt, fabric must be folded in half, hot dog style (may already be folded in half off the bolt) and then in half again, hamburger style.

Starting at the point that would be the center of the large square of fabric opened out (there are all folds there at that point, no selvage or raw edges at that center point). Take the belly measurement and divide it by 4. Lay a tape measure out with that measurement. My daughter's belly was about 21" and divided by 4 is 5.25”. I rounded up to give a tiny bit of extra space to 5.5". Lay the tape measure out in a curve as evenly as you can in a semi circle. Then, take a sewing gauge (or ruler) and measure from center point of fabric to tape measure (mine was 3.5" as shown below). Label this your RADIUS OF WAISTLINE MEASUREMENT. If you get the circle cut too big, you can gather it in the end and if you get it too small, you can always cut it bigger. Draw a semi-circle (technically a fourth of a circle) using your new RADIUS OF WAISTLINE measurement as shown to the right. Then, cut along this line. Open the cut out piece, and you should have a circle there...this means you did it right!   Next, take your Measurement B and add 1" (for seam and hem allowance). Mine was 18." Using YOUR LENGTH (plus 1") MEASUREMENT, measure from edge of cut circle outward and draw a large semi-circle (technically fourth of a circle).    

Then, cut along the line you just drew. If you open this up, you will have a large circle of fabric with a smaller circle cut in the middle. At this point, if you'd like, you can try it on the lucky kiddo who will be donning this dress after it's done just to make sure it fits over the hips or shoulders depending on which way you pull it on. 3. Sewing the straps. We get to start sewing! Let's start with the straps. Fold pretty sides in along the entire length and pin. Using a 1/2" seam allowance, sew down one long edge and one short edge. Push the the CLOSED end into itself and…    

Use a pen or some other slim/blunt tool and insert into this "bowl" and push the fabric all the way through to turn the straps right side out.   Press and set aside.   4. Making the bodice. Fold your bodice in half length-wise (short side...hamburger style) and press. See the picture to the right, you have straps at top, long, pressed bodice in the center, and the top of the skirt is showing at the bottom. The top edge of the bodice is a fold (that is now creased since you pressed it). You will only have one seam and it will be in the center back eventually (don't sew it yet).

Now, take your bodice to the sewing machine. We are going to create a couple of elastic casings. Because your bodice may be bigger or smaller depending on your child’s measurements, you may need more or less casings. Regardless, you'll want to divide your casings evenly throughout the bodice leaving 3/4" allowance at the bottom edge. I wanted a little ruffle at the top of my bodice, so I stitched 3/8" from the top edge (the folded, creased edge). Then, stitch a line 3/8” from the first stitched line. Next, I skipped 3/4" down from there and stitched another line. Move down another 3/8" from there and stitch, creating another casing. Repeat as many times as necessary to create your casings.

I made three 3/8” elastic casings about 3/4" apart, and this worked well for my daughter's bodice. Remember your bodice may be different...you can draw a couple marks along the raw edge to see how many 3/8" casings you can get about 1/2" to 3/4" apart. DON’T FORGET: leave 3/4" from the lower edge of the bodice to allow for enough seam allowance when attaching the skirt and bodice pieces. Now, baste 3/8" up from the lower edge just to hold the seam allowance together. The top of the bodice is on the left of the picture to the right. 5. Inserting the elastic! Cut 3 pieces of elastic each cut with Measurement C (the chest measurement). Insert one at a time. Just a little tip, if you have a skinny loop turner, insert it in one side and hook it to the safety pin and pull the elastic all the way through!! So fast and easy! If you don't have a skinny loop turner...no big deal just ease the elastic through! Make sure it doesn't twist. Stitch both ends of elastic down (in between fabric at the seam allowance about 3/8" in).

Picture to the right shows the hook of the skinny loop turner about to hook onto the safety pin!

6. Test out the bodice. My elastic was soft (extra stretchy) and my fabric was stiff, so, I put a safety pin where I wanted the seam to be (to where it sat comfortable on her). Then, I sewed a seam exactly where that safety pin was! Finish your seam allowance...I did sew with a serger, using a 3 thread overcasting stitch but, you can zig-zag stitch (or better yet, an overcasting stitch that your machine offers) over it, use pinking sheers, or bias tape to cover that raw edge. Once that is complete, set your bodice aside.                

7. Hemming your skirt. So, I serged the lower edge of my skirt (with a 3 thread overcast) and folded it up and stitched it with a sewing machine to hem it. But, you can just as easily use a sewing machine, stitch a 1/4" line around the hem and iron it up once and then, iron it up again...or use a rolled hem foot!   Here’s my serged edge… Now, this may seem silly, but it helps me get the skinny hem I want...I use the blind hem foot. I flip my skirt to the underside facing up and continually fold my hem up (needle in the left position straight stitch). Once you get going, you get really good at it...left hand helping hem through behind the foot (because of the pressure this foot puts on the fabric, you may have to help the fabric through a bit so it doesn't gather at the back of the foot) and rolling the edge of the hem up with your right hand (it looks different in the picture than described because I had to take the picture with my right hand.)

Hemmed!   8. Sewing the bodice to the skirt! Side note: you'll notice I serged the lower edge of my bodice, but you can finish this after you sew the waistline seam too. Divide the lower edge of the bodice into fourths (using the back seam as center back, find your center front, then, find your sides matching front and back marks). I pinned to mark these spots, but you could use washable or disappearing ink, too! With the skirt pretty side out, flip the bodice down. Place pretty sides together (skirt inside of bodice) and match up centers back and front and the 2 sides and pin. To pin between these points, stretch the bodice to best fit the circle and pin.

Now sew your waistline seam with a 1/2" seam allowance stretching the bodice to fit the circle skirt waistline. In the first picture below, you can just barely see the circle skirt waistline under the bodice. Stretching to sew...you may need to use your left hand to grab the fabric behind the foot gently helping it through and your right hand to gently pull to fit, but making sure that the fabric is progressing through the machine (and you're not getting itty bitty stitches...just make sure you're not pulling against the machine).

Then, I serged the whole seam allowance together. You can also use a zig-zag stitch, as well as, pinking sheers, or bias tape to finish your waistline seam (so it doesn't keep fraying). Sergers are just more efficient and look so nice! Flip the bodice up and get ready to attach the straps.

9. Attaching the straps. Because we are not sewing straps into a seam, we'll want to hide the one open raw edge on the strap. Tuck it inside itself about a 1/2", press, and stitch closed. I then tried the dress on Olivia and pinned where I wanted the straps (for hers, it was 2" from the side points). Then, stitch them in place, stitching over a current stitch line from the top casing line! If you are doing a halter dress, you're done!! :) I had started to tie it into a bow and then, stopped and held the straps down before I made the bow part and decided I liked that. So, I safety pinned them in place (marked where they were going to go, cut them down and closed the new raw ends as we had done earlier) and stitched them right where I had pinned them. I really love the look of this!