Easter Dress Tutorial

Remember waaay back when I promised a tutorial for my Von Trapp dress? No? Well I forgot all about it too. But I thought Easter would be a perfect time for a fun dress tutorial, so here ya go!

What you'll need:

A Dress that fits your little one

Two coordinating fabrics

First you will need to fold the dress that fits your girl in half and trace around the bodice. (If you have a dress pattern lying around you could always use that instead). Then extend the shoulder about 6 inches. It should look something like this:

You need to cut two on the fold of each fabric, it should look like this:

Looks kind of like bunny ears, no? That is no accident :-)

This part you will do with all one fabric (whichever one you want to be your main fabric). You need to measure the bottom of the bodice piece and multiply by 2. Then subtract 1. That is going to be the width of your back skirt piece. The length is up to you, refer to the dress you were using for skirt length. The front panel of the skirt should be the same width as the bodice. The pocket accent pieces should be half the width of of the bodice x 5 inches.

My measurements for a 12 month size dress were:

back skirt piece 19X12, front panel 10X12, pocket pieces 5X5

With the coordinating fabric you need to cut 2 pieces that are half the width of the bodice and the same length as the skirt. This is your back pocket piece. Then cut 2 pieces half the width of the bodice by half the length of the skirt pieces. This is the top pocket piece.

My measurements were:

back pocket piece 5X12, top pocket piece 5X6.

Sounds like a lot of math I know! But if you want to make it much simpler you can ditch the pockets and make two rectangles that are double the length of the bodice!

The first sewing step is to lay the two main fabric bodice pieces and two coordinating bodice pieces and lay them right sides together, and sew up the sides.

Make sure you serge or zig zag stitch around the bottom of both pieces. Then turn one of the pieces right side out and stick it inside the other. Pin around the whole top and clip the curves.

Sew all the way around, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Turn it right side out and press.

Bodice. Done.

Zig Zag around each rectangle piece on three sides, leaving the bottoms undone since the bottom will be hemmed anyway. I should have done that, but as you see in my pictures I didn't...ooops.

Now get your pocket accent pieces and fold them in half and press. Then lay it on top of the top pocket piece and sew together.

Then lay this piece on top of your back pocket piece and pin like so:

Do this with both pockets, then lay them right sides facing on top of the front skirt panel and sew. Press the seams out. It should look like this:

This is now the front skirt panel. Lay the front skirt panel on the back skirt panel, right sides together, pin and sew. Press the seams out. Now you have a skirt! Hem it now.

Use a basting stitch all the way around the top to gather the skirt:

Then turn your bodice wrong side out, put the skirt inside it and pin it all the way around.

I was planning on using the striped side of the bodice as the outside, but at the last minute I decided to use the polka dots. I didn't realize the polka dot fabric would wrinkle so badly....facepalm.

Sew all the way around and you're DONE!!!

Tie those shoulder sashes and put it on the little princess!
Now that she's walking I have a moving target...
Aaaaaw, I love them!