Team Spirit Bandana Dress

College Football is officially underway and with today being Team Colors today I thought it was the perfect time to make this adorable little bandana dress.  If you have seen my Hanky Hem Bandana Top then you are off to a great start, because this simple little dress starts off the same way!

 

What you will need for this project

•  2 bandanas (in team colors) - Go Tigers!
• T-shirt
• Grosgrain ribbon - optional

The first thing you will do is cut your bandanas in half on the diagonal so you have 4 triangles as in the picture above.

 

 

Then you need to cut off about 3-5 inches from each end corner depending on the size of your child.  I did 3 inches for my 15-month-old and it still allowed for lots of ruffle.

 

 

Now with right sides facing you will sew the short ends of like bandanas.  Ex. I did my two purple ones together, and my two Clemson print ones together.  Then finish that seam. 

For the next steps I forgot to take a picture so please do not be concerned when you see the bandanas are the wrong color.  I just used these from my bandana top tutorial to substitute.  If you need any clarification on this step you can go here.

 

Open your bandanas up and place one of them inside the other.  Line them up so that they look like the picture above and pin.

Now you will adjust your stitch length to the longest setting and put two rows of basting stitches around the top edge.  DO NOT BACKSTITCH.  There is only one in this photo, but you need two rows.  You will take the long string from the bottom side your work and knot one side so that it sets that work.  Take the long strand on the other end of your work on the bottom and pull, so that it ruffles.  If you have never done this type of gather before you can go here for more information. 

You are going to put your t-shirt inside of your skirt bottom you have been working on. The right side of your bandanas should face the right side of your shirt.  You will adjust the ruffles so that it fits the size of your shirt.  Make sure you align the side seams so that your bandana hem hangs in the right position.  Depending on the length of your t-shirt and how tall your child is you have have to add it up higher on the shirt and cut off some of the length of the shirt.  My shirt was a little long so I cut it off first.  Then when you have everything adjusted accordingly you will stitch your skirt onto your shirt.  Make sure you readjust your stitch length for this step to a shorter stitch length.  Then you need to finish that seam and trim the edges.

Now flip your skirt down and if you wish you can add a ribbon like I did just for some added detail.  Put it on your little girl and CHEER CHEER CHEER!

 

 

Pillowcase Romper Tutorial

Hello everyone! I found this cute green polka dot material at the thrift store a while back and it just really wanted to be made into something and what could be easier than a pillowcase dress?? Well, pillowcase dresses I've done before, and I just wanted something new, something a little different. So, I morphed it into the pillowcase romper!

I will preface this by saying I learned a lot in the process of making this romper. I had several firsts as I created this, but none were truly as terrifying as I had built them up to be. One of those being the snaps... I had never used my snap pliers despite having them for probably over a year. Piece of cake. If I can do it, you can do it. :)  I have made a few adjustments to this tutorial since making this romper Little J is wearing and I will point these things out as we go.

Materials:

• 3/4 to 1 yard of fabric
• 1/2 in. elastic
• 1/4 in. elastic
• 1/2 in. double fold bias tape
• snaps

There are a few measurements you will need to get of your child.

1. All the way around your child's chest.
2. From right between your child's shoulders to ankles.
3. Between your child's shoulders to the inseam (crotch.)
4. Armpit to armpit across the front.
5. Around your child's lower leg (lower calf/shin area.)

Take the number you got for #1 and double that to get the width of your fabric you need to cut.  Take the number you got for #2 and add 2 inches for the length.  My fabric piece is 24 x 38.

Now fold that piece in half lengthwise right side to right side.  Sew down the side with a 1/2 in. seam allowance.

Finish that seam and then iron.  Turn right side out.  Now to make the arm holes, measure 3-4 in. across and 3-4 in. down and mark with a fabric marker or chalk.  (For an 18 month size do 3" x 3".  My arm holes turned out a little too big.)

Now you are going to cut out the shape of a J on both of those corners using the marks you just made.

Turn inside out again and fold the top front piece down 1/4 in. and iron.  Then fold down another 1 in. and iron.  Repeat for the top back piece also.  This will be your elastic casing.

Now sew across the bottom edge of your casing stitching closely to the fold.

Now lay your romper out flat and fold in half.  Take the number you got for #3 and add 1.5 in. to that.  Using that number measure down from the top of the elastic casing.  Mark at the side edge of your romper.

Cut out a piece shaped like my cut in the picture below.

When you open it back up it will look like this.

Now you need to get out some of your extra left over fabric.  Take the piece you just cut from your romper and lay it on top of the extra fabric.  Trace the scrap.  Then you need to make another line 1.5 inches around that.

Cut this shape out.  You will do it twice.  It will look like this.

Turn your romper right side out again.  Lay the U-shaped piece on top of it right sides facing and pin like in the picture below.  You will do this for the front and back side of the romper.

Now you will sew with a 1/4 in. seam allowance around the inside of the legs of your romper one side at a time.

Fold in the outer edge of your U-shaped fabric piece and iron.  It will wrinkle slightly in the curve and that is fine.

 Now take that whole piece and fold it under your romper and iron down.

 Now stitch down along the outer edge of the U-shaped piece. 

Fold up the bottom of each leg 1/4 in. and press, then another 1/4 in. and press.  Hem.

This is what you should have so far.

Now take measurement from #4 above and cut 2 pieces of your 1/2 in. elastic.  Using a safety pin you will feed one piece of elastic into the front of your romper and pin in place, and then repeat for the back side with your other piece of elastic.

Next you want to mark where you will place your snaps.  I spaced mine about 2.5 in. apart around the leg openings.  You want to make it so that the back piece of fabric comes over the front piece to snap.  Look at one of your child's onesies to see what I mean.  Make sure that you have the snaps facing the proper directions before you squeeze them on because they are darn near impossible to get off if you put them on wrong.

Using the measurement from #5 above cut two pieces of 1/4 in. elastic.  Take one of them and place right above the hem on one leg of your romper.  Sew it down 2-3 stitches and backstitch.  Now pull taut and stitch all the way across the leg opening.  Repeat for the opposite leg.

It will create this gathered effect like in the picture below.

Hang in there we are almost finished now I promise!  Take out your bias tape and cut it in half creating two strips for your side ties.  Fold one strip in half to find the center of the tape.  Open up the tape and fold over the side seam in our arm hole so that your ties will be centered.  Repeat for the opposite arm hole using your other strip of bias tape.

Starting at the very end of one of your bias tape strips sew across the short end.  Turn and sew all the way down the side stitching around the arm hole and across the opposite end of the strip.  Repeat for the opposite side.

Ta-Da!  Now put it on your child and take lots of pictures!!

This romper would also look super cute layered with a t-shirt for the fall!  Hope you love it!

Handkerchief Hem Bandana Top or Skirt Tutorial

So you have waited until the last minute to make something for your daughter to wear to that July 4th BBQ and you are strapped for cash.  No worries.  I have a quick and easy solution and your little princess will strut her stuff Americana fashion, and it will cost you less than $5 to boot.  The instructions listed are for 12-18 month size and I will show you how to make a top or a skirt from the same pieces.

What you will need:

• 2 bandanas
• 7/8 in. grosgrain ribbon
• 1/2 in. wide elastic
• thread
• sewing machine

The first thing you need to do is fold your bandanas in half so that they form a triangle like so, and iron them. 

Next you will unfold the bandana, and cut along the fold line left in your bandana.  This cut does not have to be perfectly straight at this point.  This is a very forgiving garment.  Do this with both of your bandanas.

After you have cut both of your bandanas in half you should have 4 pieces.

Next, you are going to take your first bandana half and measure in from each end 5 inches and cut off the end triangles.  It should look like this when you are done...

You will repeat this with all 4 halves.  Then you will take your two matching color bandana halves and place them right sides facing.  Using a half inch inseam you will sew down those short sides where you just cut and finish the ends with either a zigzag stitch or a serger.  These are the only seams you will have to finish.  Repeat with the other two halves and trim the excess.

Next you are going to put one of your bandanas inside the other centering the seam so that you will have 4 triangles showing.  Tip:  The color that is showing on the outside at this point is the one that will be underneath when complete.  You are now looking at the top or skirt turned inside out basically.  Pin the two pieces together around the straight edge.

Now you are going to sew a basting stitch around the top edge just to hold the two layers together while you finish.  This seam will not show so it doesn't have to be perfect.  Mine is terribly crooked.

Now you are going to iron down that top edge all the way around, where you just stitched, by a half inch, and then fold it over again an inch and iron again.  This will be your elastic casing.

Edge stitch around the casing leaving about a one inch opening to feed the elastic through in a few minutes.

Measure your child around her chest for the top or around the waist for the skirt and subtract 1 in. to get the length of elastic you need.  Making the top my elastic is 16 in. long.  Now you are going to feed the elastic through the elastic casing using a safety pin.

When you have finished putting the elastic through the casing you are going to overlap the ends of the elastic by about a half inch or so and zigzag them together.

Now you will put the elastic up into the casing all the way and close up the opening and turn it right side out.  This is what it looks like now.  If you are making the skirt you are done.  Put it on your child and enjoy.

If you are making the top, you will need to get out your grosgrain ribbon.  I cut mine about 7.5 inches long each.  Then you need to seal the ends of your ribbon with either Fray Check or with heat just enough to melt the edge of each end.  Decide where you want to place the straps and pin them.

Stitch across the top edge of your bandana top to secure the strap in place.  Do this for the front and back of both straps.

Now put it on your little angel and let her show her American pride.