Bumblebee Dress Tutorial (Smocked Auction Knockoff)

At long last!!!  I've finally made a tutorial for the dress I made back in October!  (Read about it here - it's a knock off from one of the Smocked Auction dresses)

***UPDATE - the finished pattern is available!  Read about it here!****

I've had several people say I should make a tutorial so that is exactly what I'm bringing you today!  There will be a graded version for purchase in the near future but you will also get a second style along with the dress pattern.  A "View A" and "View B" - but I'm jumping the gun and putting up this post before "View B" has been conceptualized!

This is a super popular style for monograms and that is what I'll be doing with this adorable black and white chevron!  I didn't have time to add the monogram but when the pattern is available I'll put some pictures up of my sweetie niece in her dress (and of course Aunty Rae-Rae will make a matching bow!)



*Disclaimer - this is only a tutorial......the pattern is available in the shop!*

SUPPLIES
A bodice pattern to draft your size
Tracing paper
Fabric (not sure on yardage - I think I used 3/4yd for a 3m)
Button(s)
Sewing machine/thread/notions

 Here are the pattern pieces that I used to create the 3 month.  I will give you my measurements and you can determine what you will need for your size.  I have a sizing chart here that might be helpful!

Starting from top left -
BODICE FRONT MAIN - 2 pieces - 1 cut on fold, the sides are cut 2 mirror.
(Take your bodice pattern and cut about an inch away from the neck line to separate the pieces.)
BODICE BACK MAIN AND LINING - cut 2 mirror for main and lining fabric.
SLEEVE - cut 2 on fold
underneath the sleeve is the SLEEVE BOTTOM RUFFLE.  For 3m I cut 14"long by 3"tall (2)
BODICE FRONT LINING - cut 1 on fold
BODICE FRONT RUFFLES - cut 2 - 3.5"long by 12"tall
SKIRT - cut 2 - 25" long by 13"tall (I originally cut it 9 inches tall but it was more of a tunic on my niece than a dress.  It needed about 4 extra inches.)

OK - let's get started!!!
Lay out your bodice front pattern pieces.  Fold the ruffles in half longways wrong sides together.

 -

Sew a gathering basting stitch on the raw edge of both ruffles.  Gather to fit the height of the bodice.

pin the ruffle raw edges together with the bodice front.  Sew in place.

Now lay the side piece on top, sandwiching the ruffle.  Sew and finish the seam.

Press the seam to the middle of the bodice and top stitch in place!

Repeat for the other side!

Here's the back side view.

Now, attach the back section at the shoulders - place fabric right side together and sew only the shoulder seam.  Repeat for the other back section.

Finish shoulder seams and press to the back

Construct your bodice lining by placing the back and front right sides together and sew the shoulder seams.

Now, attach your bodice MAIN to your bodice LINING!  Place right sides together.

Pin all the way around the neck and down the back center.

Sew around the neck curve and back - clip curves and corners.

Now, turn everything right side out - your side seams/armholes and bottom seams are still unfinished with raw edges.  We are going to sew the side seams now so that we can attach the sleeves to the armholes as "set in" sleeves.  I found this to be the best way to have a nice looking sleeve.  I've sewn sleeves in "flat" before which is where you leave the side seam unfinished and sew all the way up the side seam and the bottom of the sleeve.  With this type of bodice a set in sleeve is the way to go!

To sew your side seams, put the lining sides right side together and sew and the main sides right side together and sew.  Repeat for the other side.  Finish the seam and press to one side.

 

Now for the sleeve construction!!!  Sew a basting stitch at the top of your sleeve curve - about 3-4" long.  We'll use this to help fit the sleeve to the armhole

Fold in half and sew the short end of the sleeve.  Finish the seam.

Now let's "set in" these sleeves!  Here's a view of the inside of your dress.


Pin the sleeve right side together with the right side of the main bodice.  Line up the underarm seam with the side seam.  Use the basting stitches to center the top of the sleeve and pin in place.  Sew and finish the seams.

Now, take your sleeve ruffle pieces and sew the short ends together to make a tube.  Finish the seams.

Hem the bottom of each sleeve ruffle

Sew a gathering basting stitch along the top of the sleeve ruffle.

Gather and pin to the bottom of the sleeve with right sides together.  Sew and finish the seam.



Now let's move on to the skirt!  Sew the sides seams together and finish the seam.

Hem the bottom of the skirt

Add a gathering basting stitch to the top

Match up the side seams of the skirt with the side seams of the bodice. (Right sides together with the bodice main fabric and the skirt fabric.) When you are looking at the back of the bodice, overlap the back and pin in place.  Just watch out for that pin as you attach the skirt to the bodice!


Gather the skirt until it fits against the bodice.  If you want it to look like the Smocked Auctions dress, put most of the gathers in the center of the bodice and let the sides be less "ruffly".

Don't forget the pin at the back! :)  Sew the skirt to the bodice (main and lining.)

Finish the seam and make sure you "caught" the bodice lining along with your main fabric and skirt.

Press your skirt seam up to the bodice and top stitch in place.  Add buttons or snaps to close the back!  Since this is an itty bitty dress (3months) I just added 1 snap to the top but I think larger sizes would look good with 3-4 buttons and buttonholes.


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The look of this dress is so adorable and I can't wait to sew another for Eva Mae!


I think contrasting ruffles would also really stand out and look cute!

She is so tiny!  I definitely have baby fever when I get to hold her!
 

Thank you so much!

 And don't forget to check out my 2 free patterns! 

Sweet & Simple Bloomers 

Scrubby Jams Top 

 

Daisy Dress by Sew Like My Mom

Melissa over at Sew Like My Mom has a wonderful blog with great tutorials!  In fact, before we started communicating through e-mails and Facebook, I had bookmarked her site for her pillowcase dress tutorial a long time ago!  If you are brand new to sewing this is a great first project!

Today I get to show you her first PDF pattern called the Daisy Dress!

This is an easy tiered dress that is perfect for summer or even cooler weather with leggings and a long sleeve shirt underneath!




I love the detail on the yoke with the elastic!  Playing with prints and textures is fun with this pattern!  I used fabrics from my stash to make this version!  The bodice is a Riley Blake print and the bottom two tiers are fabrics that I bought from the Martha Pullen sale in Huntsville a few weeks ago!  (I need to blog about all the great deals I got and the great friends I met up with!!!)



The pattern calls for 3 tiers for a maxi dress length but if you are sewing for a little girl younger than a 3T I would keep it at 2 tiers only.  Little ones are still getting up and down a lot and I notice if Eva Mae wears a longer dress she has trouble standing up without stepping on her dress. 

The arm holes are trimmed with bias tape - the bodice is not fully lined so it uses up less fabric!

 

Attaching the yoke is VERY easy!  In fact, from start to finish this dress took less than 2 hours.  And by start I mean starting with printing out the pattern, cutting, measuring and sewing!  If you just count sewing time it was probably around an hour!

 

The back is the same as the front - the only distinction I made is that I put the seam line of the yoke in the center of the back!  The next time I sew this dress I'll add a size tag in the back!

This is also a great pattern for craft fair dresses!  It's fast and easy to sew but it's different than the peasant dresses and pillowcase dresses that you see so often!  Melissa gives permission to sell items made with the pattern so if you want something new to add to your etsy shop or craft fairs this is perfect!

Go check out the pattern now!  Click Here

As an added treat you can win a copy by entering the rafflecoptor below!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
We went to the fair later in the day and I put together a little slideshow of her first carnival ride!  Enjoy!

Reposting - Men's Shirt to Dress Tutorial

Happy Saturday!  I'm reposting this tutorial for turning a men's shirt into a dress!  I made this for a Project Run & Play sewalong and the tutorial for Alida's Calling All Kids series!!!

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The look I created was part of my sew along for the Project Run and Play men's shirt refashion - there's nothing I like better than seeing little girls in their daddy's shirts made into a girly outfit!  

I tossed around several ideas for this challenge and I thought a simple a-line would look cute but I did that already with the Valentine dress.

I also thought using the front placket as the back of a dress would be cute but I've seen that done a lot and I wanted to try something different!

I finally decided on this style while looking at pictures online.  I LOVE collars and I thought it would be fun to incorporate daddy's collar into the dress!  I'm SO GLAD I did!

Here's the tutorial on how you can create the same look!

Cut the sleeves and collar off the shirt

Fold up the bottom of the right side of the shirt so you have enough room to place the bodice.  Cut and repeat again on the same side for your bodice lining.

I created my own bodice pattern that you can have for free.  This should fit around 18-24 months but it's only been tested on my little girl! haha!  Feel free to modify it to your own measurements!

I didn't have quite enough so the bodice lining has a little bit of a seam on the bottom edge.

On the other side of the shirt front, cut out your bodice back on the fold.

Now, to get your skirt pieces, cut out the back of the men's shirt.  I didn't create a pattern piece for this since I wanted to use as much fabric as I could.  I utilized the entire back of the shirt by folding the bottom of the shirt up to the top of the shirt and cutting as close to the edge as I could.  Then I cut the fold so I had two identical pieces.

I cut off the button placket down the front of the shirt to use as the halter ties!
Here's a picture of all the pattern pieces:
Halter ties (from front placket)
2 skirt pieces (from back of shirt)
2 bodice front pieces (from right side of shirt)
1 bodice back piece (from left side of shirt)
2 collars (from the collar!)

Baste your collar onto the front bodice piece.  Trim the extra length.

Place your halter ties on top of the collar on the shoulder

Place your front bodice lining pieice on top, sandwiching the halter ties and collar.
Stitch a straight stitch from the under arm seam, across the shoulders and neck, to the other underarm.  Trim the seam.

Turn right side out and press well!

Gather one skirt piece and pin to the front bodice right sides together.  Finish the seam with a serger for a professional look.  Press the seam up to the bodice and topstitch close to the edge.

Fold the back bodice piece in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.

Gather the other skirt piece and sew right sides together just like you did the front bodice.  Finish seam and topstitch close to the edge

 

Now you have a front and a back (the front bodice is laying right side down and back is laying right side up.)

Create a casing for elastic on the back with a straight stitch

Take a safety pin and thread a 9" piece of elastic (for 18-24m) through the casing.  Baste at one end.

Pull the elastic through to the other end and baste in place.  Remove the safety pin.

Place the front and back right sides together and sew all the way from the bottom of the dress to the underarm.  Finish the seams with a serger and press open.

 

Fold and press the bottom hem and stitch.

You are done!  

Bring dress right side out and press!

Front:

Back:

Add buttons or other cute embellishments!

If you create a dress using this tutorial I would love to see a picture!  Send me an e-mail at raeannag@gmail.com!

Here's my sweetie pie in her daddy's shirt!





And the cute little birdie hair clip can be found in a tutorial I guest posted at Welcome to the Mouse House! There's a free printable template to make your own!