Bari J.

Bijoux Maxi Dress

I have so much to tell you about quilt market and so many pictures to show, but this sweet face wanted a Bijoux maxi dress for the last day of school (tomorrow), and I couldn't resist her charms. Look at that gorgeous smile... she just got her braces off! For those of you who noticed, yes, she has taken over my new purse.

I totally winged this dress... Basically, I hemmed the top using my hem foot. Then I added 1/4" elastic by zig zag stitching it on just under the hem (the elastic is just slightly shorter than her measurement). Then I added the skirt which is simply the width of the fabric gathered just a touch. I did the elastic the same way at the waist. I put one seam all the way down the back after the top and skirt were sewn together. I used half inch seam allowances which was a good thing because we found after she put it on that it needed a slit in the back. So she can actually, you know... walk. I simply opened the seam at the bottom 12", slit the seam allowance to the stitching at the top, and folded the slit in 1/4" twice, and top stitched all the way around the opening. I back stitched several times at the top of the opening so that the stitching in the seam doesn't come out. And, no, I didn't bother matching the print. Don't judge.

Prints used: Bijoux Dancing Harvest in Guava for the skirt and Bijoux Embroidery's Fortune Rose for the top.

Happy sewing! 

14 Days of LillyBelle... Day 12. Tube Top.

14 Days of LillyBelle... Day 12. Tube Top.

 
This was probably the easiest and most fun project so far. I'm beyond excited because my teenager said she would actually WEAR something I made. I fashioned this after a tube top she got at Target, and let her pick the fabric. It was interesting to see what she picked (vintage fence in the cool sunrise palette)... and she said she would buy it if she saw it in a store, so I'm feeling like The Bomb Mom! 

Here's how I made this...

 You'll need:

3/4 yard fabric

2 yards of 5/8" elastic

Cutting:

This is for a small tube top...  Em is probably a size 0-3. It's such a baggy/loose piece, that the only real difference will be in length of the elastics and length at the hem.

Measure your wearer, just under the underarms around the top of the chest. Subtract 1 - 2". Cut elastic to that length, then cut in half.

Cut a second piece of elastic 1 to 2" bigger than the first piece. Cut it in half as well.

Measure the wearer from just above the chest, to the mid hip (or longer depending on how long you'd like the top to be), add 4 to 5". Cut a piece of fabric that is the measured length by the width of the fabric. Cut the fabric in half so you have a piece for the front and a piece for the back of the top.

Step by step:

1. Hem: Fold the top edge in 1/4" toward the wrong side, then an additional 1/4". Edge stitch along the inside folded edge.

2. Sew on the top elastic: Using a zig zag stitch, top stitch the elastic to the wrong side of the fabric, just below the top hem. The elastic is shorter than the fabric, so you'll be pulling as you sew to make the elastic stretch from one end of the fabric to the other. The trick here is to start very slowly. Take a couple stitches so the elastic is held in place, then as the fabric comes behind the foot, use one hand to guide the fabric from behind, and the other to stretch the elastic as you sew along. Repeat for the back of the top.

3. Sew the elastic at the bottom: Measure 3 1/2" from the bottom raw edge, and draw a line across on the wrong side of the fabric (I used a heat erasable pen... you can use chalk or another erasable method... even a press line will work). Use your guideline to sew the second piece of elastic on. Repeat for the back of the top.

4. Place the two pieces of fabric, right sides together and use a 1/2" seam allowance to sew each side together. Zig zag stitch or serge to finish the seam. Turn and press.

5. Hem the bottom edge as you did the top.