Tutorial: Ruffle Skirt for American Girl or other 18″ dolls
- At September 09, 2013
- By Kelly
- In Tutorials and Sew Alongs
- 6
Hello!
Here’s a tutorial for you today! I had a little bit of ruffle fabric leftover from Zoe’s skirt. I’ve been trying to slowly build up some doll clothes for her birthday this fall. Shhhhhhhh! Don’t tell!
Now that the kids are back in school, it’s much easier to borrow one of Zoe’s dolls. Julie was nice enough to get up from nap to help me out.
This is an easy skirt! You will need:
one piece of cotton/lycra knit 10″ x 1.5″ for the waistband – it should stretch the long way!
one piece of ruffle fabric, about 16″ x 7″ for a below the knee skirt (shown at the top of this post) or 16″ x 4.5″ for knee length, as shown at the bottom of this post
(this might depend on your fabric, but in my case, it meant either 6 or 4 rows of ruffles)
Wonder Tape and your preferred notions for cutting and sewing
Cut your waistband to 10″ x 1.5″
Fold waistband right sides together so it is 5″x1.5″ when folded. Stitch ends together.
Fold waistband wrong sides together the short way and mark the quarter points. I just pin them, you could also use your marking pen.
Once you have cut your ruffle fabric, use your Wonder Tape to help line up the rows of ruffles. Carefully place it on one side.
Make sure the ruffles on the opposite side are lined up with the edge.
Then carefully pull the paper off the Wonder Tape. Pick up the side of the fabric with the Wonder Tape on it. Holding it taut, match it to the other side, right sides together. After it is nice and stuck together, flip it over to check that everything is smooth on both sides. Peek inside the fabric tube to make sure all the ruffles stayed the way they were supposed to.
Now that it’s nice and stuck together, sew the seam.
Leave the ruffle fabric right sides together for now. Find the quarter points on the top of the ruffle fabric tube you’ve just created.
Match up the quarter points on the waistband to the quarter points on the skirt and pin.
Sew the skirt and waistband together, stretching the waistband to fit the skirt.
Ta-da!
That’s it! Julie looks excited about it, doesn’t she? Hopefully Julie can keep a secret. We have to put this away until Zoe’s birthday.
Happy Sewing!
Kelly
Ruffle Fabric Skirt Tutorial
- At July 26, 2013
- By Kelly
- In Tutorials and Sew Alongs
- 1
Today’s tutorial was created by Mel, aka SewingMel, who can also be found blogging at Sewingmel. Thanks, Mel!
This skirt is made based on your measurements, and it can be made for kids or adults. Ruffle fabric can be a bit bothersome, but Mel has documented some tips that made it easier to sew.
Materials:
- wondertape
- 1-2 yards of ruffle fabric
- 2-3″ wide elastic, 1-2 yards-you will need enough to go around your waist where you wear your skirts
- lots of pins
- rotary cutter
- rotary mat
- acrylic ruler
*This tutorial is for a skirt width that is 47″ or less (the width of the fabric). If you need a wider skirt, just cut two panels (1/2 of needed width) as instructed below, and you will make two side seams. Make sure to add your seam allowance.*
Step 1.
Cut your fabric length. My fabric was 24″ long. You will cut the bottom layer under the ruffle so that you can’t see the raw edge. There is no need to finish this edge.
Step 2.
Measure the width of your fabric. My width was my hip measurement +5 inches. It really helps to do this on a rotary mat so that you can make sure that all of your lines are straight. Place an acrylic ruler (or yardstick) where you want to cut your width.
Step 3.
Place a line of Wondertape against the edge of the ruler. Your line should be perpendicular to your ruffle lines. This is why it helps to do this on a lined mat. Do NOT remove the paper backing!
Step 4.
Place your acrylic ruler 1/4″ away from the Wondertape line, and cut using your rotary cutter. I now had my hip measurement +5 inches + 1/4 inch.
Step 5.
Carefully removed the paper backing of the Wondertape. If the tape starts to come up with the paper, carefully put the paper back and press the tape onto the fabric before continuing to remove the paper backing.
Step 6.
Match your raw edge ruffles. Make sure that the fabric is smooth when you place it on the Wondertape. Picture is turned.
Step 7.
Turn fabric over to check that ruffles are smooth. The Wondertape will hold the fabric in place. If fabric is not lined up, carefully adjust fabric.
Step 8.
Serge or sew raw edge. (Don’t worry if you don’t catch all the Wondertape in the seam – it’s going to wash out in the laundry anyway.)
Step 9.
Make waistband by measuring your waist where you like to wear your waistband using your unstretched elastic. Now, pull it tight by 2-3 inches, and cut elastic.
Serge or zig-zag elastic ends before sewing ends together using a 1/2″ seam allowance.
Finger press ends of elastic open (as shown above), and stitch through both layers of elastic 1/4-3/8″ from edge of seam on both ends of elastic. You can kind of see it. **This picture shows this step on the finished skirt.**
Step 10.
Find, match and pin the quarter points on the skirt and waistband, starting with the center back seam of elastic and center seam on skirt (right sides together).
Place the waistband and fabric around your legs, right sides together (non-seamed side of elastic is touching the pretty ruffled side). Stretching just the elastic waistband (it is best to wear jeans for this), match skirt fabric to waistband. Pin every 1.5-2 inches.
Step 11.
Stretching just the elastic waistband to meet the fabric, slowly serge or zig-zag waistband. Do NOT sew over pins. Take your time!
Turn out, and you are finished!
Thanks, Mel! Happy Sewing Everyone!
Kelly
Tutorial: Easy Play Dress
- At May 20, 2013
- By Kelly
- In Tutorials and Sew Alongs
- 0
This tutorial was created for Sewing Mamas by sewingmel, who can be found blogging here.
Items needed:
-your favorite girl’s t-shirt pattern
-knit fabric for bodice
-woven or knit fabric for skirt
-foe or binding for neckline
Step 1:
Adjust your favorite t-shirt pattern. Mine is Ottobre 4/04 #36. If you don’t have this issue, please buy it today! It is so worth it!
A: Draw a line from the underarm seam to the center of your shirt. I drew it slightly sloping down, but you can go straight across if you like. This is the dotted line in the picture below step B.
B: Draw a solid cutting/folding line as far away from the dotted line as you like. I just did a 1" line this time, but I do 2-3" for bigger sizes.
Step 2:
Cut out front, back, and sleeves. This can be done with long sleeves, short sleeves, or no sleeves (you would need foe for the armholes).
Step 3:
Sew up shoulders, and attach sleeves. Pretend that you are sewing up a regular t-shirt for now.
Step 4:
Finish sleeve hems any way you like. I just folded under and used a zig-zag stitch. You could also coverstitch, use a rolled hem, use trim, or use foe. The choice is yours! Be creative!
Step 5:
Pin each arm and underarm together. Sew last seam in shirt.
Step 6:
Decide how long you want to make your skirt. I made mine 16 inches for a 2T/86.
Cut a long rectangle the width of your fabric (if woven) or about double the width of your waist by your desired length.
If you are making a much larger dress, you may need 2 lengths of fabric for the skirt.
Step 7:
Finish your hem any way you like. See step 4. I turned mine under 1/4" and again at 1".
Step 8: Please remember this step! I always forget it!
Mark your four equal parts (front, sides, and back). Your back seam is not finished at this point. I kept in mind that I would use 1/2" seam to take care of the selvage I did not cut off.
Step 9:
Sew 2 gathering lines about 1/4" apart along top edge of fabric. (Pay no attention to the presser foot. The stitches are on the far right.) Gather up skirt.
Step 10:
Match up midpoints of skirt and shirt and pin fabric right sides together. Sew back seam shut.
Step 11:
Sew bodice to skirt.
Step 12:
Finish neckline with foe, binding, or ribbing. I chose foe.
You are finished!
Looks great, thanks Mel!
Happy Sewing!
Kelly
Quick Tip: How to Sew Flat Felled Seams with your Coverstitch Machine
- At May 06, 2013
- By Kelly
- In Tutorials and Sew Alongs
- 0
Today’s quick tip is from Heather, who blogs at Fiberosity. In addition to being a wealth of knowledge when it comes to sergers, Heather creates beautiful modern quilts.
Two pieces of “pattern” right sides up, as they would go together
Fold the piece that will go on top under about 1/4″ – 3/8″ (the green one here):
Lay just barely over the top of the bottom layer, raw edges meeting on the bottom and stitch:
Back side:
You can get the same type of results by stitching right sides together, pressing seam allowances to one side then coverhemming, but this is much faster and the way it’s basically done in the factory….with some modifications.
Thanks so much to Heather for sharing this quick tip with Sewing Mamas!
Happy Sewing!
Kelly
Tutorial: How to Sew Patchy Side Panel Pants
- At April 02, 2013
- By Kelly
- In Tutorials and Sew Alongs
- 0
Today we are digging wayyyyy back into the Sewing Mamas forums for this fantastic tutorial to make patchy side panel pants. This tutorial was created by Tara for Sewing Mamas back in 2005.
Supplies:
- lots of scraps
- a two-piece basic pants pattern
- fabric for the pants pattern and elastic for the waist
- coordinating fabric to line the insides of the side panels
Step 1.
Start with your scrap basket and find scraps that are at least 5″ wide and 3″ tall. All of them should be cut to 5″ wide, but the height can vary if you want the side panels to have different sized patchwork. I cut mine 3″-5″ tall. Then, line them up in the order you’d like them to be, from top to bottom, and serge them together. I do pin mine before serging–I’m a pin freak. You need to make two strips of patchwork; one for each side of the pants.
Here is a photo of some of the scraps before serging:
After serging, from the backside:
Step 2.
Once you have serged all of the scraps together for the side panels, measure them and make sure each side panel is at least as long as the outseam measurement of your pants pattern.
Here is one entire patchy strip, after serging, from the backside:
Step 3.
Take the coordinating fabric and cut two long rectangular pieces to fit each strip of patchwork. Pin and serge around all 4 edges for each side panel.
Here are the strips pinned to the coordinating fabric before serging:
And after serging:
Step 4.
Set aside the patchwork panels, and cut out the pants. I used medium-wale hemp/cotton cord which I coffee-dyed last night. It’s a little darker than the original natural color. Some people take in the width of each of the pieces when they are cutting them, but I like the pants nice and full, so I cut out the pattern without any changes.
Here are my pants pieces, right sides of fabric together:
Step 5.
Take one patchy side panel, one front pants piece, and one back pants piece. Pin one side of the side panel to the outseam of the front pants piece. Pin the other side of the side panel to the outseam of the back pants piece.
Step 6.
Serge along where you have pinned, attaching the side panel to the outseams of the front and back pants pieces.
Repeat with the other side panel piece and the two remaining front and back pants pieces. You will end up with two mirror image pieces of the above photo, and here is what they will look like on the right side:
Step 7.
Right sides together, pin the front and back rises of the pants.
Serge the rise from back to front.
Step 8.
Open up the pants so that you can pin the inseam from ankle to ankle, making sure you match the crotch points exactly.
Serge the inseam from ankle to ankle. Turn right side out, and your pants will look like this:
At this point, I have also serged around the waist and around each ankle hem to finish the fabric and keep it from fraying.
Step 9.
Turn inside out. Turn waist over about 1″ (or enough to accommodate the width of your elastic), pin, and stitch, leaving enough of an opening to feed the elastic (which is shown here with a big safety pin). I’ve also added a size tag and a decorative sun tag.
After you feed the elastic all the way through, overlap the edges of the elastic slightly and stitch to attach them. Then, stitch closed the opening in the waist.
It will look like this:
I’ve also added a decorative leaf tag on the outside of the back of the waist–the colors really matched the side panels:
Step 10.
Now you’re ready to hem the ankles.
All done!
When you’re all done, come share them in our Runway!
Happy Sewing!
Kelly