The "Elastic On The Outside" Skirt (tutorial)

As of now I don't have a brilliant name for this skirt so I am calling it what it is.  I had skirts on the brain because of Skirt Week on Crafterhours.  I had actually made myself stop making the girls skirts for now because, well, they have too many.  But Skirt Week posts inspired me to try to think of something new.  I have done the elastic waist, the tiered, the circle, and even some Oliver and S skirts.  My mind kept drifting to skirts while I was at work yesterday and suddenly I had an idea. 

I have this 2 inch wide hot pink elastic that I have been saving for a while.  I bought a bunch of elastic on Etsy a while ago (which I might never do again due to the shipping cost but the elastic is NICE).   I wanted to make something where the elastic would show. 

This skirt is for my 4 year old who still wears a lot of 3T clothes.  I would call it a 3T/4T.

I started with some plain pink broadcloth (just under 1/2 yard).  Cut the fabric to the length you want plus about 4 inches.  Then cut the width of the fabric to double the waist measurement of your child.  The reason for this is that you are going to stretch the elastic as you sew and if you have too much fabric and a small waisted child, you won't make it around. 

Sew the sides together so you fabric is like a tube. 

Then fold and press the top edge over 1/4 inch to the wrong side. 

Then fold and press about 1 1/2 inches. It doesn't have to be exact because you are going to sew the elastic over the top of this seam.  Pin and sew all the way around. 

Then sew another line of stitches about 1/8 of an inch from the top.  That step is optional but I like the way it looks.

Cut your elastic to the size of you child's waist plus 1 inch.  Sew sides together (wrong side out).  Then sew down the raw edges so they sit flat(you could serge then if you have a serger but I don't have one.  I haven't had much trouble with elastic fraying).

Take the seam of the elastic and match it up with the seam of the skirt.  Pin it ON THE OUTSIDE about 1 1/4 inches down from the top (again, the exact distance doesn't matter too much, you are just going for the paper bag look here).  Pin the elastic in at least four evenly spaced spots.  The fabric is going to look bunched up but you will stretch the elastic as you go. 

Start at the back where you first pinned the elastic to the fabric.  I prefer to start along the bottom of the elastic but it would probably work the other way around too.  Stitch along the edgeof the elastic (backstitch at the beginning and end).  Grip the fabric and the elastic both in front of the presser foot and behind it.  I gripped at the pins.  Stretch out the elastic and feed the fabric through as you stitch the elastic to the fabric.  Repeat along the top of the elastic. 

Finally, hem your skirt.  I folded up 1/4 inch to the wrong side and then abotu 1 1/4 inches again.  I did two lines of stitches again because I like the look.  DONE!

And on the girl. . .

Variations?  Make a ribbon bound hem or add some pockets.  I didn't on this one because I wanted to highlight the "elastic on the outside" feature.  But next time I might add some more details.

If you want to make something like this and you can't find colored elastic, check out this tutorial on coloring it yourself.

Simple Summer Sundress tutorial (sort of)

This is a "sort of" tutorial because I didn't photograph all the way through so much of it is explanation rather than demonstration.  Plus my camera stinks so the photo quality is terrible!  This is an easy summer dress that uses basic techniques but I added a couple of extra details that make it look a little fancier than a pillowcase dress or a straight A-line tunic. 

This is what I did/used for Maya's dress.  She is 4 but she is a small 4.

I used quilting cotton.  This dress needs two rectangles for the main part.  The width of each rectangle should be about 20 inches and the length should be the length you want the dress to be plus 5 inches (measure from about the armpit to where you want the dress to end and then add five inches) I also cut two pieces about 4x 14 for straps.  You could also use ribbon if you prefer.  You will need some elastic for the top.  I used 3/4 inch and it worked well.

Sew the two rectangles together along both sides (right sides together).  Press and then zig-zag, pink, or serge your edges.  I don't own a serger yet so I pink or zig zag.  In all honesty, I don't always press my seams either.  In an ideal situation I would have the ironing board out right next to my sewing machine but I am usually grabbing a few minutes to sew here and there - mostly after the kids go to sleep and before I pass out.  I often finger press.  I also sew at the toddler table in the family room.  It is not a great set up but it is the only downstairs spot where I can have a flat surface and an electrical outlet.

With the dress inside out, fold and press the top of the dress body down about 1/2 and inch.  Then fold it over about 2 inches.  You are going to make a casing with a ruffle or paper bag style top.  Pin your fabric and sew one line all the way around about 1 inch from the top of the dress.  You can sew all the way around without stopping because you are not going to thread the elastic through this seam.  Then sew around again at the edge of your folded fabric.  This time you need to leave an  opening to feed the elastic through.  I backstich at least 3 stitches at the start and end of a line of stitches.  Then measure you child's chest in order to determine how long your elastic should be.  Instead of using a tape measure I would just take the elastic and wrap it around to see what length makes a snug fit. Be sure to add a little extra length to make up for the parts you will sew together.  If you are making more than one dress just measure the elastic after you have cut it and jot it down the length so you know for future reference.  Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic to feed it through your casing.  Zig zag stitch the two ends of your elastic together back and forth a few times and then go back and finish  sewing up the casing. 

Take the two strap pieces and fold them in half lengthwise.  Sew down the long side.  Fold back out to the right side and press.  On the short ends, fold the fabric under about 1/4 inch and topstich around the entire strap for a nice finished look. Pin the straps to the dress and sew along the TOP line of you casing to attach the strap.  HINT:  Sew with the dress right side out so you can more easily blend your strap stitches in with your casing stitch line.

Fold and press the bottom of the dress to the wrong side about 1/2 inch.  Then fold and press another 2 inches.  Stich the hem along the top and the bottom of the folded fabric. 

Done!

New Summer Jammies

Maya has some new summer jammies thanks to the Sewing Dork.  We won the blog givaway she ran a couple of weeks ago.  Maya is thrilled!

Make the Presents, Make the Presents!

The title of this post is from a Friends episode.  CHandler and Monica agreed to make their anniversary gifts but Monica forgot.  When reminded she yells out (something to the effect of), "Make the presents, Make the presents!"

As I have grown more confident with my sewing machine I have started to make more of the gifts I give. 

Above are some gifts I made for my sister who just had her second baby.  The jacket has flannel oe the inside, quilting cotton on the outside, and it has bias trim.  the booties are knit with Lion Cotton Ease yarn using the pattern in Knitting for Baby (a great book).  The washcloths are cotton chenille backed with quilting cotton.  It was a lot of fun to put all these things together for her.

Here is a circle skirt I made for Maya's friend's birthday.  The tutorial is here.  I also made this peasant dress with simple pockets for the same girl.  This pattern is my own. ( I think everyone who sews has to make some peasant dresses, right?)  I have made some like this for Maya too and she loves them.

I find it much more rewarding to make the presents when possible.

Popover Dress

Maya turned 4 today.  Here she is with her doll and her sister.  Her birthday dress is the Oliver and S Popover dress.  It is a free pattern on their website.  There is also a free doll dress pattern.  These dresses were actually some of my first projects when I took up sewing last summer/fall.  Maya picked out that fabric at Joann's and I wasn't sure what I was going to make at the time.  It turns out I had the perfect amount of fabric to make all three dresses.  When I made them I really wanted to save them for Maya's birthday.  I almost caved at gave them to the girls early but I am glad I waited.

Knit Along

I am participating in my very first knit along. It is explained here. I buy a lot of my yarn from Jimmy Beans Wool. I am not sure exactly how I found them. I think I searched for some kind of supply on amazon a couple of years back and they came up as an outside seller. I like their easy to use website, their rewards points, and their fast shipping. Ideally, I would love to be able to go to my local yarn shop to see and feel the yarn for myself but I so rarely get out and when I do I can't indulge in a trip like that.

I downloaded the pattern from Ravelry. Have you signed up yet? It is free and if you knit or crochet you should get on board right away. There are hundreds of free patterns and many more that are fairly priced and available for electronic download.

So the knit along begins today but I am still deciding what yarn to use. I am NOT allowing myself to buy any new yarn for a while. I have a stash that needs to be used. I have a few bundles of yarn that I bought on clearance without a project in mind and they have to be used before I spend money again. I am choosing between Rowan Cashsoft DK and Lorna's Laces Swirl DK. I am leaning towards the cashsoft because I think the gauge will work out better and the feel of the yarn is more similar to the yarn in the pattern I think.

I don't know if I will be able to keep up with the knit along since this is a very busy time at work. I have stacks of papers to grade and averages to calculate. I am hoping to at least cast on tonight!!

Mermaid Dolls

I made dolls for Hannah's first birthday last month. I made dolls ( plural) because making two was easier than dealing with a jealous older sister. Truthfully the idea of making a mermaid doll came from Maya's interest in The Little Mermaid so it seemed only fair for her to get one too. I wanted to make a doll that could be a mermaid or a little girl. I drew my own pattern and my first run wasn't exactly what I wanted but I was able to re-draw the pattern to make something I think is pretty fabulous. I really want to make a few more to keep around for birthday gifts and such but I haven't had a chance.