Cathy's Tutorials: Sun Dress for Dress-A-Girl-Around-The-World

About Dress A Girl Around the World: A ministry of Hope4Women International, Dress a Girl Around the World shares the vision that every girl deserves at least one dress. For more information, go to www.dressagirlaroundtheworld.com. Skill level: beginning to intermediate. Skills needed: pinning, cutting, straight stitch, backstitching Materials needed: sewing machine, iron and ironing board, scissors, ruler, pins, fabric, 3/4-inch elastic, extra wide double-fold ( -inch) bias tape, Flo's Dress Size Chart,* armhole template,* dress-a-girl label (sold at the Dress-AGirl web store). *Located at the end of this tutorial. Optional: Cathy's Tutorials: French Seams Fabric choices. Flo says, Most important, make sturdy dresses. We need a dress that will last!! Many of these dresses will be washed in rivers or on a washboard with harsh homemade soaps. Choose 100% cotton. If you can see your hand through the fabric, then the fabric is too thin.

Instructions
Step 1. Cut Cut dress fabric, elastic* (2 pieces), bias tape (2 pieces), and pocket fabric (2 pieces) to the lengths indicated in Flo's Dress Size Chart. *Note: For sizes 8 and above, the elastic front is 1 inch shorter than the elastic back. For this tutorial, we are making a size 3 dress. We will cut our dress fabric 23 inches long, two pieces of elastic 6 inches long, two pieces of bias tape 34 inches long, and two squares of fabric 5 inches x 5 inches.

Page 2 Step 2. Fabric Tube For these dresses, we like a finished seam that is durable, wont fray, and looks professional. Our favorite is the French seam. (For more detailed instructions, see Cathys tutorials: French Seams.) Note: Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of each row of stitching. (2a) Fold the fabric with WRONG sides together, matching the selvage edges. (The selvage edge is opposite the folded edge.) Sew a seam along the selvage edge, inch from the edge. (2b) Trim the seam close to the stitching.

(2c) Turn fabric so that the RIGHT sides are together and press along the seam. (2d) With RIGHT sides together, sew a seam 3/8 inch from the folded edge you just pressed.

(2e) Open the fabric, and press the finished seam to one side. The finished product: A fabric tube with a finished French seam!

Step 3. Armholes (3a) Print the armhole templates located at the end of this tutorial. Cut out the template for the size dress you are making. (3b) With fabric tube right side out, fold fabric tube lengthwise.

Page 3 (3c) You will now have four layers of fabric. Pin template to fabric along the edge opposite the fold with a 1-inch space from the edge of the fabric. See photo for proper placement. (3d) Cut out armhole. When you unfold the fabric, you will have two armholesone on each side.

(3e) Turn the fabric tube inside out. Reinforce the stitch under the armhole where you just cut through the seam.

Step 4. Elastic casing (4a) With the fabric tube inside out (RIGHT sides of fabric together), fold down the edge of the top fabric inch and press. Turn fabric tube over and fold the other side and press.

(4b) Fold down the edge of the top fabric again, but this time to 1 inches and press. Turn fabric tube over and fold the other side 1 inches and press. You now have a casing on both the front and back of the garment.

Page 4 (4c) On the top layer of the fabric tube, sew along the inside edge of the casing. Sew a second row of stitching inch from outside edge. Repeat this step for the back of the garment.

(4d) Fasten a large safety pin to the end of one piece of elastic. Insert the pin end of the elastic into the casing. Push the safety pin through the casing, pulling the elastic until the end of the elastic is even with the opening of the casing. (4e) Secure the end of the elastic to the edge of the fabric with several rows of stitching. Guide the pin to the opposite end of the casing, gathering the fabric as you go.

(4f) When the pinned end of the elastic is even with the opposite edge of the casing, remove the safety pin and secure the end of the elastic to the edge of the fabric with several rows of stitching (as you did in the step above). Repeat steps 4d to 4f for the back of the fabric tube.

Step 5. Bias Tape (5a) Find the halfway point of the bias tape and mark it. Unfold the bias tape. With the fabric tube right side out, pin the halfway point of the bias tape to the RIGHT side of the fabric starting at the middle point under the arm. (Note: You are pinning the RIGHT side of the bias tape to the RIGHT side of the fabric.)

Page 5 (5b) Continue pinning the bias tape the entire length of the armhole (from the top edge of one elastic casing to the top edge of the other elastic casing.)

(5c) Sew bias tape to fabric, stitching along the fold that is closest to the edge of the fabric.

(5d) Wrap the bias tape over the edge of the armhole, sandwiching the fabric between the folds of the bias tape. Pin from elastic front to elastic back.

Continue pinning along the full length of the bias tape. At both ends of the bias tape, fold under inch.

(5e) Starting at one end of the bias tape, straight stitch inch from the opened edge. Continue across the fabric to the opposite end of the bias tape. Repeat steps 5a to 5e to attach the second bias tape to the other armhole.

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Page 7 Step 6. Hem (6a) With the fabric tube inside out, fold down the bottom edge of the top fabric inch and press. Fold down again 1 inch and press.

(6b) Sew a straight stitch close to the inner edge of the hem.

Step 7. Pocket (7a) Place one pocket square on top of the other with RIGHT sides together. Sew a 5/8-inch seam allowance along three of the four sides. (7b) Trim close to seam. Cut diagonally across all corners.

(7c) Turn right side out and press. (7d) Turn the bottom edge in inch and press. Important: This open edge will be the bottom of the pocket. (7e) Sew Dress-A-Girl label on the pocket. Decorate.

(7f) Pin pocket to dress with open end at the bottom. Align the top of the pocket with the half-way point between the bottom and top of the dress. Sew pocket onto dress, starting at the top corner, down one side, across the bottom, and up the opposite side.

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Flo's Dress Size Chart

(The following chart has been adapted from Flos Dress Size Chart to accommodate a -inch ruffle at the top.) On all dress sizes, the 44-in width is the full width of the fabric, not the folded width on the bolt. Size 1/2 (0-6 months) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 Cut Fabric Length x Width 18 x 44 20 x 44 22 x 44 23 x 44 26 x 44 28 x 44 30 x 44 32 x 44 34 x 44 36 x 44 Finished Length 14 16 18 19 22 24 26 28 30 32 Elastic ( inch) Bias Tape ( inch, Pocket Front/Back double fold) 6/ 6 6/ 6 6 /6 6 /6 6 /6 7/ 7 7/ 7 7/ 7 8/9 8/9 9/10 27 (cut two) 27 (cut two) 34 (cut two) 34 (cut two) 34 (cut two) 36 (cut two) 36 (cut two) 36 (cut two) 40 (cut two) 40 (cut two) 46 (cut two) 5x5 (cut two) 5x5 (cut two) 5x5 (cut two) 5x5 (cut two) 6x6 (cut two) 6x6 (cut two) 6x6 (cut two) 6x6 (cut two) 6x6 (cut two) 6x6 (cut two) 6x6 (cut two)

40 x 44 (If 36 (Include fabric is 54+ 11 side or wide, then no slit back slit.) is needed.) 42 x 44 (If 38 (Include fabric is 54+ 11 side or wide, then no slit back slit.) is needed.)

14

9/10

46 (cut two)

6x6 (cut two)

Hem the lower edge by turning under inch and then inch.

Armhole Template
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