Beach Party Top & Dress Pattern

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 Pattern Instructions: Beach Party Top & Dress (size 24M)
This little top and dress were designed with staying cool in mind. My little fiddlehead has to survive the heat of the Louisiana summer, and our
only respite is a trip to the beach for Independence Day. I put together a few of these little ditties to help her enjoy the outdoors all summer,
regardless of the heat!

Supplies
• ½ yard (or ¾ yard for dress) of lightweight, natural fibered fabric. Cotton lawns, voiles, dotted Swiss, seersucker, and lightweight linens are
perfect.
• Additional ¼ yard of contrasting, lightweight, natural fibered fabric for bodice lining.
• 1 package of single fold bias tape for gathering the back (or you can make your own as instructed below)
• ~ 2/3 yard of ¼” elastic, divided (I used two 9.5” pieces. Your toddler may need slightly more or less.)
• Matching thread

Prep Work
1. Cut out pattern pieces as indicated. The two ruffle pieces are for the dress version only.
2. If you would like to make your own bias tape (v. packaged single-fold bias tape), cut 2 pieces on the bias @ 7/8” wide, 17” long (you will
have excess).
• Press in ¼” on each long edge, leaving a single-fold binding strip of about 3/8” wide.
3. All seam allowances are 3/8” unless otherwise indicated

Making the Dress/Top Front

Make bodice
1. Place each bodice piece right-sides-together with its bodice lining pair and pin.
2. As indicated on the bodice pattern piece, mark the place where you are supposed to stop sewing for strap insertion. I use two pins to mark
places where I’m supposed to stop sewing, but you could also use a pencil, chalk, etc.
3. Sew the curved edges only of the bodice pieces to the bodice lining pieces. Leave the side seams and bottom straight edge open.
4. Clip curves and corners, turn right side out, and press.
5. Layout the two bodice pieces right sides up, overlapping so that the total width of the two pieces together is 11”. Once we sew up the side
seams, the total finished width will be 10.25”.
6. Baste the two bodice pieces together along the bottom edges. Once they are basted together, mark the center of this one big piece with a
pin.

Add top front to bodice

1. Along its top edge, mark the center of the front. This should be at the point of the fold along which you cut out the piece. If you’re making
the dress, also mark the center along the bottom edge.
2. Sew two rows of basting (longest length your machine will do) stitches along the top edge, one at ¼” and one at 1/8” from edge. Actually,
the exact placement doesn’t really matter, so long as you stay inside 3/8”.
3. Using the basting stitches from step 2, gather the front so that it matches the width of the bodice.
4. Matching side edges and centers, pin the gathered front to the bodice, right-sides-together.

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 5. With the gathered side down, sew the front to the bodice. Having the gathered side down will help your gathers to stay even and not get
pulled/smashed to the side.
6. Trim seam allowance to ¼”, finish, and press toward bodice.

Add ruffle to bottom of the front (dress only)

1. Along its top edge, mark the center of the front ruffle. This should be at the point of the fold along which you cut out the piece.
2. Attach the front ruffle to the bottom edge of the front, following steps 2-5 above.
3. Trim seam allowance to ¼”, finish, and press up toward front.

Making the Dress/Top Back

Add elastic to the back
Note: You can skip the steps below by using elastic thread in the bobbin of your machine and sewing a few rows between the top and the 2” line.
Just remember to hem the top edge by ¼” first! I like to do the below because using a pretty, contrasting bias tape adds a nice detail and results
in a cleaner, more finished look.
1. On the wrong side of the back, draw a line 2” down from the top edge. This will mark the bottom of the lower casing for the elastic. Also,
if you are making the dress, mark the center of the lower edge. This should be at the point of the fold along which you cut out the piece.
2. Place and pin one 17” piece of bias tape (packaged or made as directed above) right-sides-together with the top edge of the back. Note
that this is NOT the side you just marked.
3. Sew ¼” from the edge, which should be in the fold line of the bias tape.
4. Turn tape to the back of the back piece, wrong-sides-together, press, and then sew very close (1/8” or less) to the lower edge. This creates
a casing for your elastic.
5. Take your second piece of bias tape and lay it out with its right side against the wrong side of the back. Line up the upper fold with the line
you drew in step 1, and pin in place.
6. Sew in the “ditch” of the fold of the bias tape. Then fold bias tape up and over this seam, and press in place.
7. Sew very close (1/8” or less) to the upper edge of this bias tape. This creates the second casing for your elastic.
8. Cut two pieces of ¼” wide elastic to insert into these casings. My daughter is kind of narrow, and I cut the pieces to 9.5” long each. If
you’re unsure how much you need, measure your child from side seam to side seam and cut exactly this much, unstretched, as a start
point.
9. Insert a safety pin into the end of each piece of elastic and thread through the casings. Pin the edges of the elastic to the edges of the
back, and then tack down with your sewing machine.

Add ruffle to bottom of the back (dress only)

4. Along its top edge, mark the center of the back ruffle. This should be at the point of the fold along which you cut out the piece.
5. Attach the back ruffle to the bottom edge of the back, following the same procedure you did for the front ruffle, including finishing and
pressing the seam allowance up.

Assembling the top or dress

1. Place back and front right-sides-together, carefully lining up top edges. Any differences in total length can be adjusted in the hem. Sew
side seams, trim seam allowances to ¼”, finish, and press seam allowances toward back of garment. Don’t skip the pressing!

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 2. From right side of garment, topstitch side seams 1/8” away from seam line. This will force these seams to lay flat under your toddler’s
arms, making the garment more comfortable.
3. Turn up hem ¼” to wrong side of garment, press, turn up another ¼”, press again, and stitch.

Make and add the straps

1. Fold straps in half lengthwise, wrong-sides-together, and press. This marks the center of the strap.
2. Open up fold and then fold each long edge to center and press.
3. Re-fold the entire strap in half lengthwise along that original fold line. Press again.
4. Stitch straps closed very near the long, folded edges.
5. Insert about ½” of each strap into the openings you left in the front bodice. Pin in place.
6. Topstitch each front bodice piece separately along curved edges, catching straps in place as you sew.
7. If you want the top to be a halter, put a knot near the loose end of each strap, and you’re done! If you want the straps attached at the
back, move to step 8.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you make your child a halter-top or dress, always supervise your child closely and never let her nap in the top. Straps
can get tangled in all manner of things, so make sure your child stays supervised and safe!

8. Put the top on your child and pin the straps in place at the back. (This will be different for each child so I’m not indicating a length.) My
one piece of advice is to put them a little closer to the center than you might think, because this will help them stay up on your child’s
shoulders.
9. Securely sew the straps in place near the top edge of the back. Trim excess just below the bottom of the top casing (there will be quite a
bit of excess).
10. Finish raw edge of strap, and tack to back along lower edge of casing.

Congratulations! You’re ready to beat even the Louisiana heat this summer ☺

http://fiddlehead.blogspot.com . Happy Sewing!

http://fiddlehead.blogspot.com . Happy Sewing!
http://fiddlehead.blogspot.com - Happy Sewing!
http://fiddlehead.blogspot.com . Happy Sewing!
http://fiddlehead.blogspot.com . Happy Sewing!
http://fiddlehead.blogspot.com . Happy Sewing!
http://fiddlehead.blogspot.com . Happy Sewing!
http://fiddlehead.blogspot.com . Happy Sewing!