Handmade Blossom Tree

Pinafore dress - my first tutorial

Little girls pinafore dress tutorial.

A great little dress to make.

This dress is based on my 4 year old, I also took her measurements which I found to be very useful when coming to the strap and dress length.

Cut from your fabric
Skirt - x2 15" x 22" rectangle

Bib - x2 7" x 7" square

Straps - x2 2.5" x 16" rectangle

Back Waistband - x1 22" x 2 3/4"

Front Waistband - 1x 11" x 2 3/4"

Elastic - 11"

Time to get started :-)

1. Take the large waistband and iron in half length wise, then iron on both long edges a 1/4" hem (bias binding). Pin the long edge to one of the skirt pieces right sides together (this will be the back of the skirt) sew along the the edge using a 1/4" seam, open out the seam and iron flat.

Fold over waistband and pin into place making sure you line up with the other side to give you a nice edge, sew along just in the ditch

2. Thread your elastic through the waistband you have just sewn, making sure you don't lose the end, sew long the raw edge of the waistband side with the elastic in the middle.

Then sew the other end of the raw edge with the elastic in the middle, this will start to resemble the skirt back.

3. Take to second large rectangle or skirt front, and we are going to gather it along the top edge, you do this by sewing along the top edge with a 1/4" seam and then pull one of the cotton threads to gather up the edge or if you have a cording foot on your sewing machine you can sew a piece of cord along the top edge using a zig-zag stitch and then pull the cord to gather up the skirt, I have used both methods and find both are as good as each other.

Once you have gathered the skirt front to the width of your models waist front mine was 11" you take you waistband front piece and fold and iron it like you did for the waistband back, then pin it to the

skirt front along the gathered edge, sew in the same way for the back piece.

5. The bib - take both bib pieces, place right sides together and sew around three edges using a 1/4" seam, turn right side out and press, turn in the raw edge and press again, this will leave you with a square bib. Place the bib piece on the back of the front skirt top making sure that it is central I measured mine in to place measuring along each side to make use it was central and then along each length to make sure it was level, pin in to place and sew along the edge.

6. On the bib mark with Taylor's chalk where you want the button holes to go, mine are in each of the top corners of the bib going length wise, sew in your button holes making sure you chosen buttons fit the button hole.

7. Straps - take both strap pieces and fold in half length wise right sides together and sew along top short edge and long raw edge, turn right side out and press, turn in short raw edge and press again, place button onto strap and sew in to place, I measured my models back waist to front chest to see where the button placement should be.

8. Skirt - place front and back skirt pieces right side together, matching waistband seams, pin into place and sew along each raw edge using a 1/4" seam over lock the raw edge or if you don't have an overlocker like me I use a zig zag stitch on a low stitch length and a wide width which gives a nice over locked edge.

9. Straps placement - for this part I buttoned the straps to the bib and then turned the dress over to the back and place the straps over and across to where the looked ok then used my models measurements to make sure the where and good fit, once this was an ok placement I pined the straps and sewed across the strap at the waistband leaving the straps length for growth.

Press your dress and that's it done :-)