Rainbow Circle Dress using a T-shirt

Today is smalls birthday and Mothering Sunday so Daddy has to wait on us hand and foot, we are definitely spoilt today. 

Isn't it very annoying when you buy clothing a few sizes up and it gets to wearing time, you pre-wash them and they shrink...then you cant find the receipt or remember where they are from. So sewing machine to the rescue. 

Plus little monster needs more dresses, don't know how she grows to quickly! I'm afraid I haven't got any pictures of her wearing it because Squiggle has been renamed Miss Dot-to-dot, got to love chicken pox. 

What you will need.... 

 

• T-shirt
• 2 types of fabric 
• One pair of jeans (or 3 types of fabric)
• Large sheet of paper or lots stuck together

One

First make a template for a circular skirt. I used a variation of this fabulous tutorial. 

My Maths (who though you would need an A-level in maths for sewing) measure the waste of your child, Squiggles is 20 inches. Add 6 inches to your waist measurement (for the gathering) and divide it by 6.28.

In my case 

(20+6) / 6.28 = 4.14 inches.

Following the instructions from the tutorial, measure down your length on your paper, and using either a protractor or string tied to a pencil draw a 1/4 circle. 

Measure from about 1 inch under your child's arm pit to your desired length, Squiggles was 11.5 inches, and add 1.5 inches for the hem and join. Measure from your previous 1/4 circle down by your length and draw another 1/4 circle. 

Its massive the smaller template is standard size I made a few months ago. This skirt is going to be lovely to twirl in.

Fold the template into 3 with 1 larger and 2 smaller and of even size. Cut your template into 3 and we are ready to go. 

Two

Time to start cutting out the skirt. You will need 4 of each of the 3 fabrics, remember there is no seam allowance on the sides just the top and bottom so add 1/2 inches to each side. 

When the cutting out is done you should have something that looks like this, lovely fabric, the checked are my largest section. 

This is what left of the jeans hahaha perfect for the summer!!

Three
Attach the pieces together with a 1/2 inch seam and then zigzag the edges.

So that 1/4 of the skirt looks like this. Repeat till the whole circle is completed.  

I think it looks very pretty maybe I need to make a floor pillow like this soon.

Four
Cut your t-shirt at 2 inches below the arm hole. Loving the fact my t-shirt has strips made life so much easier.

Five
Gathering - set your sewing machine to its longest stitch and tension to its highest positive (mines +3) then stitch 2 rows around your skirt. Don't over stitch the ends and leave long ends.

Matching up the t-shirts seams to the skirt and pin together on either side. Using the t-shirt side as a size guide pull on the bobbing threads to gather the skirt.

Once your happy with the gather pin the top and skirt together and stitch at 1/2 seam line. You might need to remove the gathering stitches once stitched.

Six
Fold the top over the join by 1/2 inches and stitch though all layers so make a pleat.

Seven 

Hemming - Because of the bulk of the denim I didn't use an enclosed hem just zigzag edged the skirt folded it over and double stitched it. 

And we have a finished dress with a pleat at the waist and and circle skirt.

Now I have to think of things to do with the other 2 t-shirts....

Simple a-line dress with contrasting fabric

I don't know about anyone else but I find that dress become too small long before squiggle has grown out anything thing else of that size. Which of course I have never managed to notice before we travel to see grandparents and that cute dress that I wanted her to wear is to small!!!

Now I will give you squiggle is tall (91st percentile) but she's only average weight. Anyway so I have been making her dresses. And here is a lovely simple one.  

 

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Heres the up-cycling bit making it nice and cheap. I am using a pair of mens suit trousers which I have washed and tumble dried so there is no shrinkage later.

You will need...

You fabric or trousers 

Fabric for contrast 

Buttons 

Thin elastic or ribbon  

Sewing equipment 

One 

I created an a-line dress pattern using one of squiggles t-shirts or use a bought pattern. 

This is how I draft mine. 

You need...

A t-shirt that fits her well

Some drafting paper (I use supermarket own grease proof paper, it's see through and can be ironed) 

Pins 

Ruler

Cutting mat 

Fold a t-shirt in half and place on the grease proof paper on top of your cutting mat. Then stick pin into all the key points around your t-shirt. Make sure you put a few pins along the curves so they are easy to follow. Then take your t-shirt off and draw in your pattern following the in holes. Finally extend the bottom of the t-shirt to dress length, or use an existing dresses length.

Two

Place your dress on the fold of your fabric and cut it out. DON'T FORGET  THE SEAM ALLOWANCE. One for the front and one for the back, you will know the difference because the front is lower.

Three 

Then using arm holes to sketch out a sleeve pattern and measure the length of your t-shirt to get the length of sleeve pattern.
Cut the 2 arms on the fold.

Four

now you should have a front and back and 2 sleeves (you will need to cut out pockets later so don't throw away your extra fabric). I zigzagged around all my pieces, except the back, as they are all ready fraying.

Five
Split down the seam on the back piece about 3 and 1/2 inches. Make sure you stitch over the bottom as it doesn't carry on splinting. you will need 2 inches of thin elastic or ribbon (use more for a larger button). Stitch it into the split about 1 inch from the top and top stitch down both sides.

Six
Pin the shoulders of the front and back together right sides together. Then stitch them together and zigzag back over the edging.

I have no idea why this pictures all fuzzy I am sorry.

Seven

Make your binding tape. I use 1 and 1/2 inches wide strips. 

And attach is to your neck line and both sleeves, You will need some binding for the pockets later.
The easiest why to bind is to open the binding and stitch along the fold at the edge of the fabric, fold over and catch the underside with a stitch.

Eight

Make yourself a template for the pockets and cut out, remembering your seam allowance, and edge them. Add binding to the top of each pocket.

 Finally sew a gathering stitch around the sides and bottom. Pull gently and gather so that the raw edges pull under. Press with an iron.

Nine
Pin your pockets to your dress and sew on. I used a contrasting colour.

Ten
Attaching the sleeves, I find the middle of the sleeve and match it with the seam on the shoulder. Then pin out each side from the centre. Stitch the sleeves in then zigzag the seam.

So you should look something like this.

Eleven 

Again I don't know what my camera was doing. Anyway pin up your seams starting from the armpit (so you can line up the arm seams). Sew closed I start at the bottom and stop with the needle in the fabric at the arm pit, change direction and see along the arm.

Finally tidy up and you may have guessed it zigzag.

Twelve

Attach your button of choice on the back. 

Thirteen 
Hem the bottom of your dress. I had to pin my hem and then sew it because the fabric didn't crease.

And finally you have FINISHED how exciting....

When small woke up she did a good job of modelling the dress, except she dribbled all over it, teething is so much fun.