Sunshine Day Tunic and Clam Diggers – Tutorial

 

 

Well, the name is Sunshine Day BUT the pictures for this were taken on the COLDEST day we have had since moving here!!!!! LOL There was no way I was going to make Cailey stand outside in 40 degrees…..

 

For some reason this outfit (or maybe just the striped fabric) reminds me of…….

 

 

Y’all remember that, right??? LOL I loved watching Brady Bunch reruns after school when I was a kid.

 

 

ANYWAY…. Here is the tutorial.

 

 

What I used – 

3/4 yard of the stripes (very silky and flowy)

1/4 yard of the gold cotton for the yoke at the top

1 yard of heavier, stretchier cotton for the clam diggers

1″ elastic

 

 

 

 

I had this idea… I was going to make the front and back yoke one piece…. with lining….. Yeah… I even cut a muslin (above).

It took me a bit to figure out the problem. LOL

One I realized that I wouldn’t be able to turn it right side out after sewing the lining, I resigned myself to 4 pieces instead of 2.

 

 

So, then I made a pattern piece after much measuring and figuring. LOL

 

 

 

 

Pin the lining pieces to the main pieces and sew all around, leaving the bottom open.

 

 

 

Clip the corners, turn right side out and press.

 

 

 

Cut the pieces for the bottom of the tunic. I cut the top of it about a 1/4″ wider than the bottom of the yoke.

Make it as long as you like, widening as you go and curving the bottom.

 

 

 

Pin the bottom of the yoke to the top of the bottom piece, with right sides together. Sew then press your seams.

 

 

 

 

Now, pin the front to the back, with right sides together. Sew the shoulder and the sides.

 

Next, fold up and press 1/2″ on the bottom. Then fold up and press 3/4″. Sew the hem.

 

 

 

Remove the cat from your work space.

 

 

 

Grab a pair of your child’s pants to use as a cutting guide for the clam diggers. Turn up the leg bottoms to your desired length.

 

 

 

 

If you have a right side/wrong side fabric, you will want to flip the pants guide over to cut the second leg.

 

 

 

Sew up the inseam from the bottom to the start of the crotch curve.

(If your child is very small, you will want to hem them first.)

 

 

 

Turn one leg right side out and slide it into the other leg. Pin and sew.

 

 

 

Now for the elastic casing. Fold over 1/4″ and press. Fold over again by just over 1″, press and sew the casing, making sure to leave a section open to insert the elastic.

 

 

 

Pin the ends of the elastic and insert into the opening.

Then pull both ends out and secure with zigzag stitches.

Sew the opening closed.

 

 

 

Fold up and press the bottom of the legs by 1/2″. Fold up and press another 1/2″ and sew the hem!

 

 

Turn right side out and press!

 

YOU ARE DONE!!!! 😀

 

 

As always, let me know if you have any questions. You can always use the Contact Me button at the top of the page.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

 

 

 

Holiday Crushed Velvet Top Tutorial

 

 

Here’s a tutorial for a top to match the Pink Fig Designs Market Day Gauchos! 🙂 Well, at least MY version of the Market Day Gauchos! LOL

I used the same colors of crushed panne (crushed velvet) for the top AND I made a little matching hair bow. For the bow I just tied scraps of the crushed velvet onto a ponytail holder. 😉

 

On to the tutorial!

You will need-

1/2 yard of main fabric

Scraps in the coordinating colors for the sleeve ruffles

A shirt that fits your child well to use as a cutting guide

 

 

 

Yes, yes.. I know… A Justin Bieber shirt but she’s only 8, cut her some slack! LOL

Fold the t-shirt and place it on the folded fabric. Cut around the shirt leaving space on the side for seam allowance.

 

 

 

Here is what it will look like.

 

 

 

 

Place the shirt part that you just cut on the folded fabric and cut around it for the other piece.

 

 

 

Cut one of the necklines a little lower for the front of the top. Make sure not to take any off the shoulders. 😉

 

 

 

To cut the sleeves, place the shoulder even with the fold in the fabric and cut around the armhole. Then drop down a bit below the armhole and cut the rest of the sleeve.

At this point I was thinking long sleeves…. LOL I usually just fly by the seat of my pants when I start sewing. 😉

 

 

 

Here is where I decided to cut the black part of the sleeve shorter so that I could add the ruffles. I measured Cailey’s arm from shoulder to wrist and then cut the sleeve at 8″ . Her arm measured 15″ but I knew some of the length of the sleeve would become seam allowance. 😉

 

 

 

Now, to cut the strips for the ruffles! I cut them 3″ in width and 15″ long. I cut 3 for each sleeve.

 

 

 

Here is what they look like!

Now, you are going to pin those tops together! Then run a row of gathering stitches across the top.

 

 

 

Pin the gathered edge to the bottom of the sleeve, right sides together, adjusting the gathers as needed.  Sew together!

 

 

 

Here is what it looks like so far! 🙂

 

 

 

Place the back on the front, right sides together, pin and sew the seam! 🙂

 

 

 

 

This is that OTHER way to do sleeves… LOL Place the sleeves to the armholes, right sides together and pin like crazy! LOL Then sew the sleeves to the armholes!

 

 

 

Here’s what it looks like so far!

 

 

 

Almost done!!! Pin up the sides of the top and the bottoms of the sleeves. Now, sew the side seams!!!!!

 

Turn right side out and you are ALLLLLLLL done!!!!! 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you like this! Let me know if the tutorial is easy to follow! If you have ANY questions, don’t hesitate to leave me a message or use the Contact Me button at the top of the blog and shoot me an e-mail!

 

 

 

 

COOL COTTON CAFTAN TUTORIAL

There I was……Sitting quietly and contemplating the dress I was about to make for myself… When, BAM!!!!! Inspiration struck again! LOL This time my eyes landed on the pink Hawaiian print cotton gauze that I picked up out of the remnants bin at Hancock’s for $2.  That’s when it hit me. It would make the cutest caftan for D!!! So I called her downstairs and showed her a sketch of what I had in mind. She seemed to love it! 😉 YAY!!!! I got right to work on it!

I had just over 2 yards of the cotton gauze and used almost all of it. I wanted it to be nice and loose just like a caftan ought to be. 😉

So here is what you will need-

2 yards of cotton gauze

2 packages of coordinating bias tape

That’s it! That’s all you need! 😉

Step 1 –

Remove the cat from the fabric…. It’s started already! LOL

Then measure and while folded, cut to the length you want leaving the selvages for the sides. D liked the thought of the fringy selvages being left on. I agreed. It looks cute that way. 😉

Step 2-

While still folded, cut the neck line. I cut this one in a boat neck style.

Step 3-

Remove the cutesy wootsie kitty from the fabric.

Yes, she is new. LOL I found her today at the dump. Someone had dumped HER!!! GRRRRR!!! She is such a sweet little loving thing! I knew we had to bring her home with us. J1 named her Cloud. She does look a little like a cloud leopard…. LOL

Sorry, ANYWAY! 😉

At this point slip the caftan over the head of the intended wearer and mark up the sides with pins.

Step 4 –

Now, open up your bias tape and pin it around the neckline. Sew it in place. DISCLAIMER 😉 This is not the “right” way to do bias tape but I find it works just as well and takes A LOT less time! 😉

Step 5-

Here I took a pencil and drew a straight line where I had pinned the sides. Then I just sewed a straight line down, creating the side seams.

Step 6 –

Time to hem!! This hemming is going to be a bit different…. LOL I SHOULD have hemmed it up before I put in the side seams…… But I didn’t… Sooooo I had to hem it on the right sides. No big deal but not the way it’s “supposed” to be. 😉

Anyway, press, pin and hem!

Step 7 –

Mark where you would like the openings for the ties to be.

Step 8 –

Then I used my buttonhole feature on the sewing machine to make the openings for the ties.

My buttonholer and I are still getting to know one another so that is NOT the neatest buttonhole you will ever see…… LOL  I’m just happy it worked at all! 😉

After you have your buttonhole, use your seam ripper to open it up.

Step 9 –

I took a package of bias tape and measured it around D at an empire waist height. Then I sewed the bias tape together to create a thing tie. 🙂

Insert it into the openings and you are DONE!!!

I think it would make a nice pool cover-up or even a pretty blouse with some white linen capris. 😉

I hope you like it and give it a try!! 🙂