One really fun part of the online sewing community is getting the chance to sew up other people's patterns and tell you about them. It's no surprise to anyone that I love to sew knit dresses. My friend, Amanda, recently came out with a great knit dress pattern. I love the shape. Easy wear bodice and a fun skirt that can twirl. I was am so happy to be joining the pattern tour! I give you The Skater Dress.
Super cute, right?? The Skater Dress pattern comes in sizes 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8. With just 4 sizes to choose from you can't go wrong! I used size 3/4 and my daughter is usally a solid size 4. The bodice fit perfectly! I shortened the dress about 3-4" to fall right at knee length for her.
I actually didn't cut the excess off the dress I just hemmed it up. That way I'll be able to let it down as she grows. Awesome.
I found this houndstooth knit at the Michael Levine Loft in January. They have great knits. I get a lot of my fabrics there. This one would look great for this dress.
When most people think of a skater dress I'm pretty sure they think ice skating. But here in the OC it's just skateboarding that comes to mind. She bought this skateboard with her Christmas money. Got to start them young!
Make sure you stop by Kitschy Coo and check out Amanda's blog and shop. Besides great patterns, she also sells AWESOME knits. She's in the UK so if you're there you're in for a treat. Of course, you can buy them from anywhere if you want to pay the shipping. You won't find knits like these anywhere else.
Linking to Flamingo Toes, Sew Chatty, Sew Country Chick, Girl Inspired
to make the gathered side 10.5" long just as the short side. It will be a square.
I knew I wanted to make a doll for my niece for Christmas. The Storybook Doll was the perfect fit. Except I changed it. Because I didn't want a white doll with yellow hair. I wanted this doll.
. Of course. And once I made one hat, others were requested. This is what I've got so far.
After, I took the paper off the back of the design... 
and ironed it on the shirt with the shiny side down.
For an extra hold, I stitched all along the outside and inside of my design. 
And there you have it, one Word Girl shirt!
For the cape, I cut out a large rectangular piece of fabric. (I just held it up to my girls and made sure I liked the length.) I hemmed the sides and bottom of the cape to finish the edges. 
Then I folded down the top, making sure there was enough room for my elastic.
For the elastic, I measured it around my girls' necks, cut it and threaded it through the top of the cape. 
Once I got the elastic threaded far enough through, I made sure to 
Two word girl outfits in one afternoon & two very happy girls! 
My nieces live in Arizona - so you'll have to just imagine how cute this will look on. ;) This is a super simple set - it comes together really quickly!! You can make it with any fabric - but I love using the inexpensive satin that is in the fabric store now for Halloween. To make the whole set, you'll need a little less than a yard of satin, a roll of sequined elastic, a roll of sequin trim, and coordinating ribbon. (All came from Joann's) To make the capelet, cut out 2 large half circles. This is easiest to draw out by tying a string to a pencil, then holding the string in the top center and drawing with the pencil in a half circle. The radius of mine is 4" for the top, 12" for the bottom, you can easily adjust this for your little ones. I'm making this for a 3 year old. 
Sew the pieces right sides together, leaving a small opening for turning. Clip the corners and curves before turning right side out. 
(I must apologize for the background on this tutorial - I thought this gray polkadot would be a cute contrast to all the white satin, but after scrolling through all these, I am slightly dizzy. Nice.) Turn the capelet right side out and press. Topstitch around all the sides and curves. 
Trim all but the top inside curve with the sequin trim. I used a heavy duty needle and had no problem sewing right down the center of the trim. 
Trim the inside half circle with your pretty ribbon, leaving the ends long enough for tying. 
For the skirt, I cut a long piece of satin 15" x 30". Place the two short sides right sides together and sew. Make a small hem along the bottom by turning under twice and sewing. 
Zigzag around the top of the skirt to cut down on the fraying. Cut a length of sequined elastic the same length as your little one's waist measurement. Sew the two ends together. Pin the elastic to the skirt, stretching it to the satin as you go. Sew on the elastic, lining it up with the top of the skirt. Stretch the elastic as you go, when you release it, it will gather up the skirt. 
Sew the ribbon from the capelet along the hem of the skirt for a little more trim. 
Super easy right?? I love that it's easy for them to pull on or take off themselves. 
You can easily whip up a matching headband too - just measure out with the sequined elastic how much you'd need for an elastic headband. Sew the ends together and add a sweet satin rosette! 
That's it!! A super cute, easy outfit that is perfect for a princess, a bride, or even a fancy nurse in a pinch. ;) I hope you like it! 
Andrea thank you Soooo much for having me! I am loving this series - so many cute ideas!!
