It's time for another Christmas Gift Craft for the girls!!!
I've got a peasant dress tutorial for you today and then some other fun ideas of things I am also making for Christmas gifts!!
I've never taken a formal sewing lesson. I've had two wonderful women show me a thing or two about how to sew. One taught me how to read a quilt pattern and one taught me how to read a clothing pattern. I am so thankful for their help and wisdom but also thankful that my brain works in such a way that I can look at things and sort of just figure out how its made. This doesn't work all the time but I find that I can often times work something out in my head till it actually works in real life. I've been intimidated by patterns since my first "sewing with a pattern" lesson. I'd much rather just get to sewing...but measuring and cutting carefully is all part of the game. So, when I first started making clothes for my kids I stuck to the simple things like pillowcase dresses and tie shirts. Then I did follow a pattern for another dress that I've made a few times and I love it...but I wanted something simple that would come together with little effort...see, I'm lazy and don't want to mess around with a lot of extra steps. My neighbor told me about the peasant dress she had learned how to make at one of her MOPS meetings and I was intrigued. Four rectangles with a little notch cut out, sewn together, add elastic a hem and call it a dress. Yes please. These are almost easier to make than the pillowcase dresses!! So, please remember that I am no seamstress and I probably don't do things correctly...but here's my version of the peasant dress!Edited: I forgot to add the link to the sizing chart! You can find it here!!! Sorry!
Cut out four rectangles of some gorgeous fabric according to the measurements for the size you desire.
(You can do all four rectangles in the same fabric or pick a coordinating fabric for the sleeves.)
Fold the rectangles in half wrong sides together and stack the four rectangles on top of each other.
You will have eight pieces to cut through.
Cut a "J" shapped notch into the top left corner of all eight pieces of fabric (you don't want to cut the folded side).
Take one sleeve piece and one body piece and sew the notch part with right sides together
If you have a serger use it to serge the edge otherwise just use a zig zag stitch near the edge.
Repeat this process with all four pieces that you cut the notch out of making sure to fit the sleeves on properly.
You should have a piece that looks like this when you finish these steps.
Then fold the dress in half right sides together and sew from the end of the arm all the way down to the end of dress.
Follow up with a zig-zag stitch or use your serger again.
Don't worry, I know it look gi-normous but it'll get better! I promise!!
Fold the top edge 1/4 inch and then 1/2 inch to create a casing for your elastic.
Once you get your elastic in, sew it together and then close your opening.
I like to sew a small vertical line through the elastic just to make sure it stays in place and doesn't flip over on me.
I sew that line close to where the sleeve fabric meets the body fabric so no one can see it.
There are a number of different ways to do the sleeves...here's my way.
I like to add some elastic to the sleeves but don't like to just have a small casing for elastic at the bottom.
I took it one step further and left a little extra fabric to sort of make a ruffle.
So, start by making the 1/4 inch fold then make a bigger fold like 2-3 inches and iron it down.
Then sew the first line about 2 inches in depending on how big you want your ruffle to be.
Then sew close to the edge of 1/4 inch fold to create the casing, again making sure to leave room to insert the elastic.
Insert the elastic, sew it together and then close the opening of your casing.
I hate to hem things...so I usually try to find a way around it.
With these dresses I just added some ribbon to the bottom of the dress.
Sew the ribbon to the wrong side of the dress then fold it around to the front and top stitch it down.
I don't have this down to a science yet but it works.
That was clear as mud hey?
Let me know if you have any questions.
Leave any questions in the comment section and I'll try and answer them as best I can!
Stand back and admire your work.
Try it on your little model and see how it fits.
If it's made to be a size bigger than your child wears (like mine is here)
then just tell yourself that it won't look so much like a pillowcase when the bigger kid wears it!
You can also make something cute for their hair to go with their cute dress!
Like I did so go with these other peasant dresses that I made...
Here are some other ideas...
Monogram bow holder
wood letter, paint, scrapbook paper, ribbon and cute bows! easy peasy!
Canvas Name Paintings...
Reversible Felt Crowns
Felt Food
In a couple of weeks I will have something that goes with all this felt food that would be a great gift...but it's not quite finished yet!
Also just so you know I have an etsy store and will be placing a few select items in my store in a few weeks if you don't have time to make any of these goodies yourself!
Sorry for going on so long thanks for sticking with me!
I just discovered your blog. I hope you'll be selling some of your felt food in your Etsy shop. It's soooo cute and would make great Christmas gifts. :)
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