Gorgeous Girls' Shirred Elastic Dress

GORGEOUS GIRLS’ SHIRRED ELASTIC DRESS

This shirred elastic dress will make both the wearer and the maker happy. It’s an easy sewing project that doesn’t require a paper pattern to sew it up. Girl’s love to wear gorgeous dresses, and this style is not only straps are adjustable. The shirring elastic will stretch as she grows, and the chest measurement to mark out your fabric, this is also a great way to make yourself a summer maxi dress.

MATERIALS DESIGN NOTES Lightweight fabric (see Suggested A 1.5-cm (5/8-in.) seam allowance is fabrics and refer to the chart on page used throughout unless otherwise XX for the amounts) stated. All the seams are open seams (see page XX). Neaten all the raw edges Shirring elastic (also known as elastic of your seams as you work through the thread) dress (see page XX). Co-ordinating sewing machine thread Shirring works best on lighter fabric Basic sewing kit (see page XX) such as a lawn or lightweight poplin. If you use a striped fabric, it can really DIFFICULTY LEVEL help you get the rows of shirring Beginner parallel; a spotted fabric or any pattern with a horizontal direction can help, too.

FABRIC SUGGESTIONS This project is created without a Cotton lawn, lightweight poplin, paper pattern – you just need the silk cotton measurement of the chest, and a measurement for how long you want the dress to be. You can either mark directly onto the fabric or use some paper to make your own pattern ﬁrst.

. N0 65 WORK OUT YOUR FABRIC MEASUREMENTS To work out how far the straps will sit from STITCH THE SIDE SEAMS This dress is made up from two large rectangles for the body and four smaller rectangles for the outside edge, fold one of the body Trim all the excess threads from the sides 1 the straps. To work out how wide you should cut the body rectangles, take the child’s chest 5 pieces in half widthways. Measure from 8 of the dress pieces. Lay one dress piece measurement and refer to the chart below. We’ve given a suggested length here, too, but you can adjust the outside edge to the middle and mark this on top of the other, with the right sides together, it to suit: just measure the child from her armpit to the length you want the dress to be, and then add on point with a pin on either side. This is where your ensuring that the strap edge is at the top. Pin 6 cm (2½ in.) for hemming the top and bottom. For the straps, cut four rectangles that are 4 cm (1½ in.) straps will sit. Open out the fabric again, tuck and stitch the side seams, taking a 1.5-cm (5/8- wide x the length given in the chart. the straps under the double fold at the points in.) seam allowance. marked with pins, and pin in them in place. Pin along the whole of your pressed hem. Repeat FINISHED MEASURES with the other body piece. .

AGE Child’s actual Width of body Length of body Length of chest measurement rectangles rectangles straps

4 5 6 7 8 Machine stitch the prepared hem in place, 9 close to the inner folded edge, then press 10 6 the straps upwards and pin them out of the way. .

MAKE THE STRAPS HEM THE TOP OF THE DRESS The straps will be tucked into the hem at Once you’ve adjusted the ﬁt at the side Fold the ﬁrst strap rectangle in half seams, you need to neaten off the edges. lengthways, with right sides together. Pin 4 the top of the dress. We’re using a narrow 2 The best way to do this is to zig-zag the double-folded hem technique: fold under and 9 the long raw edges together and sew, taking a edge of both seam allowances together, making 1-cm (3/8-in.) seam allowance. press 1 cm (3/8 in.) to the wrong side of the fabric along one width edge of each body piece. a closed seam. This is a really strong seam, and Then fold and press under another 1 cm (3/8 in.), will last well in laundry. Hem the bottom edge so that all the raw edges are now completely of the dress in the same way as the top, using a hidden. 2-cm (3/4-in.) double-folded hem.

Tuck the raw edge of each strap to the Make a small snip at the folded edge of inside, then press and slipstitch the each tube and attach a safety pin around 10 two edges together. 3 the snipped fabric. Slide the safety pin You’re now ready to shir the bodice (see inside the strap. Use the safety pin to pull the Core Skill, pxx). Working with the right side fabric to the end of the tube, turning it out to 7 facing up, start your ﬁrst row of shirring the right side. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the stitches by stitching alongside the fold of the top hem. (For a toddler, six or seven rows should be enough, but you may need to increase this on a bigger dress.) Once you’ve completed one half of

. the bodice, repeat the shirr- . ing processes on the other HACK SHIRRED ELASTIC MAXI DRESS FOR ADULTS

If you want to make one of these for yourself or another adult, the sewing processes are all the same as for a child’s

CORE SKILL Shirring TO WORK OUT HOW WIDE TO CUT This is a really easy technique that gives 3 Start sewing right at the edge of the THE BODY RECTANGLES, USE THIS a lovely smocked effect on fabric. Once fabric, and backstitch to secure the threads. FORMULA: you’ve mastered it you can use it all sorts of Continue sewing forwards, Bust x 1.75 plus 6 cm (2½ in.) divided by 2 = projects, like the hem of baggy trousers or to keeping your stitching line width of your 2 rectangles add shape at the back of a baggy garment. straight. You may see the fabric starting to gather For example, if your bust measures 90 cm (35½ 1 Hand wind the elastic onto the bobbin. a little as you sew, but it in.): 90 cm (35½ in.) x 1.75 = 157.5 cm (62 in.) plus 6 cm (2½ in.) = 164 cm (64½ in.) divided Wind it so there’s a little bit of tension, but not doesn’t always happen on by 2 = 82 cm (32¼ in.) width for both rectangles so that it’s tight. If it’s too tight or too baggy, the ﬁrst row. you won’t get the elasticated effect as you sew. 4 Shirring is achieved with parallel rows TO WORK OUT HOW LONG TO CUT 2 Put your bobbin into your bobbin case in of stitching. For the second row, you can THE BODY RECTANGLES: the usual way for your machine. It’s important choose to either follow a stripe in the fabric Measure from under the armpit to the length that you get the elastic into the tension guide or use the width of the sewing foot as your you’d like your dress, then add 7 cm (2¾ in.). on the bobbin, in the same way as you would guideline. As you sew the second row, hold usually do. From now on, you use the shirring the fabric taut to stretch elastic in the same way as any bobbin thread. out the ﬁrst row of stitches. You will use normal sewing thread in the top This helps you guide it in of the machine. a straight line. Repeat the rows of shirring until you’ve achieved the depth want on your bodice TIP

When you ﬁnish sewing each row, be sure to pull the elastic thread a long

way out. If you cut it too close to the HACK It’s a really good idea to do a test on some of the fabric you plan to use. fabric, it may ping back inside the All fabrics. Practise on a scrap that’s 25 cm (10 in.) square, and see TIP bobbin and unthread. how much spring-back you get on your fabric.

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