Purple Rose Party Dress Tutorial

 The Purple Rose Party Dress free pattern and tutorial is here !

I really enjoy creating/designing/sewing little girl party dresses like the Jingle Bell Dress & the Bow Dress. The Purple Rose Party Dress is another fun one. This gorgeous eye catching fabric is in a vibrant purple color with lots of texture. It is a sleeveless drop waist dress with a circle skirt. The sash which is attached at the sides of the bodice ties in the front. Bias tape is used for the hem of the circle skirt as well as the trim on the 2 arm holes & neckline. It has a v-neck back with an invisible zipper and hook & eye closure. It is just as pretty in the inside with French seams on the bodice pieces & bias tape on the bodice/skirt seam.

I designed this to fit my 4 year old daughter who is tall and slender, the finished measurements are: chest 24", waist 24", shoulder to bottom hem 24".

Fabric & Notions Requirements

:: 1 yard rows of rosettes fabric (width 52”)

:: 5” matching satin fabric (width 54”)

:: 4+ yards matching/coordinating bias tape

:: 7-9” invisible zipper

:: 1 hook & eye closure

 Pattern Pieces

Terms and conditions: when you agree to these terms, a non-transferable license to the pattern is granted to you to copy and print the pattern for your personal use and purposes. You may not redistribute the pattern. If you find it useful and would like to share with others, please direct them here so they can get their own copy. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me via email. I would be glad to consider broader usage allowances, but simply ask first.

By clicking on this link and downloading the Purple Rose Party Dress pattern pieces, you agree to the terms and conditions specified above. Yes, I agree.

 Step-By-Step Instructions

:: Print out the pattern pieces. Be sure to add 6 inches to the bottom of the bodices pieces, so that the side seams measure a total of 9 inches. The rows of rosettes fabric is quite thick, therefore difficult to cut when folded, so I recommend printing 2 copies of the front bodice & taping it together. I also recommend using a straight edge & rotary cutter to cut out the parts of the patterns that have straight lines.

:: From the 1 yard of rows of rosettes fabric cut out the pattern pieces on the back of the fabric: 1 front bodice, 2 back bodice pieces & 1 circle skirt. For the circle skirt cut out a circle with 3.5” radius, then 10” away from that cut out another circle (I used a black permanent marker & ruler), in the end you will have a donut shape with a 27” diameter.

 :: Create French seams (with a total of a 1/2” seam allowance) for the bodice pieces. Sew together the front & back bodice pieces first at the shoulders, then at the sides. To make French seams place wrong sides together, sew 1/4” seam allowance, with scissors trim down to 1/8”, press with iron, then with right sides together sew 1/4” seam allowance.

 :: With 1/2” seam allowance sew the back bodice pieces right sides together (where the zipper will go), most of this seam will be ripped out later to add the invisible zipper. 

:: Pin the circle skirt to the bottom of the bodice right sides together, with 1/2” seam allowance sew together.

 :: Sew bias tape onto the circle skirt/bodice seam.

 :: Sew bias tape onto the hem of circle skirt, then onto each of the 2 arm holes.

 :: With a seam ripper, rip out 7-9 inches on the back of the bodice & following the manufactures instructions install the 7-9 inch invisible zipper or follow this online tutorial.

:: To prevent fraying apply some liquid seam sealant to the back bodice seam.

:: Sew bias tape onto the neckline.

:: With hand sewing needle & thread, add the hook & eye closure above the invisible zipper.

 :: Now for the sash: from the satin cut out 2 pieces that are 2.5” X 54”. 

 :: Fold each in half, right sides together, with 1/4” seam allowance sew down each of the long sides. 

 :: Clip the corners & with turning tools (I use a smoothie straw & chopstick), turn right side out, press with iron. Tuck in raw edges, press with iron, & topstitch. 

 :: The end where you topstitched, place that just behind one of the side seams of the bodice & with zigzag stitch sew it onto the dress so that when when the sash is brought forward the zigzag stitch will be covered by the sash. Repeat for the 2nd sash. 

 :: When done put it on the little girl & tie the sash into a bow in the front of the dress.

If you have any questions please let me know. Also if you sew one, please leave a link to it in the comments section ~ I’d love to see it !

11 aprons

One of my sewing goals for 2012 was to do more sewing for charity.

So I was happy to discover that Craft Hope Project 17: Aprons for Haiti is currently going on. Haiti by Hand is accepting aprons until the end of July for women of Haiti. Nothing too frilly, ruffly or lacey, in fabrics that are very wash-friendly (quilting cottons are recommended).

After searching around for free apron patterns/tutorials, I ended sewing a very easy full apron following this idea.

Using quilting cotton fabrics from my stash & about $30+ in bias tape I cranked out 11 of these aprons in 48 hours !  I was able to get 2 aprons out of 1 yard of fabric & 3 packs of bias tape.

I think maybe I've become the bias tape queen !  Even though it was a lot of bias tape sewing, I really enjoyed sewing all these aprons.

Girl's Sewing Patterns Giveaway!

UPDATED TO ADD: out of 168 entries, the winner is: Our Busy Little Bunch thanks to everyone who entered.
*****
 It's May Giveaway Day !

A big thank you to Sew, Mama, Sew! for hosting such a fabulous giveaway event !

 The prize: 6 girl's sewing patterns
Including...

Oliver + S Music Box Jumper (2010)
Sizes: 6-12 M, 12-18 M, 18-24 M, 2T, 3T, + 4
Difficulty level: 1 out or 4 scissors
Mostly uncut, only one piece is cut out in size 3T, so whatever size you need to make you'd be able to make it.
I sewed my daughter a Music Box Jumper (in size 3T) using this pattern.

Oliver + S Swingset Tunic & Skirt (2007-2008)
Sizes: 0-3 M, 3-6 M, 6-12 M + 18-24 M
Difficulty level: 2 out of 4 scissors
Uncut

Butterick 3772 (2003)
Sizes: 4, 5, 6
Difficulty level: very easy
Uncut

McCall's 3949 (2003)
Sizes: 3, 4, 5, 6
Uncut

Butterick 4176 (2004)
Sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5
Difficulty level: very easy
Uncut

McCall's 5918 (2009)
Sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5
Uncut

Enter to win:
:: please leave an answer to the following question: What is your favorite thing about summer? (favorite thing to do, place to go, to eat, to drink, etc.) My favorite thing about summer is the sunshine :)
:: one entry per person
:: open until Friday May 25 at 5 p.m. PST
:: I will choose a winner and email the winner by May 27, then I will note the winner in this post
:: I will ship internationally
:: the 6 girl's sewing patterns will be shipped by June 1

Signature Look Season 4

{Project Run & Play season 4 sew along signature look}

The dress: Purple Rose Party Dress
One of my favorite things to design & sew? Party/holiday/special occasion dresses, like the jingle bell dress or the bow dress.

The fabric: Rows of Rosettes fabric
Gorgeous eye catching fabric in a vibrant purple color with lots of texture

The pattern: 100% designed by me
:: sleeveless drop waist dress with a circle skirt
:: sash which is attached at the sides of the bodice ties in the front
:: bias tape trim is used for the hem on the circle skirt, the 2 arm holes & around the neckline
:: v-neck back
:: invisible zipper & hook & eye closure in the back
:: just as pretty in the inside with French seams on the bodice pieces & bias tape trim on the bodice/skirt seam.

Free pattern & tutorial coming soon !

Be sure to check out all the sew along signature looks at the Project Run & Play flickr group.

children's vintage sewing patterns

 The Vintage May series is going on this month, hosted by skirt as top & Craftiness in not Optional.

Another post here inspired by Vintage May, see my previous post about my vintage sewing machine collection & women's vintage sewing patterns. This time it's children's vintage sewing patterns. I apologize in the advance for the photography, some of these sewing patterns I own & took photos of at home, but some I took while vintage shopping. I think I am spoiled to have so many vintage shops within driving distance where I can find so many vintage sewing patterns. The ones here are from the early 1900's all the way to 1988 (remember 'vintage' is anything 20 years or older). Anyway, some vintage eye candy for you today ~ enjoy !

(Above photo)
McCall's 8226 (1950) ~ I was amazed to find this one is such excellent condition especially considering that it's 62 years old !!!

Pictorial Review 8634 (early 1900s) ~ one of the oldest patterns I've ever seen

 Simply Pattern no.225 (one of the oldest patterns I've ever seen), Advance 3443, Butterick ?

 Simplicity ?218, ?, Simplicity 1701, Simplicity 8428 (1969)

 McCall's 8743 (1951), Simplicity 3234

 Simplicity 5999, Simplicity 2599 (1948)

 Butterick ?, Simplicity 3696, McCall's 8863 (1967)

 Vogue 5229, Simplicity 5519 (1964)

 Butterick 2409, Simplicity 2740 (1959), Vogue 2753

 Butterick 3342, Butterick 3743, McCall's 7545 (1964)

 Simplicity 4332

 Simplicity 4829

 Simplicity 4568, McCall's 6132 (1961)

 Simplicity 5685 (1964)

 Simplicity 6111 (1965)

 McCall's 8551 (1966)

 McCall's 7885 (1965), McCall's 7854 (1965), McCall's 8593 (1966)

 Simplicity 2582 (1950s), Simplicity 7792 (1968)

 Simplicity 7938 (1968), Simplicity 7776

 Simplicity 7785 (1968)

 Simplicity 7966 (1968)

 Simplicity 8717 (1970)

 Simplicity 5483 (1972)

 McCall's 4449 (1975)

 Burda 01209, McCall's 7756 (1981)

 Simplicity 7866 (1986)

 McCall's 3830 (1988)

Do you sew for children using vintage sewing patterns? Whenever I'm sewing something for my daughter using a vintage patterns, I always think about who was the mom long ago that used this, who was she sewing it for? I bet she sewed it with lots of love.

Happy Vintage May !