December 18, 2012

Summer dress for American Girl doll


What you need:
  • 24" x 11" lightweight fabric
  • matching thread
  • elastic thread


Use a lightweight fabric and cut (or better rip, that will make it perfectly straight and square) three squares with the following dimensions
        24" x 9"  (dress)
        2 pieces of 5 1/2" x 7/8" (straps)

Sewing instructions
1. Double hem the two long sides (3/8" wide)
2. Then comes the elastic shirring (see below for info)
3. Go in rows about a 1/4" apart, start 1/4" from the top
  
4. Make about 9-10 rows ( until you are about 2 1/4" down from the first shirring row)
5. Sew back together being careful to line up the rows as good as possible
Don't be surprised if it is still a little too wide. Hold an iron with steam over it and the fabric will loosen and with that it will pull it tighter.

6. Take the 2 pieces of fabric (5 1/2" x 7/8") to make the straps
7. Create the shoulder straps like double folded bias tape 1/4" wide
(fold both sides half way in then fold in the center)
8. Sew on shoulder straps
       Find center front, mark, measure about 1 1/4" from either side of the mark, sew on
       Measure about 1 1/4" from either side of the back seam and sew on

You are done !!!

Shown abbreviation:
Make a 22" bias tape fold in half and attach in center front and tie behind the neck. That way it will be like a V.


Info on elastic shirring
you can find a lot of info on elastic shirring on the web. One good tutorial is here
Elastic Shirring tutorial

3 comments:

  1. Hi No Pattern?
    it looks amazing i was hoping there was a pattern since im a beginner and all...
    Please make a pattern!

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It doesn't beed a pattern. Just cut a rectangle 24" x 9". This rectangle is your dress. Then follow instructions from step 1

      Delete