Ruffled Tummy toddler dress tutorial

I don't know about you but I LOVE my one year olds gigantic tummy. It is always so cute sticking way out over her short little legs. I am jealous that hers is considered adorable while mine is a topic of possible plastic surgery ha! Anything to accentuate that tummy in a cute way is great so I came up with this little dress this morning.

You can't see it in that picture very well but there is a cute ribbon that goes around and ties in the back. You can see it in this one a tiny bit

This fabric was originally intended for a shirt dress for Evie, but I just couldn't resist. I bought it while in Jakarta with my friend Cherylyn. We had the COOLEST time going to a part of town called the Mayestic. It was streets and streets of fabric stores. That is where I scored my mannequin for 20 bucks! (Funny story we asked a store owner "Where can we buy a mannequin" he totally thought we said "Where can we buy an American" and when we kept repeating the question he looked really put of until we figured out the bit lost in translation ha!) WOW that was a brief aside. Back to the dress:

What you will need

1/2 yard fabric

1/3 yard coordinating fabric

Ribbon or extra fabric to make one

Thread

Sewing machine

Safety Pin

You can print out the pattern HERE although it really is all just squares and straight stitching but I thought someone might appreciate a guide. It is for a 12 month old so size up for your needs :)

Once you have cut out your pieces take your two main dress pieces and place them right sides together, now sew up the sides

Now take your long bottom band, fold it in half and make sure it will go all the way around the bottom of your dress, cut to fit. Fold it in half and sew the ends together making a circle. Now turn your dress right side out. Slide the circle you just made up over the bottom of the dress, right sides together, matching up your seam with one of the side seams. Now sew all the way around.

Flip down the bottom and topstitch what you just sewed. Go a head and hem up the bottom. Now take the second long length of corresponding fabric and fire up your iron. iron over both ends so you have a finished edge. Now iron over a little lip all the way along BOTH raw edges so you have a finished edge all the way along. Now fold the entire thing in half lengthwise and iron down. You are creating a nice finished little pocket to slide the top of the dress into. Make sure it is going to go all the way around your dress

(ignore my straps I just like to place everything and see how it looks before I sew)

and then slide the top of your dress into it. Top stitch all the way around:

Now we are going to make the shoulder straps. Take the four pieces you cut out, pair them up. Place two pieces right sides together and sew up both sides but not the ends. Now pull it through so that right sides are out. You can topstitch if you like. I just ironed mine.

I decided to finish off my ends but you don't HAVE to do it. I just folded them over twice and sewed them down

Now I pinned them into the locations I wanted them and topstitched them into place.

Now for the finishing touch and my favorite part. Take the two pattern pieces you cut out for the ruffle. Fold over all the ends and stitch them down so that all four ends have finished edges. Now place the two pieces right sides together and sew up both sides. Pull the entire thing through so it is right sides out.

Now sew a gathering stitch on both the top and bottom edges. Once you have it ruffled to your desire pin it to the dress.

(I always leave my gathering tails connected until I am SURE it is the way I want it) Now top stitch across the top and bottom, leaving the pocket open

Your dress should now look like this

Almost done! Grab your ribbon and attach the end to a safety pin. Feed it through your pocket and out the other side.

Totally easy right? And super cute!

Bonus, Evie can totally run in it. I mainly see her from this angle these days

We do have our occasional spills

I am thinkin' I need to make a diaper cover or put some leggin's on her ha!

Cheers!

Kelly