Summer Sunshine Dress tutorial

I know that summer is drawing to a close.  School is starting back up, nights are getting cool again, and "fall activities" are all everyone is talking about.  But I just can't let go of summer without one more little sundress.

Can you call it a refashion if it's made from a sheet? 

The Summer Sunshine Dress

(My friend's little daughter is the adorable model.)

This really is a quick and easy project!  All you need is some lightweight knit material (I used leftover scraps from a knit sheet I had cut up for something else).

 Lay a t-shirt over your fabric (double thickness) to act as a size guide.  You want one that fits rather big.

I decided to make a 3T size, for A to wear next summer, so I used this shirt of JL's.

Cut a rectangle about 1/2" larger than the t-shirt at the top and sides.  Cut off the bottom about 1/2" below the waistline.

Next, cut two pieces for the skirt that are the same width as the bodice piece at the top, but angle the sides out so that it is larger on bottom.  This works best if you fold the pieces in half, to be sure you get the same angle on both sides.  The length is up to you; I used 13".  Cut the waistline in a slight curve, dipping to the middle.  Cut a matching curve along the bottom. 

 You should now have two rectangles and two skirt shaped pieces (Here are mine, still folded in half.)
















Lay your t-shirt over your two rectangles again, and mark the edges of the neck opening and sleeves.  Leave about an inch under the sleeve to allow room for the box pleats.  Be sure both sides are even.

Sew up the side seams and the shoulders seams, then fold over the fabric at the openings and topstitch.

Now, mark at the shoulder seam and four inches below it on the back and the front for your box pleats.  Put outside markings an inch on each side of your three original marks.  Fold the outside marks in to the center marks, and pin the box pleats in place.

Topstitch the box pleats in place.

Now, sew the two skirt pieces together along the sides, then attach the skirt to the bodice, right sides together.

Shir the waistline.  I used 5 shirring lines, 1/2" apart.

The last step is just to attach a ruffle to the bottom.  I cut the remaining fabric into strips, sewed them end to end to form a tube, and then gathered the top edge.  Don't worry about hemming, the knit won't fray!

 

And that's all there is to it!

A little trick for a quicker ruffle: sew your gathering stitch with elastic thread on bottom.  All you have to do is pull it up a little, then stretch the seam out and shake it a bit to get a nice even ruffle.  Don't worry about it being the exact length -- you can just stretch it a bit as you sew to get it to fit. 

I made this one about a 3T (using JL as my model to get the size right!) so that A can wear it next year.