Harvest Dress

Super cute dress for a little girl!

From Dana, via soyouthinkyourecrafty.blogspot.com

Harvest Dress TUTORIAL: Puffed Sleeves and Gathered Pocket

The pitch-forked Harvest Dress is fun on the go. With chunky buttons and a knobby-kneed length, today we'll be featuring it's PUFFED SLEEVES and Gathered Pockets.

Ever wanted to make puff sleeves? Well now you can! Gather your current dress project and let's get started. We'll be making two versions:

Skill Level: Intermediate
Needed:
* Sleeve fabric
* 1/4 inch elastic
Average Sewing Time: 30 mins
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Option 1 - Puffed Sleeve with Cuff

1. Pattern. Disclaimer: my sewing methods are not always exact. I usually make it up as I go by tweaking a little here, tucking a little there, adding more fabric there. So each piece is an evolution process. There are likely more precise tutorials and methods out there. But if you care to venture, I'll share my methods here.

If you have a pattern you're working with (or making up your own), a short-sleeved pattern piece looks similar to this:

To create the "puff", however, I've added more length to the curved part of the sleeve. To do this, I measured the length of my dress armhole and then added about 1/4 to 1/2 of that length to my pattern piece (not an exact science). The more you want it to puff, the more length you should add. The picture above shows my "lengthened" piece. My original armhole measured 9 inches. So I made the top, curved portion of my sleeve above 13 inches (just an arbitrary length I went with).

Next, trace the pattern piece on to your fabric with a marker or fabric pen and cut out two sleeve pieces:

Your sleeves should look like this:

You also need to cut out two sleeve cuffs. Measure around your upper-arm, where the sleeve should fall. I usually add an extra inch or so to this measurement (to account for the seam and to allow a tiny bit of "give" room so the sleeve isn't super tight on the arm). That measurement is the length of the rectangle piece above.
Decide how wide you want your cuff to be (the harvest dress is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide). Whatever width you want, double that (since the cuff will be folded in half) and also add 1 inch (so that the cuff edge can be ironed over on each side).

2. Sew. Okay, time to sew the gather for the sleeve. Set your machine on the longest stitch length:

I prefer my sleeves to be only be puffed at the very top of the sleeve, near the shoulder (therefore, the seam area and armpit area are not gathered). This is just preference. You can gather the entire sleeve if you'd like. So, if you're doing a "partial puff" like I did on the Harvest Dress, I start at the beginning of my sleeve curve (about 1/3 of the way into the sleeve, where it starts to curve/arc) and I sew a line about 1/4 inch in from the edge of the sleeve (do NOT stay-stitch at the beginning...or back-and-forth stitching). I stop sewing my line when I get to the other end of the curve (about 1/3 of the way from the end of the sleeve):

Then repeat this same step, sewing 1/2 inch in from the edge of the fabric so that you have two parallel lines to gather:

With right sides of the fabric together, sew the ends of the sleeve together (make sure you switch to a normal stitch length) and serge or zigzag off the edges:

Next, we'll gather the cuff area of the sleeve. This part of the sleeve will be gathered all the way around. So start at one end of the seam and go all the way around to the other end of the sleeve, 1/4 inch in from the edge of the fabric (do NOT stay stitch, and sew with your longest stitch length). Make sure you don't overlap the beginning and end of your stitch or it will be difficult to gather.

Repeat the step a second time (just as you did above), 1/2 inch in from the edge of the fabric, to create two parallel lines for gathering.

3. Gather. Taking both threads (from the same end and same side of the fabric), pull the threads and push the fabric so that it gathers up. Continue gathering till the length of the sleeve fits inside the armhole of your dress:

Do the same for the bottom of the sleeve, gathering till it's the length of your upper-arm measurement.

Your sleeve should look something like this:

4. Sleeve Cuffs. Iron your cuff in half, with one side just slightly higher than the other. This is trick I use so that when sewing the cuff on, the inside part of the cuff is slightly higher and guaranteed to be sewn on (since I'm only watching how the outside portion is being sewn on).

Next, iron the edges in about 1/2 inch on both sides:

Then, with all the folds opened up and the right sides of the fabric together, sew the two ends together:

Then turn the cuff right-side out and fold all the folds in. It should look something like this:

5. Finishing the sleeve. Slip your sleeve edge inside the cuff about 1/2 inch. This can be tricky to do but it will wiggle it's way in there.
*NOTE: You will have a lot of long strings hanging from your sleeve. Though you may be tempted to cut them off (since the sleeve is gathered), do NOT do this. It will cause the gather to unravel. The strings are annoying, but you can stuff them in the cuff or cut them soon after sewing your sleeve on to the dress.

When you get the cuff on the sleeve, pin it down (remember that whichever side of your cuff was slightly wider, should be on the inside of the sleeve right now):

It should look something like this:

Then, very carefully turn the sleeve inside-out (trying not to stab yourself with pins. Or you could have skipped this step by pinning the cuff inside-out in the step above). Then also, very carefully, sewing close to the edge of the cuff, sew it on to the sleeve:

Turn the sleeve inside-out and you're done! Attach it to a dress as you normally would with any sleeve (or follow the instructions on your dress/shirt pattern):


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Option 2 - Puffed Sleeve with Elastic casing
as seen on the Christmas in July dress.

Follow the same pattern, cutting, and TOP sleeve gathering steps above. When it comes to the bottom of the sleeve, start here.

Serge around the entire bottom of your sleeve. If you don't have a serger, do a double-folded iron-over (iron 1/4 inch over on the sleeve edge, then fold over 1/4 inch again and iron). This keeps the edge from fraying over time.

After gathering and serging, your sleeve should look like this:

Iron the edge of your sleeve over about 1/2 inch, creating a casing for your elastic:

Sew the casing down, leaving an opening for the elastic to come in and out:

Cut a piece of 1/4 inch wide elastic. The length should be the measurement around your upper-arm. Connect a safety pin to one end of the elastic and attach the elastic with another safety pin to outside of the casing. Push your safety pin through the casing, pulling the elastic through as it goes and comes out the other side:

Sew the two ends of the elastic together using a zigzag stitch (make sure your elastic is not twisted anywhere inside your casing):

Sew your casing closed with a normal stitch:

Your sleeve is done and ready to be sewn on to your dress or shirt!

* For the Harvest Dress POCKET Tutorial, see the GATHERED POCKET TUTORIAL and scroll to the bottom for additional notes.

*The Harvest Dress was made using a simple A-line dress shape with the front piece cut in half.

Now enjoy the extra puff in your life because being a girly girl is way too much fun.

Snow Ruffle Pillow

from soyouthinkyourecrafty

this tutorial will give you the basics on how to create your "snow" ruffle.

here are the steps i used to create my ruffles.

first cut strips that will be your ruffles.

cut them at 1 inch width and the width of the fabric (usually 42 to 46 inches)

then cut them in half.

you will end up with two strips at 21 to 23 inches each by 1 inch.

next with your sewing machine set to a running stitch (largest stitch, mine is a 5)

sew all the way down and make sure you leave some thread at the ends.

take the end strings and lightly pull ONE thread , this will gather your fabric. if you pull too quickly or tug too hard on it, it might break the thread.

you should end up with your fabric looking like this.

do this to as many ruffled flowers you would like to have.

next to create the ruffled flower, start by taking one end and wrapping around it like so.

next you are going to hand sew your flower. with a needle you will go through from one side to the other, and back again. like the picture shown above. once you secure a few layers together, wind some more fabric around and continue the process of sewing through and securing a few layers at a time. your flower should stay formed once you are done winding all the fabric around, finish off your flower by tying a knot.

once your flower has been formed, you will want to secure it to your pillow top. this can be any size you desire. mine was roughly 14 by 10 inches for the small one and 15 by 15 inches for the large square one.

to secure your ruffled flower i started in the middle of each flower and hand sewed each one of them on, in the desired spot i wanted.

this is the picture of the larger pillow top. if you'd like to you could always secure it even more by hot glue-ing your already hand sewn on ruffles (i have three boys can you tell i have had somethings destroyed if i don't re-enforce things?)

once you have the design done and sewn on your pillow top. cut out the same size and shape for the back.

with right sides together, sew all four sides using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, leaving a hole at the bottom of your pillow.

pull inside out, stuff with poly fill and hand stitch closed.

here's what i did to create the "snow drift" if you will. make a wave and add a few extra flowers where the arrows are.

and there you have it! one super ruffly snow pillow. what design will you make?


come visit me at V and Co for more ideas and tutorials! thanks!!!! ;

Rollie Pollies

I love this wanna be luv sac for little kids! So cute!

from soyouthinkyourecrafty

Looking for hours of entertainment?

Meet, The Rollie Pollie:
It's a chair, it's a toy, it's your favorite pillow.

Made of durable cotton twill or soft vinyl, each bag is actually a slip cover (with another Rollie Pollie inside) then filled with mounds and mounds of soft cluster stuffing. So if it gets dirty, just zip it off and throw it in the wash. And with a handle on top, it's easy to toss around. Ready for a pillow fight? We'll let dad referee.

This is a MINI-Tutorial for the Rollie Pollie, showing the basics of how to make one.

The Full, Detailed pattern can be found at the MADE SHOP.
The detailed pattern includes: Tons of info about Fabric selection, sewing with zippers, where to buy the right filling for your Rollie Pollie, How-to make an Insert Rollie Pollie and a slip-cover to go over it (easy to wash), and TWO different sizes of Pattern Pieces, which can be printed right on your home printer!
In this mini-tutorial, we'll show you how to make the Insert Rollie Pollie.
Okay, let's get started!
The Rollie Pollie is made of two pattern pieces (shown in the drawing below). You will need FOUR of the SIDE pieces, and TWO of the Top and Bottom circles. If you'd like to add a handle, cut a rectangle about 1-inch longer than the circumference of your circle piece and about 3 inches wide.
If you want to make a slip-covered Rollie Pollie (by adding a zipper), you will need to make ONE of the SIDE pieces, 1-inch wider in the middle to accommodate the extra zipper seam.

Create your pattern pieces on a large piece of paper or on a piece of junk fabric. Then with a fabric Marker or Sharpie, trace your pattern pieces on to your fabric. Depending on your pattern size and the width of your fabric, you will need anywhere from 2-4 yards of fabric. For the insert Rollie Pollie, it's best to use white fabric (so it doesn't show through the outside slip cover). Twill and heavier cottons work best:
Once your pieces are cut out, place two of the SIDE pieces back to back, pin all the way down ONE side:
and sew down that side:
This next step is not necessary, but it will make your Rollie Pollie stronger. Serge off your seams. If you don't have a serger, do a zigzag or leave the edges raw:
Repeat the above steps, attaching all your SIDE pieces to each other. When you get to the last SIDE, YOU NEED TO LEAVE AN OPENING IN THE SIDE so that you can get the stuffing inside. I like to mark my start and stop points with pins, so I don't forget to leave an opening:
Then with all of your sides sewn together, place your Circle pieces on the top and bottom of your Rollie Pollie. Pin them down, sew all the way around, and you're almost done!
Turn the Rollie Pollie inside out and fill it with stuffing. I chose CLUSTER STUFF, found at Walmart. (The Rollie Pollie Pattern has more detailed info about all stuffing options).

Fill it as full as you like. You want it to have a little give. But the stuffing will also smush over time, so get a lot in there.
Pin the opening shut:
And though this is bulky to do, sew the opening shut with your machine. It doesn't need to look pretty because it will be inside the slip cover. Just make sure it's sewn SHUT!
Stick the Insert into your slip cover and......
You're done!
Fore more detailed info and helpful tips, please see The Rollie Pollie Pattern at MADE.

This PDF pattern is very detail-oriented, sharing with you all our favorite tips and info about how to make the Rollie Pollie perfect for YOU.
There are two files: a 19-page document of instructions and a 23-page document of pattern pieces (totaling appx 7 MB)....both which will be emailed to you and can printed to your home printer!

The pattern comes in TWO sizes:
Small - best for 1-2 year old Toddlers
Large - best for 2-6 year olds (girl pictured above in white dress is 5 years old)

Finished dimensions: (from one side of the rollie, half-way around, in a semi circle to the other side)
Small - 38 x 38 inches
Large - 50 x 50 inches

Note: Pattern pieces are symmetrical and can be enlarged if needed to accommodate older children. You will do this on your own (pattern pieces are only provided for the two sizes listed) but it's really just a matter of extending each piece, equal distances. Information on this included in the pattern.

Fabric/Stuffing needs are explained in the pattern but just to give you an overview, you will need appx:
2-4 yards of fabric for the Insert Rollie Pollie (cost varies depending where you buy fabric)
2-4 yards of fabric for the Slip Cover Rollie Pollie
4-10 bags of stuffing (cost varies on filling choice, but bags are appx $4-5/each)