Scalloped sun dress

My little girl has been very happy recently playing with another little girl who really gets how she likes to play.  They can play for hours only surfacing occasionally when they need to eat. It has been wonderful but now her friend has moved to Darwin- the other side of the country with very different weather. It is winter here now and Philly just received a letter from her friend telling how it is so hot she doesn't have to wear shoes.

Before she left I decided to try some more scallops with a difference. I think it worked quite well. She put it on so I could take photo's but as they were taken in Canberra the dress had to be worn with skivy and trousers :-)...

Here's the tutorial if your interested.

Step 1: Choose two complimentary fabrics.
Cut one 17 3/4 inches by 18 inches.

Off the second:
Cut 1 strip 17 3/4 inches by 7 1/2 inches.

Cut 1 strip 17 3/4 inches by 5 inches.
Of the first:

Step 2: Fold all strips in half right sides together and sew a 1/2 inch seam and finish.

Step 3: This step is a little bit exciting. My sister has just introduced me to a new pen it is a pilot frixion and I just got it at the local super market. It is great as when you iron your fabric it disappears reliably. Any way... on the medium strip fold in half so the seam is in the middle of the back. Measure up 1 1/2 inches, put a dot at 0 inches, 4 1/2 inches, 8 7/8 inches, 13 inches and at the end of the fabric. Next you get a trusty bowl, touch each dot with the bowl and trace. Turn over and repeat.

Step 4: Turn larger strip right side out and place smaller with the scallop closest to the lower edge. Pin in place and sew around the scallop line. Trim around the scallop then clip close to the seam line but be careful not to cut the sewing.

Step 5:  Iron once to remove the ink then turn scallop right side out and iron in shape.

Step 6: Measure 4 inches down from the top of the medium fabric and mark with pen. Sew around this line. Iron fabric down so that the raw edge is below the scallop.




Step 7: Finish the upper edge of the final strip. Then repeat steps 3, 4 and 5. You can choose to either line up the scallops of place them in the gaps.

Step 8: Finish hem. You can sew on the upper row of sewing above the first row of scallops to attatch the finished edge of the second row of scallops. I like to cover it and make it look all pretty so I add decoration at the same time. You could use ribbon or ric rac or as I did daisys. Just place your embellishments on the outside over the line of sewing and sew in place.

Step 9: At the top of the dress fold over 1/4 inch and 1/4 inch again and sew in place for a neatly finished upper edge.

Step 10: Here comes the shirring. Start at the top spiral down till you get to where your child's tummy button is (It looks a little funny if you go much lower.) If you need them you will find note on shirring at the bottom of this post.

Step 11: Add straps, I used ribbon but needed to fit it on the child to get the right length. I also scattered a few daisies around the place to make it a little more little girly.

Notes on Shirring:

1. Hand wind the bobbin with the elastic thread and don't stretch it.

2. Use regular thread for your top thread.

3. Set your stitch length to the longest stitch length you have.