Tuesday, April 24, 2012

KCWC–Day One: Tiered Ruffle Dress + TUTORIAL

Truth be told, I started these dresses over a week ago, but I finished them on Monday-Day One of the KCWC.

DSC_9355-Edit
These dresses were inspired by a dress I saw in a popular children's clothing store, but it’s no longer on their website (otherwise I’d link you to it!).

I loved the tiered ruffles and fullness of the skirt, and after working on the ruffled skirts for the girls, I knew my plan of action for these dresses.

It started with my FAVORITE pattern, McCalls 5793. It’s not a fancy pattern, but it has so many possibilities. It’s a basic bodice (with options for sleeves or a yoke) and a ruffled skirt. I mainly use the bodice only and adapt the skirt portion to suit my needs for the project. I’ve sewn up this pattern at least 10 times now in all sorts of variations, each of them unique. For the 99 cents I spent on this pattern (on sale, of course) I’ve got my money’s worth by a hundredfold!!

Anyways! I’ve put together a little tutorial on how I made these. Click below for the details!




WARNING: VERY picture heavy post here!
Materials Needed:
  • Basic Bodice Pattern (I used McCalls 5793, size 3)
  • Fashion Fabric (approx 1.5yds) *Ruffles*
  • Lining Fabric (approx 1.5yds) *Tier Extenders*
  • Contrasting Fabric (approx 1/4 yd)
  • Invisible Zipper
  • Basic Sewing Supplies
One of the things I considered when planning these dresses was the need for the ruffled fashion fabric to overlap and hide the seam of the ruffle below. This meant that the fashion fabric ruffles would be longer than the tier extending lining fabric. I also wanted the skirt to widen with each tier as it extended down from the bodice to the hem. I sat with my calculator (well, my phone really) and figured it all out. This is all based on the measurements for the size 3 bodice from M5793 so it may not be exact for everyone, but here are my details:
DSC_9069-Edit
I figured an increase in width of 50% for the extending tier and and increase of 100% for the ruffle tier would give me nice, full ruffles while increasing the width going down.
  • The TOP Tier – closest to the bodice: I measured the bodice width, which was 23.25”. I cut my strips of lining fabric (tier extenders) at 34.875” (rounded up to 35”) and the ruffle fabric at 46.5”
  • The MIDDLE Tier – now based on the EXTENDER PIECE FROM THE TOP TIER (35”) I cut the lining fabric (tier extenders) at 52.3125” (rounded up to 52.5) and the ruffle fabric at 69.75” (rounded up to 70”)
  • The BOTTOM Tier – now based on the EXTENDER PIECE FROM THE MIDDLE TIER (52.5) I cut the lining fabric (tier extenders) at 78.46875” (rounded up to 78.5”) and the ruffle fabric at 104.625” (rounded up to 105”)
The width of each Ruffle Strip (fashion fabric) was 7.5” inches and the Tier Extenders (lining fabric) was 6”.
To figure this out yourself, start with the width of your bodice, multiply by 1.5 for the Tier Extenders and then multiply by 2 for the Ruffle Fabric. Use the previous TIER EXTENDER to repeat the process for the following tiers, working from top to bottom. Does that make sense?

I didn’t document the actual bodice construction, but it’s sewn in the usual way.

After the bodice is sewn up, with your contrast fabric, cut a strip that is equal to the length of the bodice and 5.25” wide. Fold in half, press well. Stitch to bottom edge of bodice, keeping the lining clear and then topstitch close to the folded edge of contrast fabric.
DSC_9062-EditDSC_9066-Edit-2

Next, prepare your Ruffle and Extender strips for gathering and attaching to the bodice. Each tier is prepped a little differently, so we’ll take them one at a time.

DSC_9232-Edit

TOP TIER (closest to the bodice) – Both the ruffle fabric and the tier are left flat – not sewn together on their short ends. This is to allow for the zipper. One of the long sides and the two short sides of the ruffle fabric should be hemmed. I used my narrow hem foot on my machine, because it so super quick and easy.

DSC_9218-Edit

After the three sides of the Ruffle Fabric are hemmed, gather the unfinished edge of both the ruffle and of the tier extender piece for the top tier.

DSC_9239-Edit

Pin the Ruffle Fabric to the bodice with right sides together, adjusting gather to make it fit. IMPORTANT: Begin pinning the Ruffle fabric to the bodice 5/8” away from the center back of the bodice piece. This will prevent the top tier ruffle from being caught in the stitching related to the zipper.

DSC_9240-EditDSC_9248-EditDSC_9250-Edit

Then, layer the Top Tier Extender Fabric over the Ruffle Fabric, with it’s right side facing the right side of the bodice.

DSC_9252-Edit

The Tier Extender piece should go all the way to the center back of the bodice.

DSC_9253-EditDSC_9259-Edit

Stitch through all layers. Gently press seam allowance toward the bodice. It will look like this:

DSC_9261-EditDSC_9263-Edit

Now it’s time to insert the zipper. I’m not going to be exhaustive on invisible zipper insertion, but here are some photos of the process. When inserting the zipper, keep the Ruffle Fabric clear of the zipper and attach the zipper down the bodice and onto the top extender tier.

DSC_9264-EditDSC_9267-EditDSC_9268-EditDSC_9270-EditDSC_9271-EditDSC_9273-EditDSC_9275-EditDSC_9276-EditDSC_9278-Edit

To get a nice, clean, 100% by machine finish on the bodice lining, turn the lining around to face right sides together with the bodice and stitch close to the zipper with a regular zipper foot.

DSC_9280-EditDSC_9281-EditDSC_9282-EditDSC_9283-EditDSC_9284-EditDSC_9289-EditDSC_9291-Edit

Now, moving on to the middle tier! This is what the dress should look like now:

DSC_9292-Edit

As with the top tier, we need to hem one of the long sides of the middle tier ruffle fabric. With the middle and bottom tiers, the ruffle fabric and the tier extender are sewn right sides together down the short ends, creating a long circle of fabric. Gather one of the long ends of each layer. Pin the Middle Tier Ruffle Fabric, right sides together with the Top Tier Extender. Layer the Middle Tier Extender over the Ruffle Fabric and stitch through all layers all the way around, including over the little tail end of the zipper.

DSC_9293-EditDSC_9294-EditDSC_9295-EditDSC_9301-EditDSC_9304-Edit

Repeat the steps from the Middle tier for the Bottom Tier. Attach in the same way. There is only one variable with the bottom tier. It does not require and Extender underneath, depending on your type of fabric. Mine was a light cotton lawn with a burnout design to it, so I chose to include an extender tier under the bottom ruffle to act like a lining and keep the color seen through the burnout design consistent. If this is not the case for you, the lining fabric/extender piece can be omitted for the bottom ruffle.

The last little detail was to finish the bodice lining. I turned the dress inside out, pinned the lining down and stitched it from the right side, underneath the top ruffle. It worked out perfectly, as it’s not seen from the right side. It’s not perfect on the inside, but it saved me from hand stitching, so… yeah, that’s what I did! I also ran the seam allowances between the tiers through the serger to finish off those seams.

DSC_9305-EditDSC_9308-EditDSC_9312-Edit

The dress that inspired these had three little fabric flowers centered on the contrast band on the bodice, so I made some simple gathered fabric flowers and tacked them down by hand.

DSC_9309-EditDSC_9311-Edit

And that’s it! 

DSC_9350-EditDSC_9353-Edit

The girls were super tired tonight and not up to modeling, so no photos of them wearing them, maybe I’ll get some by the weekend.

Well, I got my hour of sewing in on Monday, so the week is off to a good start! How’s everyone else doing on their KCWC?


50 comments:

  1. Absolutely beautiful!!!!!! :) I'm not officially doing kcwc but I did get the pattern cut out for my daughter's Snow White birthday dress. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you very much for great tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Such a lovely dress! Great tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Excellent tutorial...thanks for sharing, wanna make one for my niece for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  5. wow, thank you for the excellent tutorial. I have always wondered how to insert the zipper with the tiers. You are awesome!!! Love the fabric choice too

    ReplyDelete
  6. süper olmuş güle güle giysinler :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful dress. I really appreciate the heavy pictures with the tutorial. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is very nice tutorial, thank you for linking!

    ReplyDelete
  9. How beautiful work! I feel inspired ...
    Greetings from Brazil

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good post. Visit the g3 fashion online shopping store. G3 fashion is a complete online store that has beautiful and fabulous wear collections. you can find online latest designer dress materials from G3 fashions surat.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love this! It was featured as one of today's top designs over at SewSet! Thanks for sharing :)

    http://www.sewset.com/

    ReplyDelete
  12. For plenty of people a quality sizegenetics is just what they be required to relax and let a handful of that tension ooze right out of their sore muscles. However, mainstream sizegenetics parlors have a tendency to be entirely heterosexually dominated making it very difficult for only a member of a LGBT community to find a sizegenetics parlor that could suit their needs, especially if their needs include nude or sensual sizegenetics. Finding a gay sizegenetics parlor is often very difficult for these folks and often times disappointing.
    http://buysizegeneticsonline.tumblr.com/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you for this tutorial! It helped me sew a Holiday dress!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love this dress! so beautiful!
    http://www.sewing-patterns.org

    ReplyDelete
  15. Lovely dress and a wonderful tutorial. This is a treasure to find, as too many how-to's available online are posted by people who don't know how to sew or don't yet know what makes a garment "well made". Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love this dress collection such a wonderful sharing more upcoming top 10 dress kindly visit website Textileexport

    ReplyDelete
  17. How beautiful work i love this dress!
    <a href="https://www.usaree.in/></a>

    ReplyDelete
  18. very good tutorial easy to understand gives all steps one by one.
    textile catalog

    ReplyDelete
  19. awesome dress work and tutoriol done...
    thank you
    Click Here

    ReplyDelete
  20. WOW..!
    Such a fabulous article...the way you have shown in the posts is really wonderful..i loved it..thank you so much for shaing..Click here

    ReplyDelete
  21. Experience online Salwar Kameez shopping with Suryavansi Creation. Choose from wide range of Anarkali Suits, Abaya Style Suits, Panjabi suits and
    Buy Pakistani Suits Online India

    ReplyDelete
  22. Beautiful outfit dress and anarkali suits.Thank u sharing a beautiful post about salwar kameez and Suits. Buy Party Wear Suits Online India from Suryavansi Creation

    ReplyDelete
  23. Lovely dress material and a wonderful tutorial. This is a treasure to find, as too many how-to's available online are posted by people who don't know how to sew or don't yet know what makes a garment "well made". Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thanks for this amazing post. I really loved this collection. Buy cushion cut black diamond at cheap price.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Welcome to Fabkarts Fashion, the favorite shopping destination for online shoppers: An exclusive webstore for Indian dresses, we offer an eclectic collection of Indian ethnic clothing right from Sarees, Salwar Kameez, Lehengas, Indo-western wear to Footwear, Handbags, Jewelry, and Accessories to match. Uncover a range of Indian fashion outfits and bridal wear handpicked from all corners of the country, reflecting the vibrancy inherent in all things Indian!. Leading Women Clothing wholesale in India for wholesale Sarees and designer sarees based in Surat. Buy online in bulk latest Sarees full catalog designs from supplier, dealer, distributor and trader at wholesale price in Surat India.
    women clothing

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wow! I will do this. thank you for sharing this great information. we have such a great collection of dresses please check it out:YOYO Fashion

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thank you for this superb post. Its very helpful. I will surely follow all the steps and will make a beautiful dress.

    ReplyDelete
  28. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thank you for a very well-written tutorial. I'd been wondering how to do this,

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thank you for posting this blog. I'll gona make the beautiful designer gown .

    ReplyDelete
  31. I love this dress collection such a wonderful idea wholesale dupatta.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Minu Business is a platform for the wholesale market. At minu business you will get all wholesale offers on cotton saree, salwar suits, kurtis and bedsheets. You can order in bulk. We can assure you the best quantity and latest design in factory price. Visit the website https://minubusiness.com/

    Minu Business is recognized as one of the most important wholesale Women's clothing producers. At wholesale prices, latest design clothing is available. Minu Business is one of India's largest and fastest-growing garment manufacturers, with a sharp eye for exceptional design and the highest quality. Minu specialize in producing huge quantities of infant, children's, women's, and yoga clothing and shipping them to hundreds of bulk purchasers all over the world, with the goal of achieving 100 percent customer satisfaction. We are One of the Top Clothing Manufacturers and Suppliers in INDIA

    ReplyDelete
  33. I have read a lot of blogs but your blog in very informative and fantastic. This is probably the best post reader always looking for. Readers can also visit our web portal for best lifestyle and trendy apparel.

    ReplyDelete

  34. Nice I have read lot of articles and said this is what I am looking for. What an informative information you have written, I like the way you express. Your sense of fashion is great and I love to share it with my friends. todocart.com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Nice I have read lot of articles and said this is what I am looking for. Get one more step towards your health, buy tramadol online in USA at cheap price.

    ReplyDelete
  36. This is a very nice blog and learned more knowledge to read this post thanks for sharing this informative blog.Cupshe.com promotion

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thanks for the blog loaded with so much information. It's really informative.
    Designer Sarees online

    ReplyDelete
  38. Thanks for sharing this blog. Introducing our exquisite Printed Designer Kurti, a perfect blend of contemporary style and traditional charm. This stunning piece showcases a harmonious fusion of intricate design and high-quality craftsmanship, making it a must-have addition to your ethnic wardrobe.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...