Hi everyone! Follow along as Edith from Di's Dolly Designs shows you how to use her Seashore Swimsuit pattern to make an adorable sundress!
Giveaway Update: Congratulations Marcie R! You've been selected to win the blue Seashore Sundress! Thank you to all who entered! We really enjoyed reading about all of the memorable moments that were shared over the summer.
You will need:
- a copy of the Seashore Swimsuit pattern for 18 inch dolls
- 1/3 yard of fabric knit or cotton
- 3 inches of 1/4 inch hook and loop tape
- matching thread
Pattern pieces 1-8 are used. Ruffle piece is added 3 inches wide x 44 inches long.
Let's get started...
Step 1. Cut the seam allowances - 1/4 inch off the top and bottom of pattern pieces #3 and # 6. Tape pieces #3 to 2 and to 4 putting piece # 3 so the new edge lines up with the seam allowance - dotted line on piece 2 and 4 to make a new front. (You are eliminating the seam allowances) Repeat with pieces #6, 5 and 7 to make the new back.
New Front and Back pieces
If you are making the dress from a knit fabric make sure you put the pattern pieces with the stretch across the width of the dress.
If you are making the dress from cotton you need to add 1/4 inch along the Central Back Seam on the back and the facing. This modification is for a doll with a 10 3/4 inch chest, 10 1/4 inch waist, and 12 inch hips, if your doll is different you will need to make different modifications.
Step 2. If using a knit, follow pattern directions steps 5 to 12.
If using a cotton, follow pattern directions steps 5 to 7. In step 8 place the strap 1 1/4 inches from edge and then follow steps 9 to 12. Also with cotton, be sure to finish the seam edges.
Step 3. RUFFLE Turn bottom of ruffle up 1/4 inch on one long edge and then top
stitch near the top edge to make the hem.
Step 4. On the top edge, gather the ruffle evenly so it is the size of the bottom edge of dress. Sew ruffle to top with 1/4 inch seam.
Step 5. Press the seam toward the top and top stitch the seam edge down.
CENTER BACK SEAM
Step 6. On right center back, fold and pin facing to back so right sides are together and sew.
Step 7. Turn the facing to the inside of the dress and press.
Step 8. Sew back seam from 3 1/2 inches from bottom to the bottom of the ruffle.
Step 9. Attach the loop side of the hook and loop tape on the inside. Attach the hook side to the left center back on the right side of the fabric.
Press and your dress is finished.
Voila! Your pretty new sundress is complete!
Giveaway Time!
Edith is graciously giving away the blue knit dress shown at the top of the page to one lucky winner.
Summer is a time to go on vacation, relax and unwind! To enter the contest, leave a comment below finishing this sentence...
"My favorite thing I did over the summer was..."
We'll pick a winner on Monday, September 10th, and get in touch via email. Thanks for entering and good luck!
For Pixie Faire,
Edith & The PF Team
47 Comments
My favorite thing I did over the summer didn’t happen this year. It happened every summer growing up on my parents Kansas wheat farm. Driving the truck full of wheat to the local grain elevator was a big part of my summer and by helping to contribute to the family income was an honor I will never forget. Loved my childhood!
My favorite thing I did over the summer was to have my 5 yr. old great granddaughter for 9 weeks to spend time time with, She lives 3 hours away from us. so this is a special time for us, She now has a few american girl dolls that she likes having me make clothes for and plays for ever with. Her imagination is limitless. She can’t wait tell I teach her to sew.
A very simple, beautiful, easy to dress pattern. I like the simplicity because I love sew for play dolls that children use. The 18" is my preferred size, not too small and hard to dress, and not too big for them to handle and collect. Thank you for entering me in your contest!
My favourite thing this summer – tackling some of the “impossible tasks” – when one experiences long, really long periods of time coping with pain, many things become impossible tasks. Add the prolonged illness of a loved one, and the list gets longer. I found that if I needed to decide between two things, neither were attempted. The part that makes any task impossible is the inability to tackle it – one cannot succeed or fail, if one cannot attempt the task. I saw most things through an orange sky – the sun being blocked and lungs being burned by forest fire smoke from thousands of miles away. Smoke prevented outdoor activities where summers are already too short. The list of actually impossible tasks were added to the other list. I liked reading everyone’s responses today – success and fun despite enormous challenges. It made me happy that everyone shared their challenges and successes. I like that our news adds a happy, fun moment at the end. No matter how many things go wrong, there are always stories of happiness and delight that warm our hearts and ease our minds. When nothing else is possible, I crochet another scarf to donate, hoping it will make someone happy and warm. Then there is a day when one impossible task is completed: a meal is cooked, or a load of laundry is done, or a bed is changed, something is cleaned. Receiving an act of kindness is amazing – it is the best gift ever. The sun is back to normal here, the air is clean again, and fall is coming. I am learning to remember to say what I did, and not list the things I could not do – it is a new rule – it is the best part of summer.
One of my favorite things I did over the summer was many years ago. As a college student, I went to New Haven, CT and did a summer missions with ten other college students. By day we worked in a summer recreation program with youth.