Making it Little By Little

Whenever I come up with a new dress pattern for Molly, she always asks, “It Spin Around?” In this pattern, she is all princess and all spin. The Spin Around Dress, made just for Molly, and she’s not shy about sharing.

This Pattern is for PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please do not reproduce or sell items made from this pattern.

Quicky instructions and full size pattern pieces available in pdf form for downloading here:
http://www.kingstondesign.com/SpinAroundDressFreebie.pdf

Materials:

• A yard and a half of any woven of your choosing. I picked a lovely quilters cotton for mine. A good key to selecting a fabric is to remember that the lighter the weight the more the flowyness. If you pick a cordoury (which you could) expect it to be much less drapey and a bit more tenty
• About a 50″x7″ strip coordinating/contrasting material to make a sash. If you are not folding it in half (ie: ribbon) then you only need it to be about 3-4″ tall. Totally optional, totally cute.
• Snaps. I like to use metal snaps on my dresses. You can get them at just about any craft store with a “snap setter” or get all fancy and order them online from somewhere like The Snap Store. I have the #16 size because that’s what the cool designs are in, but you can pick whatever size you think you’ll use most.
• Thread, match fiber content to your fabric as best you can.

Instructions:

Print out the .pdf of the pattern, being sure to turn all print scaling off and checking that your 1″ square is actually a 1″ square when you are all printed up nice. Read the labeling on the pattern, using the diagram to match it all together, see that you but the edges and tape together the bottom piece and NOT OVERLAP.

Cut out your pattern pieces. Lay out onto fabric and cut away.

When it’s all cut out, it should look something like this I cut the sash fabric too.

Match up right sides together fronts to backs pinning at the shoulders.

Sew all four using 1/2″ seam allowance.

Match your newly formed “top” pieces right sides together, pinning along inner neckline and armholes.

Sew with your 1/2″ seam allowance, making sure you follow the sweetheart neckline and cut v’s or use pinking shears close to your stitches so that when you turn it lays nice.

Turn right side out, pin and topstitch 1/8″ from the edge the inner neckline from back snap panel to back snap panel.

Line up the armholes to make um, well arm “holes”.

Match right sides together and pin.

Repeat for both sides and sew them!

Fold right side out and topstitch 1/8″ in all the way around for both arms.

You’re halfway there! Set aside your FINISHED top piece and grab your two bottom pieces.

Pin side seams of the bottom pieces right sides together (of course!) and sew. I did a little zig zag down the edge of the seam on this one since it’s exposed on the inside. If you have a serger (and aren’t too lazy to take the cover off and use it, lol) then by all means serge this one

Grab your top piece and pin it to the bottom piece. I pinned together the back pieces so that they overlapped about 5/8″ or so. Pin your front and side seams then line it all up in the back, it’s much easier that way.

Sew together and then topstitch it facing the inner seam down. (Have you figured out that I love topstitching by now?)

Almost done! Hemming time!

Fold and pin bottom edge up 1″ all the way around.

Fold down 1/4″ hiding the unfinished edge neatly inside, repinning as you go along.

Sew inside all the way around 1/8″ from your “top” edge.

Mark your snap placement on the back of the dress.

Pick out your pretty snaps and apply.

Make your sash. I just sewed all the way around on three sides folding the fabric in half leaving a hole for turning then topstitched all the way around. Then I tacked it on by hand to the dress at the side seams 1/2″ down from the armhole opening.

Put dress on model and initiate spinning!