free girl's pattern?

[paganmum]

I have a ton of fabric and need to use it. Add to the fact that things are tight for us right now and my two girls ages 5.5 and 3yo are in need of summer dresses, and other things that look nice. I don't have any elastic in my stash Ir I'd start whipping out skirts.

Is there a good easy way to make skirt for little girls with out using elastic? (yes that is how tight things are right now.) Or is there possibly any free pinafore/smock/apron dress? I've been able to fine very loose instructions and rough (really really rough) pictures of how the pieces would be laid out but no measurements. Would anyone have any advice?

Thanks much in advance!

[frogger]

instead of using elastic, you could make drawstrings.

tiptoefairy.com has an apron top pattern. just make the lower portion, longer for a dress.
sewmamasew.com in the blog area, there are links to a vintage smockette pattern. really cute! it looks like a basic simple pattern.

try also sewingmamas.com in the download section, there is a tutorial for the jamie dress with measurements.

thats all I can think of for now.

good luck!

[gmvh]

I would think you could craft a simple tunic-style dress for your girls that has an opening at the back neckline to make it big enough to get the head through and then make ties from the fabric to use instead of a button. I can't think of a specific pattern though.

What about pillowcase dresses? You could essentially make the pillowcase from your stash and then thread drawstrings in and tie at the shoulders. I think if you search here you'll find instructions or you could Google it. A lot of the patterns do have elastic but it would certainly be easy enough to do without.

I'd also check the library as I have a book or two that has patterns in it that need to be exploded (how's that for an accurate word...) to use but are very simple in nature - some Waldorf-y books with simple smocks.

Good luck!

[WC_hapamama]

Hmmm... how about drawstring skirts? Or make a knit waistband. If you have any old cotton/lyrca or cotton/spandex items around that you could cannibalize into a waistband, that might work out well for you. Oh... wrap skirts too!

For dresses, how about short sleeved peasant dresses or pillowcase dresses? Those all work with geometric shapes so you don't need a pattern really.

Here's the tutorial I've used for a peasant dress for my 4 year old DD. I just scaled it down to her size and made the sleeves shorter and not so wide. I'm going to try it for nightgowns this winter too.
http://reddawn.net/costume/chemise.htm

Here's a link to a pattern and directions for a pillowcase dress.
http://www.andersonsplace.net/sewing...case_dress.htm

There's a pattern called the "Jayme dress" over at sewingmamas.com that doesn't use elastic either... pattern and tutorial come together.

Hope this helps!

[frogger]

just remembered that sewing mamas also has a pattern for the peasant top, just lengthen for a dress. oh craftsters.org has a cool dress made from a man's button down shirt. I don't think it used elastic.

[ecoteat]

If the girls have any t-shirts to spare, you can turn them into dresses by adding a skirt to them. Google t-shirt dresses. They are really easy and quick and come out pretty cute.

[mom2talus]

Maybe little wrap skirts would be cute?

[gmvh]

Last night I just found easy directions for wrap skirts on craftster:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=14880

There's the original question, one or two people reply, and then a woman gives explicit directions below that. I think I may try it today!

[WC_hapamama]

I saw a link to this tutorial over at craftster and thought of you.... a little patchwork hippie dress!

http://indietutes.blogspot.com/2007/...cle-skirt.html

[orangefoot]

I searched for that crafster shirt to toddler dress and here it is http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=170402.0

I am so itching to sew this now!

OP if you are stuck for 'notions' you can always harvest them from old clothing that you don't wear anymore. I always take out zips, cut off buttons and have been known to hang on to ribbing and plackets of t-shirts and shirts before chopping them up for cloths or refashioning.

Here's a link to the Sewing Mamas childrens patterns

[snitker79]

I have been attempting to retrace my steps to find a particular tutorial on making an old Tshirt into a girl's dress. I have followed all of the links mentioned and still cannot find it, plus searched through google. Maybe you remember seeing it as well... It is the one with the old Tshirt with lots of faces/girls/comic character types (gray I believe) and the lady took part of one of the characters and put it on the dress. The little girl modeling was about 4 or 5.

Does anyone remember this and/or have a link?

TIA

[gmvh]

Originally Posted by orangefoot

I searched for that crafster shirt to toddler dress and here it is http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=170402.0

I am so itching to sew this now!

Oh my goodness! Why have I not seen that before - thanks for the link!

[frogger]

Originally Posted by snitker79

I have been attempting to retrace my steps to find a particular tutorial on making an old Tshirt into a girl's dress. I have followed all of the links mentioned and still cannot find it, plus searched through google. Maybe you remember seeing it as well... It is the one with the old Tshirt with lots of faces/girls/comic character types (gray I believe) and the lady took part of one of the characters and put it on the dress. The little girl modeling was about 4 or 5.

Does anyone remember this and/or have a link?

TIA

is it this dress?

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=168520.0

[snitker79]

YES!!! Thank you! I looked all over crafters, but I was looking under "t shirt" and she used "tee".

I'm going to try to make one similar in style for my dd. Thanks again!

[ktlady]

Here are some insrtuctions to add a skirt to a t-shirt:
http://sew-with-me.blogspot.com/