Sewing TUTORIAL: Girl's Dance Bag

 

Sewing Tutorial:

Girl's Dance Bag

 

There comes in a moment in almost every little girl's life where she wants to dance. She wants to put on her poofy pink tutu, those tiny ballet slippers and a leotard and TWIRL!

 

Well today is my little girl's first day as she calls it, "her very special dance class" and I needed to send her there in style. If your little dancer needs to carry her ballet shoes, tap shoes, tutu and leotard off to dance class she will definitely need a dance bag to do it. There are tons of them at the dance store of course, but it's more fun to make and it's THE MOST FUN when you make it with your special dancer!

 

1. Gather Materials:

half yard of cotton fabric, two yards of grosgrain ribbon, scissors, pins, sewing machine, thread, ruler and iron

 

 

 

2. Cut a piece of fabric that is 18 inches long x 44 inches wide

 

3. Hem one long edge 2 inches. Fold up a one inch hem, press with an iron, fold up another one inch hem, press with an iron and pin along this edge.  (This is the 44 inch edge)

 

4. Sew along your pinned edge. Remove pins as you sew. This will be your ribbon (drawstring) casing in a few steps.

 

5. Lay your fabric right sides together, matching up the short sides (the 18 inch long sides). Pin down this short side.

 

6. Put two pins at the bottom of your previously sewn hemmed edge. This will remind you to STOP SEWING whne you reach this point. You do NOT want to sew over this casing. It would close it.

 

 

 

7. Starting from the bottom of the short side that you just pinned, sew along the edge towards the top casing, but STOP when you reach the casing. Backstitch several times to reinforce this stopping point.

 

8. Turn right side out and press with an iron.

 

 

9. See the part of the casing that you did NOT SEW? There is an opening there and this is what you want. You did it correctly! This is where you will insert your ribbon to make it a drawstring.

 

 

10. Cut a piece of grosgrain ribbon that is 48 inches long. Insert a safety pin onto the end of it.

 

 

 

11. Insert your safety pin through one of these openings and feed your ribbon through until it comes out the other open end. You will start to gather your fabric over the ribbon as you do this.

 

 

 

 

 12. Tie each ribbon's end into a knot so it will not slip out the casing. Use Fray check on the ends to prevent unraveling OR fold over the end of the ribbon 1/2 and inch then another 1/2 an inch and sew to hem. Repeat for the other ribbon's end.



13. Tie your ribbons into a bow.

14. To make a handle cut a piece of ribbon 18 inches long and fold it in half.

15. Fold the joined raw edges over 1/2 an inch then another 1/2 an inch to enclose the raw ends. Pin the loop below the casing and sew down this short end to create a handle for the bag.

Toss in a tutu and some ballet shoes and let your little girl dance her heart out!

 

These tiny toes will forever melt my heart - with or without ballet shoes on them.

 

 Happy Sewing!

I hope you and your little tiny dancer will have fun making one of these dancing bags together!

Sewing Pattern - Women's Dress - take 3

I've really been having fun designing this sewing pattern for women!!! This dress looks simple, but has some details that make it special. First this dress has hidden inseam pockets. I don't know about you but I really love when dresses include pockets. Just for those quick errands or a trip to the park - it's a great place for keys and a cell phone - rather than throwing them on the ground next to the park swings.

The neckline features two of my favorite details - the scoopneck and the pleated front. Scoopnecks are flattering when they aren't too low cut. With this dress you don't have to worry about having a v-necked dress that possibly falls too low. When that happens to me I'm not going to pass up the dress in the store, but it will make me think about what will go under it - a bandeau top or tank top - or if I will have to alter the dress to pull it up at the shoulders. So when it came to making this dress, it features the classic scoopneck. It is modest but not too uptight and gives this dress a fresh, young and modernly chic look.

To give the dress' neckline a little pizzazz, rather than having your basic scooped neck, I went with a pleated detail. This draws your eyes towards the gathered pleats at the neckline while giving the bust some shape. The waist is accentuated since it is cinched with a sash or belt.

To me, this is an updated classic look and I cannot wait for YOU TO SEW ONE!! This dress sewing pattern will be one that you will LOVE TO SEW and LOVE to have in YOUR CLOSET!

I'm hoping to have this finished by the weekend and then I will call out for pattern testers. Be on the lookout on Facebook.

And if you haven't entered our NAME THIS SEWING PATTERN CONTEST, check it out here and get your name in TODAY! 

Happy Sewing!
Jenny

Women's Dress Pattern - take 2!

If you haven't heard, Seamingly Smitten is having a CONTEST to NAME THIS SEWING PATTERN! It's my next women's sewing pattern but it needs a name!

Get your idea in TODAY! The names are pouring in on FACEBOOK and in this BLOG POST.

Here is another mock-up of the dress. I'm still tweaking the design and playing around with fabrics to get it ready to put in the pattern shop.

Start thinking and ENTER the CONTEST TODAY!

 

You would WIN this sewing pattern and THREE OTHER Seamingly Smitten sewing patterns of your choice!

 Winner is chosen Friday, September 7th and will be notified via email so please LEAVE your EMAIL ADDRESS so I can contact. you. The winner will also be announced here on the blog and on our Facebook page.

Mock up #2 done in a polyester (I dislike sewing or hemming poly, but I'm drawn to the graphic design on it.)

Side pockets, scoop neckline in front and back

Sash is optional or you can add your own belt!

Mock up #1 - Done in a Michael Miller cotton fabric. Much stiffer than the polyester and it gives the dress a whole new look.

The original neckline - but now it's more of a scoop.

 

Get those brain wheels cranking and enter your idea today!

Happy Sewing!

 

NAME THAT DRESS CONTEST!

 Let's have a CONTEST to NAME THIS DRESS!

 

Alright ladies, I need your help! Right now I am drafting this women's sewing pattern and it needs a name! I thought we could have a little fun with a Name That Dress CONTEST!

 

 If I choose the name that YOU created:

 

 YOU WILL WIN THIS PATTERN AND 3 FREE Seamingly Smitten sewing patterns of your choice!

 

This dress will have a scoop neck, inseam pockets and a sash for some figure-flattering fun! The pattern will debut soon, but it really needs a name!

 

Winner will be chosen FRIDAY, September 7th and will be announced via Facebook and this blog. GOOD LUCK!

 

You can comment below or comment on Facebook.

 

The entries are already pouring in, gets yours submitted TODAY!!

 

 

Please leave your EMAIL address, too,  so I can contact you if you WIN!!