How to Make Puffy Dresses for Children

Even novice sewers can create a beautiful dress for a little girl that has an iridescent bodice and a billowing tulle skirt. In this design, the bodice is made with a stretchy fabric and an elastic thread is used for the top of the skirt — this way the dress is easy for the child to get on and will last through a couple of growth spurts. When the dress is finished, you can customize it with a ribbon waistband, tiny ribbon bows along the tulle skirt or gemstone-embellished shoulder straps.

Things You'll Need

• Sewing tape measure
• 1 yard metallic rayon knit fabric
• Tailor’s chalk
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Zipper
• Straight pins
• 1 1/2-inch-wide ribbon
• 4 to 6 yards tulle fabric
• Elastic thread

Instructions

Bodice

1. Measure around the widest part of the child’s chest and add 1 1/4 inches. This is the width of the bodice. Measure from just beneath her arms to her belly button and add 1 1/2 inches. This is the length of the bodice.

2. Lay the metallic rayon knit fabric on your work surface and draw a rectangle according to the above measurements with tailor’s chalk.

3. Lay the rayon knit rectangle good side down with one of the width sides in front of you. This is the bottom of the bodice. Fold over 1/2 inch of fabric along the bottom edge and sew a running stitch. Rotate the fabric to put the opposite side in front of you. This is the top of the bodice. Fold over 1 inch of fabric and sew a running stitch. You now have smooth, finished edges for the top and bottom of the bodice.

4. Fold the sides of the bodice over 1/2 inch and sew a running stitch along each side. You now have smooth edges to receive the zipper.

5. Measure 1 inch upward from the bottom edge of each side and make a mark with the tailor’s chalk. Fold one side over to the other with the good side of the fabric inward and sew a running stitch from the bottom edge up to the 1-inch mark. Now the bottom of the bodice is connected. The remainder of the bodice will be connected with the zipper. Measure the distance from the 1-inch mark to the top of the bodice. The zipper must be equal to this length.

6. Lay the zipper against the opening along the sides of the bodice. The outside of the zipper should be facing down. Insert pins to keep it in place. Sew a running stitch around the fabric edges of the zipper to attach it to the bodice. You will be sewing through the folded edges of the side fabric. Be careful to sew only through one layer of the fold. This way, no stitches are visible on the outside of the bodice.

7. Hold the tape measure against the child’s chest, just beneath her underarms. Wrap the tape measure up around her shoulders and down to beneath her underarms at her back. Add 1-inch to the measurement. This is the length of the shoulder straps.

8. Cut two pieces of the ribbon to the shoulder strap length and pin one end of each ribbon to the top, front of the bodice. Pin these pieces near the left and right sides. Pin the opposite ends of the ribbons to the top, back of the bodice, near the left and right sides. Sew the ends of the ribbon in place to complete the shoulder straps.

Skirt

1. Measure around the child’s waist, right around her belly button, and multiply the measurement by 2.5. This is the width of the skirt. Measure from her belly button to her knees and add 1 inch. This is the length of the skirt. You can change the length to make an ankle- or calf-length skirt.

2. Lay the tulle fabric on your work surface and use the tailor’s chalk to draw a rectangle according to the skirt’s measurements. Repeat this step at least three more times. This will make a four-layer tulle skirt with a significant amount of puffiness. You can add extra layers to the skirt if you like.

3. Lay the tulle rectangles on top of one another and align the edges. Position the fabric to put one of the width sides in front of you and insert pins along the length to prevent the fabric from shifting. This is the top of the skirt. Fold the layers of tulle in half to put the two sides together and sew a running stitch through the sides of the individual layers to join the sides of the skirt.

4. Use elastic thread to sew a 3/8-inch-wide running stitch along the length of the pinned edge. Pull on the elastic thread when you reach the end to gather the top of the skirt. Lay a towel over top of the gathered edge and iron it on a low setting to lay the gathered edge flat.

5. Slide the gathered edge of the skirt over the bottom of the bodice. The bodice should still be turned inside out. Pin the gathered edge to the 1/2-inch folded edge at the bottom of the bodice and then use the elastic thread to sew the skirt to the bodice. Using elastic thread gives the skirt and the bottom of the bodice a little bit of extra stretch so the dress is easier for the child get on.

References

• "The Colette Sewing Handbook: Inspired Styles and Classic Techniques for the New Seamstress"; Sarai Mitnick
• "Couture Sewing Techniques"; Claire B. Shaeffer