Hey, Dolls! Thanks for coming back. :)
I've had some of you wanting to know how I whipped up this little high waisted skirt/dress, so here goes.
Then, get your iron heated up and grab your Under Bust Band piece. Fold this in half, lengthwise with the good side IN. Iron this crease then take each side and fold them down and out as shown below so that you're once again looking at the good sides of the fabric which is now a long, thin rectangle of accordion folded fabric.
Now, stitch each end of this accordion piece about 1/4" in, then invert it so that it looks like a long, fabric canoe. Flatten that canoe as shown and press flat. :)
Let's move on to the strap pieces. Fold each as shown, essentially making what looks like bias tape, with raw edges all tucked neatly away inside. Iron then stitch these closed. You can do a single row of stitching, double, or even a decorative stitch in contrasting colors. ALSO, if you do not wish to do fabric straps at all, you can use ribbon, elastic, cording or whatever your little heart desires, just cut them to the same length as if using fabric.
Now, if whatever you are using for your straps is prone to fraying, you can add a bit of Fray Check or even white glue to the ends before moving on to the next step, OR if you're like me and don't want to be held up by having to wait for the stuff to dry before finishing your project, you can do this at the very end. :)
Whether you're waiting for that fray check to dry or not, move along to the main part of the skirt. Starting with the bottom hem which is one of the sides that measures 11", fold it over just a weeeeee bit and iron, then repeat once more to tuck that raw edge inside. Stitch this down to create your nice, neat hemline. Repeat this for both of the side seams (the 8" sides) so that you are left with only one side, the top 11" edge left untouched.
Take your Under Bust Band piece and find the center of it. I mark mine with a pin.
Next, mark the center of the top, raw edge on the skirt piece. Baste stitch the top, raw edge of the skirt piece and pull to make gathers until it matches the length of the bust band.
What you will do next is tuck the gathered edge inside the bust band as shown below and then get crazy with the pins to make sure it isn't going anywhere! Once secure, stitch it closed very near the edge thus trapping all that raw edge and your baste stitches inside the pocket/canoe. :)
Yay! Now pat yourself on the back because that was the toughest part of the whole gig. From here on out it's all hand stitching. Go get yourself a doll to play the part of your model and place a shirt on her. No, this isn't for modesty's sake, it's to make sure that you don't make the fastening of your skirt too tight as it is meant to be worn over different tops. When finding where to apply your fastening be it snaps, velcro, hook and eye what have you, make sure to position the top edge of the band just beneath the bustline. On made to move dolls this is easy, as it is right where the chest joint is. :) Go ahead and add your fastening, then take the skirt off and put it back on your doll INSIDE out. (See pic on the bottom left. I used the wrong pics in my collage, so imagine that all of them have the skirt inside out.)
With the skirt inside out, you can sew the straps directly on without having to fiddle with pins. I attach both of the straps, front sides first, then flop them over the shoulders and attach them at the back.
Once your straps are in place, take the dress back off again and put it on the right way as it will be worn when finished. Now, you can totally leave it this way if you wish, making this an apron type dress that can be worn over a sheath dress, but if you want the skirt enclosed to be worn with just a shirt, then proceed.
With the dress on your doll, and the snap/velcro fastened, measure 1 1/4" down from the bottom of the waist/bust band and pin the skirt closed. It should naturally fall into place with a little fiddling so that the skirt lays flat and creates a natural seam. Pin then stitch from that first pin all the way down to the bottom hemline. Yes, this leaves a flap inside the skirt BUT it lays flatter than having to turn it all back inside out then close up the seam and get it to match the seam created by the fastening.
Ok...for those of you who already did your fray check or don't need it, you're FINISHED! Be proud of yourself and the garment you just created for your doll. For those of you who waited until the end, like me, you'll want to go back inside the dress and add a bit of fray check to the ends of the straps where the raw edges are just to avoid unraveling in the future or after washing. THEN, when that's dry, you're finished as well!
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and can make good use of it. If any of you use it for making and selling garments, I only ask that you credit me somehow. Thank you!
~Mombie / Trish
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