Simple Easter Dress + Tutorial

I have had plans to make my two girls Easter dresses for months, but just kept putting it off and putting it off and then when I had to go home for the funeral I thought that there was no way I was going to have time to make them. As I was walking through Joann's this week, I came upon the cutest fabric that was pre-ruffled on the bottom and smocked on the top and my plans of being able to finish dresses in time became a reality. 

I know that these dresses have been around the block a few times now, but this was my first time making them before so bare with me. 

This has to be the easiest thing to make in. the. world. And it looks like you spend to much time and effort to get the look.

The fabric comes like this. All you have to do is sew up the side to create the dress and add straps of some sort. It literally took less than a half hour to make. Umm... I think that is a record for a dress this cute! :)

So here is how I made the dress {for my skinny 3 year old}:

Keep in mind that you are going to have to take your own measurements to come with how much fabric you will need.

SUPPLIES:

-half yard of the pre-ruffle/smocked fabric

-whatever you want to use to make the straps; ribbon, extra fabric, etc.

-thread

To make my dress straps, I bought an extra half yard of the regular matching fabric because I have plans to make a skirt for my baby to match this dress {pictures and tutorial to come soon}.

Step 1: Zig zag or serge the raw edges of the sides of the fabric.

Step 2: Put the fabric right sides together and sew up the side to create the dress part. {forgot to take a picture of this step, but I think ya can figure it out ;)}

Step 3: Measure how wide and long you want the straps to be. For my little gal, I cut two strips of fabric that were 3 inches side and 10 inches long. {Keep in mind that you will be folding your straps in half so double your width.} Once your fabric is cut, take one of the fabric pieces and fold it in half (hotdog wise) right sides together and sew up the side of the raw edges creating a tube. Do this for the other piece of fabric too.

Step 4: Turn the tube right side out and and iron flat so that the seam is centered (instead of on the edge) so that you won't see it once the straps are flipped over.

Step 5: Try the dress on your daughter and pin the straps onto the dress so you can see where they need to be sewn. Carefully take the dress off her while the pins are still in.

Step 6: Sew the straps in place.

That's it!

I am back to blogging and crafting!!! (Plus a glimpse of my house mid-crafting...)

I am FINALLY back to the crafting/blogging world!


For those of you that didn't hear where I went or why I was gone- I had to leave spur of the moment and unplanned due to my little brother passing away. 


I am so grateful to you guys for sticking around, even though I took a month off to be with my family. Lucky for me, I have a fabulous friend named Rach that took over the reins of my blog and lined up some great guest posts from my favorite bloggers to keep things moving with my blog. So thank you to everyone that helped guest post! You guys are the best!!


And a HUGE thank you to you guys.... I got so many wonderful emails, comments, etc- that really helped me and made me feel ok about taking this big leave. Thanks so much for your support and understanding! I love you all and am so grateful to get to know you a little bit through this blog! You guys are the best!!


I pulled back into town last night so I have a month worth of everything to catch back up on, but I just wanted to let you all know that I am back on board with blogging and crafting and have some fun projects and tutorials up my sleeves- headed your way soon!! Thanks for hanging around!!


In the mean time, I am going to share a little bit of behind the blog scenes... WHAT MY HOUSE LOOKS LIKE WHEN I AM MID-CRAFTING... brace yourselves! ha ha


(this is a guest post I wrote for My Hand Crafted Home)


Have you ever felt worthless after spending hours(or even minutes) looking at blogs because in blogland everyones house is perfectly kept, kids are perfectly dressed, projects are always completed, pictures have perfect lighting, and meals are artfully prepared and served on color coordinating dishes, etc?

Then you aren't alone! I have spent many a night feeling like I am not as orderly, crafty, talented, etc as other bloggers out there!

But I have a newsflash for you... blogging is an optical illusion. You see what bloggers want you to see. The picture of the perfect chocolate cake doesn't show the kitchen in the other room that was torn apart making it! The picture of an intricate quilt doesn't show the number of seams that were ripped out while making it. The picture of a perfectly fitted pencil skirt doesn't show the safety pin in the back holding the skirt shut cuz the button popped off while taking pictures! Get what I mean? 

Pretty much 100% of the time that I blog, I am sitting in my pajamas with a house in need of some sort of attention! (to my defense, I mainly blog at night so pajamas are fitting- but that is no excuse for my house! ha ha)

Of course we want everyone to see the "perfect side" not the side that has let the laundry pile up and go unfolded for weeks while working on sewing projects. {Of course that has never happened to me- just giving an example- wink wink}

So today I thought I would let you in on a little bit of the behind the scenes in my neck of the woods. Brace yourselves... it isn't pretty!

I live in an apartment and have limited space. I don't have a cute  craft room {that will be the day}- so my dining room doubles as a sewing/laundry room. Here is what is was looking like last night amid-sewing...

Across the room lies a space full of disorder!! (un pictured in the corner is a sink full of dirty dishes and an empty pizza box cuz mommy didn't have time to make dinner! ha)

I guess what I am trying to say is that blogging is awesome in a lot of ways- but just keep in mind that what you see isn't always the whole picture! :)