Toddler Spring Dress Embroidery Project

Read through the instructions thoroughly before beginning and assemble all the materials needed to complete the project. Print out the pattern in the size needed and select the fabric and embroidery thread colors. Print out a paper template of the embroidery design at actual size. For this project, a size 2T pattern was used. The design was decreased in size by 10%.

Instead of hemming the ruffles, the edge was laid on the fold of the fabric and 2 were cut. Fold the ruffle in half and press.

Cut out the remaining pattern pieces. Instead of facing the bodice, in this tutorial a bodice lining will be created. To do this, cut four bodice front pieces and two bodice back pieces on the fold. Cut out the skirt pieces.

Place the right sides of the bodice front pieces to each of the bodice back pieces and pin at the shoulders. Stitch the shoulder seams and press open.

Gather each ruffle. Pin in place as indicated on the pattern. Tip: press the ruffle within the seam allowance, gently forming the ruffle. Baste the ruffle in place. Repeat for the other ruffle.

Place the bodice lining, right sides together over the bodice, matching shoulder seams and all cut edges. Pin around the neck edge and front. Sew around the neck edge and front edges.

Tip: when going around the curves at the center front edge, shorten the stitch length and try and sew smoothly around the curve without stopping. Clip the curves.

Press the seam allowance toward the lining and understitch. Go as far as you can into the curve with the Understitching.

Press the front edge. Next, the “burrito method” will be used to sew the armholes to encase the seam allowance.

Place the bodice as shown on a flat surface. Beginning at the left side, snuggly roll all the layers to the armhole on the right. Pick up the top layer of the armhole on the right with the portion rolled.

The under fabric will be rolled around under the burrito, around the burrito, and matched to the armhole. Match the shoulder seams and pin.

Continue matching cut edges and pinning the armhole. Sew the seam.

Clip the curves. Now reach in through the bottom and pull the fabric out through the shoulder seam. For smaller sizes, this will be a little tricky, but for larger sizes where the shoulder length is longer it is easy. Press the seam—be careful not to press the ruffled area—just the seam.

Understitch the seam to the lining as far as you can. For smaller sizes, that won’t be very far. Begin at one underarm area and stitch as far as you can toward the shoulder, then turn the piece around and start at the other underarm and understitch from the other side.

Now turn the piece around so the stitched armhole is on the left, snuggly roll toward the unstitched armhole, hold the top unstitched armhole with the burrito. Reach under the burrito and bring the bottom armhole area up and around the top of the burrito matching the shoulder seams and pin.

Pin the armhole bodice and lining together, stitch, and clip.

Turn right side out, press, and understitch.

If any of the gathering threads show, be sure to remove them. Press the bodice.

Press the bodice. Bring the side seams on each side together and stitch.

Press the side seams open and then bring the lower cut edges together and press. Top stitch around the bodice front and back neck edges if desired.

Topstitch around the armholes, too, if desired. Baste together the lower bodice edge. Construct the skirt and stitch it to the bodice following the pattern directions.

If desired, press the waist seam up and topstitch it in place. Hem the dress.

Cut out the paper embroidery design and determine where you would like it placed. For the project, the bottom of the neck edge was placed at the topstitching of the hem and the center of the design was aligned to the edge of the bodice overlap. Hoop the fabric with the chosen stabilizer.

Especially with a smaller garment size, it is important to make sure that none of the excess fabric gets caught under the hoop. Place the hoop on the machine and align the needle to the center of the paper template.

Before starting to stitch, double check to make sure none of the fabric is caught underneath the hoop; you may wish to clip the excess fabric out of the way. Stitch the design.

Remove the design from the hoop. For this particular fabric which is linen, the bottom registration was out of alignment. Tip: this is a “design opportunity!” I have a lot of lace pieces in my stash, so I pulled out some to see what might work to cover up this area. I liked the scallop trim but I didn’t have enough to trim the bottom of the skirt.

Another piece of lace trim had daisies I could cut out, and scallops that could be cut apart. Daisies were cut out and one scallop to put over the bottom of the giraffe.

If doing this, be sure to securely stitch on the lace pieces. Instead of buttons and buttonholes, snaps were used.

This pattern fits well and is so sweet. Use different fabrics and embroidery designs to create several for spring. Thank you for purchasing the pattern and embroidery design.