Little girl tunic with lining

We have been really busy moving house. It is very close to the current one - just that it is smaller for more price!! I hate it that the kitchen is small and I have to downsize now. We have almost finished moving but are still living in boxes, the kitchen especially. We have either eaten out or in friends places for the last 1 week. The children are having fun tearing up boxes and scattering things all around. Gosh!! I really need to pull myself together and get the mess and the boxes and me sorted :)
Until then enjoy a tunic I made for my daughter about a month back. Notice that it has no visible seams. I'm turning into one of them who has started to give a lot of attention to the inside of the dress.
The outside of the dress is for people but the neat inside of the dress is what really makes me happy. I know what's the point you say!! until you start sewing I say :)
Fabric is a dupatta left over after this skirt project - Flat front back elastic phus phus skirt third try.

 Sorry, should have pressed it.

 The neck isn't that neat I agree.

 Here comes the inside of the dress. Isn't that cool? No seams at the sleeves??

 Super I say :)

 The lining was some leftovers of another project. I turned the hem on the same sides of the outer fabric but you could do reverse.

Bad exposed photos. Sorry about that.
If ever I make a tunic tutorial this neat inside is the one :)

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Aanchi Free Nightie 2T ePattern

Here is another pattern for you - FREE. It is currently in size 2T, I'll try to learn to draft to other sizes as well. I can't promise but I'll try do my best. Now who knew I could even make one e pattern - here I'm :)
Please don't tell me it doesn't look like a nightie - I know I should have made it longer; and with this one I did, but my little one refused to wear saying its too big and it is for dada - her older brother. So I cut it, but you could make it any length you want. Just make sure it is loose enough if you are making it longer than the knees so they don't stumble over.
The dark blue here shows with buttons behind but for the rest and the tutorial I've used buttons only at the yoke. For detailed photos please see yellow nightie, blue nightie, purple nightie.

 

Full photo instructions:

1. SUPPLIES	2. DOWNLOAD EPATTERN & TRACE/PRINT	3. CUT FABRIC & PREPARE	4. SEW YOKE TO BODY

I hope you like it and make it. Please feel free to share on flickr if you make it, I'll be delighted to see.
Flickr Aanchi photos

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Aanchi nightie attach yoke

Last step here today : Let's us attach the yoke to the body. I should have used a better fabric here that shows the right and wrong side of fabric differently. I promise when I do the multi size version I'll make another tutorial with a better fabric. It is hard to make out from here I agree.
Sew the shoulders right sides together for both front and facing pieces as shown.

Sew the back button closures right side together forming a huge circle

Fold the back closure and this is how it looks.

Notch up front and facing yoke. For the front notch up between the yellow points. For the back notch up from yellow point up until the back opening. Refer here to refresh on notching, clipping, concave & convex.

Another pic for clarity

Start to attach such that the body is enclosed between the front and facing yoke. I have taken multiple photos here but due to the fabric choice it is hardly visible. Couldn't dare back out at this point. :)
Right side of body with right side of front yoke
Wrong side of body with right side of facing yoke.

Sew the 3 layers together making sure there are no puckers.  You could do a basting stitch first and then check if there are any puckers and if not sure regular stitch over it.

This is how it looks.

Cut the extra fabric after seam to 0.7 cm. Cut one of the yoke longer than other (called grading I suppose) - which one I'm not sure yet.

Remove the gathering stitches.

 Iron the yoke so that the front yoke rolls over slightly on top of the facing.

Now time to attach the bias binding to the neck. Fold over a cm wrong sides together on the bias binding. Start to attach the right side of bias binding to wrong side of fabric.

 Towards the end again fold wrong sides together 1 cm and pin

Align the button closure with the end of bias binding. Sew on the first crease

 Fold over the the right side of fabric pin along and sew.

Done!!

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Cut & sew body Aanchi nightie pattern

After you have your pattern pieces ready, its time to cut the fabric.
Very sorry about the quality of the photos - its a combination of light and me really.
Plus what was I thinking when I started with this fabric. Has been so hard to show the right and wrong side; I have to make another tutorial with a better fabric.

Starting from selvage mark 1.5 cm (seam allowance)

Mark the breadth of the pattern piece onto the fabric starting from the marked point

Fold the fabric in the steps shown - There must be 2 folds on one side
One fold and 2 edges on the other. Let me know if it is not clear I can show some more pics.

Showing one side

Showing the other side

Put the body pattern piece such that the sleeve side is on the 2 fold side.

Cut

This is how it looks. No side seams. Just one seam on the back.

Now cut 2 pieces of front yoke on fold (right side wrong side doesn't matter)
If you want to know what cut on fold or lengthwise grain means - refer to tutorial.

The cut pieces

Cut 2 pieces of back yoke on fold

Cut the folded edge to make it 4 pieces.

Total pattern pieces. 1 body, 2 front yoke and 4 back yoke

Between the 2 red points on the front run gathering stitches. 2 rows of basting above the stitching line and one below. Detailed gathering technique available here - gathering stitches.

At the back gather from the red line and stop 1.5 from the edge. Do the same at both the back pieces.

3 rows of basting forms neat gathers

Now we will finish the sleeves using bias tape. I just bought some bias tape but have also tried making the same. You can see the dress I made here.
Pin right side of bias tape with wrong side of fabric.
Make your own bias tape with bias tape maker or pins

Sew on the folded crease

Now fold the bias tape towards the right side of fabric making sure the stitching line is just covered.

Sew over the bias tape from the right side just at the edge.

Neat! Do the same on other sleeve. Sleeves couldn't be easier.

Sew right sides together at the back leaving 8cm from the top. Zig zag stitch or serge the ends.
Also hem the bottom of the skirt with your favorite style to hem -  I used this method I used in phus phus skirt to hem.

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Download nightie 2T ePattern - Print or trace

You have 2 options here - the proper way and the dirty way!!. If you have a printer and it is working then you could print the pattern pieces (the proper way)
This is part of the Nightie free pattern size 2T which has full step by step instructions. The same can be applied to any pattern. For all the free patterns please refer to my free patterns page.

Download & Print Aanchi Nightie 2T ePattern:

Free Nightie Pattern for download - 

Download Aanchi Nightie 2T ePattern 
Save it to your computer.  Open in Adobe Reader. File->Print.
Select "no scaling" or "100% scaling" or "actual size"  before printing. After you have printed measure the 4cm * 4cm with your scale or measuring tape to ensure it is printed correctly.

Download & Trace Aanchi Nightie 2T ePattern:

Or if you are like me just download the Aanchi Nightie 2T ePattern , and using tracing paper or baking sheet just trace around the pattern on your computer screen. I have done the same with ipad as well - just turn the rotation off. :)

Yeah, I can see some eye rolling. Experts please look away. This one is not for you. :)



Ok, for the beginners - there is a trick here - alignment.

How to trace pdf patterns without printing:

1. First open ePattern in Adobe Reader and measure with your measuring tape on the screen, yes on the screen, measure the 4*4 cm square. Adjust the zoom % to make sure it is perfect 4cm. I had to zoom it to 115%.
2. Now place the tracing paper on the screen. Always first draw the 4*4 cm square and then making sure the square is still aligned trace the rest of the pattern. This way the x and y axis will remain aligned. Well, its only a kids pattern and this one being so generous, a little here and there is totally fine!!. I hope there is no expert/perfectionist reading this now that I have asked to look away.
Make sure you transfer the red and yellow points - very important.
3. If the pattern is bigger than the page then move the page down making sure atleast half the square is visible, realign the tracing paper on the square and continue.

This is how it looks after tracing the body and the yoke sections.

4. Cut the pattern pieces

 All ready to cut the fabric now. You could at this point trace these onto thicker stiffer paper so its easy to store and reuse.

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