Pink Butterfly Charlie

A series of tutorials for the Charlie dress begins here.

Michael Miller fabric. Size 3. This is my favorite so far. Made for Miss Sadie.

Flower Power Charlie and Flamingo Charlie

Size 4:

Size 5:

A series of tutorials for the Charlie dress begins here.

Topstitching

Although the pattern doesn't call for this, I like to topstitch the skirt:

The series of tutorials for the Charlie dress begins here.

Pink Rose Charlie

Size 2.

Inside:

Same Size, Different Style

This simple dress can be styled in so many different ways. Here are two in size 4 that I made recently - a princess style and a contemporary look:

Back Opening

I first serge all the straight seams:

Then I place the backs right-sides together to sew the central 5/8" seam. I place a pin where the pattern has indicated the end of the opening. I set my machine to baste and sew to a couple of stitches beyond the pin. Then I set my machine for a regular-length stitch, back-stitch a few stitches, then sew the rest of the seam:

I press this seam open, then gently pulling apart the seam holding the fabric up to a light, I can tell where the large stitches stop. I place a pin there. Now I will sew around the basted area, including area just beyond the pin:

Now I clip the basting stitches, pulling out the clipped threads afterwards.:

The finished opening:

The next step is to sew the back to the front only by the shoulder seams and then apply the binding to the neck and armhole edges. Here is the blog post about bias binding.

Tri-color Charlie

A series of tutorials for the Charlie dress begins here.

These fabrics are new at my quilt shop. Basicgrey Grunge by Moda. There are many other colors. Size 4.

Charlie Baby

18 months size.

Strawberry Charlie

Finished today. Size 3.

A series of tutorials begins here.

Basting Gathers

My mother taught me to make gathers by sewing two parallel lines of basting stitches (long stitches, so they pull up easily) 1/4" apart. The threads get pulled up at the same time, and having two lines of stitches ensures that the gathers stay straight. Do not backstitch these seams, but leave the threads long enough to grab and pull.

These lines of stitching are sewn at 3/8" and 5/8" from the edge of the fabric. I will be sewing the skirt to the bodice with a 1/2" seam because it's easier to manage. The pattern actually calls for a 5/8" seam. If you do sew a 5/8 seam to join the skirt and bodice, sew your basting lines at 4/8" and 6/8". The final seam will be sewn BETWEEN them.

Remembering that you will be sewing the gathered edge of the skirt to the bodice with right sides together, you will be pulling up the threads on the wrong side of the skirt:

To keep the threads in order, tie the two on the RIGHT side of the skirt together in a square knot, and trim their ends:

The photo below shows that I have pulled up the threads in one quarter of the skirt, from a middle notch to a side seam. There are four to do like this.

All four are done in the photo below. The skirt is ready to attach to the bodice. (It will be turned inside out so right sides can be sewn together.) I have gathered a little more than is actually needed. When I pin the side seams and middle notches of the skirt to their counterparts on the bodice, then I will loosen the gathers, adjust them to fit the bodice, and pin in place, doing one quarter of the skirt at a time.

For the next construction step, see the post Joining Skirt and Bodice. For the step showing how to hem the skirt (I do this just before gathering) see the post Easy Hem. If you have finished the skirt but not yet sewn the bodice, return to Back Opening.

Pattern Layout on Fabric

Here is how I lay out the pattern pieces on fabric. This is a one-yard cut from the quilt shop. The empty space on the right is where the second skirt piece is cut - two are needed for one dress. This is a size 3 pattern, so you can see that a yard is plenty. I can get a size 4 out of one yard, too.

Note that the back bodice is upside-down. If the pattern had a nap to it (looks different upside-down), I could cut that piece in the same orientation as the front. It would just take a bit more fabric. Obviously, I have enough fabric here in this yard, but I like to place my pieces as close together as possible to keep the scraps as large as they can be. (I give them to Winnie for her scrap quilts.)

Next, see Serging.

Closure Trials

When I first started making Charlie dresses, I couldn't figure out how to make a neat button loop closure. I tried several different kinds of closures before I settled on one I really like.

In this trial, I cut the back as one piece and made a faced cut-out. I inserted the loop between the fabric and the facing. This was a lot of extra work.

In this trial, I made a strong button loop of thread. This was the neatest finish, but making a strong loop is finicky work.

In this trail, I made an external button loop into a sort of design with a "fake" button beside the functional one:

Next, I drafted facings and put buttons on the shoulders. But I didn't like having to cut facings or the juvenile look:

In my final trial (to date) I make an external button loop without trying to hide it. This is described in my previous post "Button Loop". I'm happy with it.

Matching the fabric pattern

I didn't realize that polka dots would need to be matched! Well, if the dots are random, they don't. But when they are in ordered rows like this, they really do need to be. The first photo below shows what poor matching looks like. The second photo shows a dress where I cut each back piece separately, making sure the pattern would match. It's not a big deal, I guess, but when you know better, it's nice to do it right.

Here are the two dresses from the front. They are both size 2 and identical (except from the back!):

A Princess Dress with Sparkle and Lace

Now that I've made about 30 of these dresses, I'm finally starting to think about how to add details to make them distinctive. I have a perfect example that actually came about by accident. I had just a little of a pink print left and just a little of a blue with sparkly pearlescent ink - enough of both together to make one dress. I decided to make the skirt of the pink and the bodice of the blue. Finished, it was cute, but nothing special. it was veering toward a princess look, but it needed... lace! Sparkly lace! And I found just the right piece in a packet of laces I'd "borrowed" from my friend, Helly. Voila! Don't you think it makes an improvement? Just a little thing, but a good example of how a bit of trim can make such a difference.

Little Blue with Pink Roses

I love the old fashioned look of this print on these dresses. It's actually a contemporary Japanese-style design with gold flecks! Sizes 3 and 2:

Two Tahiti Dresses

They are sizes 5 and 6:

Joining Skirt and Bodice

Just after I hem the skirt, I sew two parallel basting threads at 3/8" and 5/8", one set for each side of the skirt, leaving long tails for pulling. I tie off the threads on the right side of the skirt. I draw up the other threads into the approximate shape of the gathered skirt. I then pin skirt and bodice together, arranging the gathers evenly (This is explained more fully in the post Basting Gathers):

I next sew a seam between the two basting threads, at 4/8". Though the pattern calls for a 5/8" seam here, I prefer to sew a 4/8". (I could trim the pattern pieces accordingly, removing 1/8" from the bottom of the bodice pattern and also from the top of the skirt pattern, but I don't think the difference is really worth the trouble.)

Then I serge this seam:

After serging, I remove the basting thread that shows. Then I press the seam I have just sewn, but from the front of the garment, preparatory to top stitching. The seam allowance (which you can't see) is directed upward:

Next I topstitch the bottom of the bodice. This is not called for in the pattern instructions, but it does two things: keeps the seam tidy after it goes through a wash and strengthens the seam. Here's more about topstitching.

And the dress is done!

Side Seams

I finish the arm and neck holes before sewing the bodice side seams.

At the top of the seam, just at the armhole, I sew a tack the width of the seam allowances to hold them flat against the garment:

At this point, I add the Button Loop and sew on the button, but you can add it any time from now until the dress is finished.

Next, if you have not yet sewn the skirt, go to the post Easy Hem. Ifyou have, go to Joining Skirt and Bodice.

Easy Hem

I hem the skirt before sewing it to the bodice. To make the narrow 1/4" (approximately) hem, first press up 1/4" by eye. Then press that up 1/4" (by eye - this is quick). Don't bother to pin it, just sew. Voila.

Next, see Basting Gathers.