15-Minute Bandanna Dress

Hey Everyone!!

So, I was playing with my sewing machine again today and I whipped up a little dress for Hannah.  I saw this tutorial for a bandanna dress posted on Pinterest and I had to give it a go.  As with Hannah's Busy Bag, I won't do a step by step on here since the tutorial is really detailed.  I just give you a few of my observations and suggestions.

First, when I went to Michaels, I wasn't sure if I needed a regular sized bandanna or the over sized one that they offered.  Hannah is in size 5-6 and a regular sized one was just fine.  A bit big actually.  The bandannas come in a variety of colors and only cost $2.99 a piece!!  I found some ribbon with a touch of bling on it for $1.99.  All in all, a cheap project!


Before I started, I ironed out all of my pieces.  I know I should have washed them first, but they need to be hand washed and I was in a hurry to get going.  Hannah won't be wearing the dress right away (I don't think), so I have plenty of time to wash it later.  One thing I noticed right away was that the bandannas were neither actual squares or the same size.  They were a touch off, but when I pinned them, I just made sure the bottom hem was even on both sides and pinned them appropriately.  I was originally going to square them off when I sewed, but then I realized that you would be able to see the off seam around the arms.  So, I simply pinned the edges evenly and forgot about the misshapen fabric.  Once the dress was on Hannah you couldn't even tell!!

All in all, this was a quick little project that took very little time to make.  Since my sewing machine is downstairs in the Dining Room and my iron is upstairs in my bedroom, I pinned and pressed everything in one step and then came down to sew all of it. 

Hannah loves her new dress!!  I will likely have to cut the ribbon a bit since it seems a bit long to me.  One tip regarding the ribbon...make sure you buy something that is not itchy.  I couldn't imagine using scratchy tulle or sheer ribbon...ouch!!

(Don't mind that she's modeling it over her school clothes!)

Before I go, I also wanted to give you all a preview of the quilt I started.  I am using a Disappearing Nine-Patch pattern, and this is the first Nine-Patch square I've made.  I still need to cut and reassemble it.  My local fabric shop doesn't sell pre-cut Charm Packs, so I had to match my own fabrics and cut them all by hand.  I bought a new straight edge today that should help speed things along, so hopefully this won't take me forever!  I'll post photos as I go along. 

Here's a close-up of the bug fabric that I used as my inspiration fabric. 

Happy Sewing!

Sharon