Tobago gets a ruffled skirt!

I just HAD to try it out and see how the Tobago (it goes up to size 13/14!) would look as a hi-lo and as a dress and layered. Cute? I think so! ... but Cheeks does tend to make everything look adorable haha.

To start with you are going to need to draw a pretty steep curve on your bodice front piece. A few inches up on the fold line meeting the corner for the side seam

on the back piece you want to even out that hemline to a gentle curve

When you put your front and back pieces together you will have this - now, you could sew it up like this for an adorable baby crop(ish) looking top) or you can keep going for the skirt. 

Either way - sew the shirt as directed in the pattern before moving on to the ruffled skirt option.

(Cut your skirt strips according to the length you want the dress/top to be...  ) 

Sew the strips together at each short end.

 Now set your stitch length to the longest you have and sew two lines leaving nice long tails (see what I'm holding) for gathering the skirt portion.

Grab those long strings by the bobin threads and pull to gather. Gather until your skirt is the same width as the shirt and then put the right sides together of the shirt top and the skirt piece and pin in place.

Make sure your stitch length is back at normal and sew the skirt to the top! Finish te seams via the zigzag stitch or serger and then topstitch on the good side!

All done and oh so cute for fall! 

Tortola Gets FANCY! Dress version 2 ways!

Hey ladies!!!! I have to tell you all - the Tortola pattern makes a FAB dress!!!!! And the tutorial is easy peasy! (Though some of the pictures not the best - sorry... camera battery died so they are mobile pics)

but pretty dress Tortola is worth suffering through some not so great pics.

To start with you add some length to your tortola pattern, both Cathy and myself (Jeanine) just used that bottom piece of the pattern and moved it down.  LOVE the shirt tail hemline afterall!

*You sew up the Tortola as per the pattern if you are going to just do a straight dress version. You will get something like this:

If you are wanting the casing then keep reading!

Sew the facings as per the pattern and then measure about where you would like your casing to be, I did drop waist. flip inside out and draw a nice light line so you know where to put the bias tape.

The hard part is deciding to do all casing or to add in the drawstring! 

*If you choose drawstring make two small buttonholes next to each other after your casing line is drawn.

Get your bias tape out and pin along the line you drew for the front and back - overhang the edges each about an inch.

See the overhang? Sew the bias tape along the top and the bottom nice and close to the edge starting and ending an inch or 2 from the edge of the sides. You can see below where I started sewing along the casing edge. (this pic below is the bad one... sorry.)

Now you will fold the casing back and sew up and finish the side seams. After you do that it is a good place to try on and make sire you don't need to make some minor fit adjustments.

Next you will thread through your elastic! 

*If you are doing elastic all the way around you can fold one of the sides casing over each other and stitch down since you only need one opening thread your elastic and sew the other casing side seam closed..

If you are doing a drawstring front thread your elastic through the back and then your drawstring through the button hole and o the side for each piece of your string/ribbon/choice of drawstring.

Sew the drawstring to the elastic and stitch in the ditch to secure it in place at the sides.

Now fold your edges over and overlap

and then sew along the top edge to close off your opening.

If you were a bit like me and sized up due to not cutting on the bias and realized the fit was too big and you should not have sized up, you can add a little back pleat to bring the shoulders in.

and the dress with drawstring is now done!

 I love both versions of the dress Tortola and can't pick a favourite really! 

Which is your favourite? The knit straight skirt version or the woven drawstring/casing version?

Which version will you be trying for yourself?

Don't forget if you have any questions or want more details find us in the LAB GROUP on facebook!

TThe girls-tween version is currently available in the Etsy and called the Tobago! The Tobago is priced at $5 until July 16th, 2014 (est)