The Postcard Pinafore

So what do you do with those kitsch souvenir tea towels you found in your Nanna's cupboard? Make them into dresses of course!

You know when you have those ideas and you think 'this could be brilliant or it could be so horribly, horribly wrong!'? This was one of those for me, but I think it works and I hope you like it!

This is the final item in my series showing you all what I made for Brandi as part of our Fall/Halloween swap hosted by Pink Stitches - The Postcard Pinafore!

This one isn't really for Brandi though - this one was made for her gorgeous little girl Julie. You can see Brandi's blog post about our swap and pics of Julie wearing her dress here!

When Brandi and I first started exchanging emails, she admitted that she didn't know very much about Australia. So I thought I'd add a couple of little gifts that were very Aussie. I included some Australian chocolate bars that you can't buy in the US, and a cute calendar of Australian animals. I wanted to make something with an Australian theme too, but getting fabric with some kind of Aussie theme was hard. I was shopping in the kitchen aisle one day and saw some tea towels, and the light bulb came on - I'm sure I can get a tourist one with some animals or birds on it! So I did, and I bought it here.

This is kind of a tutorial, but I was working at night which doesn't lend itself to good photography, so it isn't as detailed as it could have been. However, here are the steps to make a lined Postcard Pinnie(size 2T).

You need:

-a souvenir tea towel (mine was 77cm x 47cm, 100% cotton)

-1/2 metre exterior back fabric (I used denim)

- 3/4 metre lining fabric (I used a thin soft poly cotton)

- 2 buttons

-sewing machine and basic sewing items

- pinafore pattern - I used New Look 6578:

Cut your pattern pieces - the beauty of pinafores is that they are simple - a front and a back piece. Cut your exteriors, front from the tea towel, then back from whatever you are using. Then cut your lining pieces.

If you want to make your dress bigger than a size 2T, you may have to add some fabric to the tea towel at the widest part of the skirt. The tea towel was only just big enough when I cut the size 2 pieces.

Pin your exterior pieces together at the side seams and sew (use the seam allowances instructed on the pattern) and then repeat for the lining pieces.

Turn your exterior dress right sides out.

Have the lining with right sides facing in. Slip the lining over the exterior dress so that all right sides are together.

Align side seams and pin the dresses together around the top of the dress.

 Sew all the way around the top of the dress. Clip into curves and trim corners being careful not to cut your stitching. Turn the dress out the right way.

 Press the top of the dress.

Topstitch around the top of the dress. I chose a bright pink which matched the colour of some of the flowers on the tea towel and it contrasted nicely against the denim.

Line up your buttons and mark where you want the button holes to go with tailors chalk or disappearing ink.

Use your button hole foot on your machine and make your button holes. (Confession - I always freak out when doing button holes. Don't know why, it usually works out well!)

OK, phew, scary part over. Now hem to the desired length and you are done!! 

You can also use the same technique to make a reversible dress - just make your lining and exterior out of similar weighted fabric, pop buttons on both sides (so you'll need 4 buttons) and when you hem, fold both hems under, press together and topstitch.

Front

Back

 Here is a close up of some of the details on my pinnie - cute mama and baby koala:

 

Some Australian native flowers:

What do you think? Success or too crazy? Would you make one? These tea towels would also make great tote bags I think!

If you make one I'd love it if you shared a picture over at my Flickr Group!

Linking up to Creative Spaces today and lots of other lovely link parties - check out my link party page.