Valentine's Outfit

I have seen ruffles & ruffle skirts all over blogland.  I thought they would be easy....and for the most part they were.  This is the outfit I made for my daughter Payton.  I can't wait until she wakes up in the morning so I can try it on! And I have no idea how to turn this pic around:)

I bought 2 bandanas at Hobby Lobby for 99cents each. Which made up the skirt.  I may hem the bottom piece a little.  But I haven't had the chance to try it on her yet.  But this brings me to a point: There are already hems in these bandanas, let them work for you!  Don't create new seems unless necessary. Trim off the top instead of the bottom, the part that is already hidden.  You can see some ruffle skirts at Small Fry & Co. and theplannertheprocrastinator .

First I just cut the bandanas in half and then stitched them together to form one long layer.  Then I stacked the layers on top to form the correct layer length for my liking, folded over the top and stitched across the top. Because I connected the top and bottom layers under the stitch and used elastic, the ruffles formed themselves.  Now, if you like more ruffles, especially on the bottom layer, then you will want to stitch a loose line across you bottom layer and ruffle before you attach it to the top layer.  You can't tell it laying on the floor, but the bottom layer still has  a lot of ruffle.  Fold the skirt in half, good sides facing & sew a seem down the side to complete your skirt.

For the shirt, I bought a $2.99 white T from Hobby Lobby.  I made a ruffle using left over material from the skirt.  And you can look at Vintage Skirt to find a tutorial on how to make ruffles.  I then pinned it down to my shirt. And stitched right down the center.  Now, you could hand stitch and the ruffles would stay better. 

I am not a sewer.  Don't know how.  So this was a big accomplishment for me.  The biggest problem I had was trying to figure out how to wind the bobbin of my mothers 1920s (exaggeration) sewing machine.  I should have known when I picked it up and it weighed 75 pounds that it wasn't like mine!  Of course if we ever get this house built, I can get mine out of storage.  OH, and for all of you others who aren't sewers, pay close attention that you don't sew the top layer of the shirt to the bottom layer.  I thought I was being careful, but then started going too fast for my own good ;)  So, thanks for viewing my first sewing project since I was about 12 years old! 

Total Cost:

Hobby Lobby T Shirt $2.99

Bandanas                  $1.98

Elastic                        $1.37

Total                           $6.34  YAY!