best motorcycle 2013: A country Ruffle Top

Who made a resolution (or goal if you like that term better) to finish what you started? I know I did. I mean I finish a lot of the things I start but every once in awhile I start something get distracted and then never get back to it. I usually find that half finished project later down the road when it is too small to fit the child I was making it for. (like the blessing dress I found when my daughter was 18 months, and the onsie set I found for Jude last month mind you he is almost 5) So it's time to finish stuff. I started making this top a while back (long while it was going to be a dress but Abbey grew) I made the ruffled part and then never finished. It was inspired by a dress I saw somewhere I can't remember where (before the days of pintrest)

I didn't know what I wanted to pair with the ruffles. I thought maybe plaid, or a nice pop of color, I thought about ombre dying the ruffles and making it cool and colorful. Then I made this dress and it reminded me how much I LOVE neutrals. It let's Abbey pop. SO I mixed tan and white linen to get a cute country ruffle top. Want to make your own? It's pretty easy, just a little time consuming with all the ruffle sewing, but not bad.

Let's start with the pattern. You can make your own by following this tutorial I made a back piece only (I just lowered the neckline for the front) and I had the bodice stop about 2 inches below the arm pit. Then for the back cut 1 on the fold. (2 if you want it fully faced but I just cut a neck facing for the back if you need help with facing check here) Then using the same pattern piece I cut out my front pieces. I cut 2 (from the white linen) not on the fold the same size as the back piece (with a lower neckline)and 2 (from the tan linen) not on the fold but I extended about 2.5 inches so that the piece would overlap in front. (same lower neckline)

So then I had something like this. Sorry I know the white is hard to see.

Now for the skirt part I cut out 3 skirt pieces (we will just pretend the ruffles are not done since I will show how to do that later) The top width of the skirt pieces should be the same as the width of the back bodice piece, then just angle down from there. I cut 2 from the tan linen one for the back and one for the front. Then I cut one from the white for the ruffle layer.

Then I cut one of the tan pieces with a curved edge starting at one corner and going up the top. I just kind of free hand cut it how I wanted it. Then cut another curved piece. I cut mine from white linen to match.

Now for the sleeves I had my basic sleeve drafted but I wanted this sleeve to have a nice amount of poof to it I I moved the sleeve over from the edge and cut 2. Then I cut to cuffs rectangles that will be folded length wise. I cut those to fit her arm (with a little room for comfort)

So the sleeves pieces looked like so. Now we are ready to sew.

Sew the front and back pieces right sides together at the shoulder.

Then sew the lining front to the back neck facing at the shoulders. Then with right sides together sew the facing to the bodice. Sew up the front edge and around the neckline.

Turn the facing to the inside and you have some nice finished edges. You can top stitch the whole edge or just the back neckline to secure the facing in place.

Next set your sleeves. I did small pleats from the middle out the edges. You could also gather the sleeve the set the sleeve. Sew right sides together.

Next fold the cuff length wise.

Then pin it to the right side of the sleeve. I added the same pleats to the sleeve at the bottom so it fit the cuff. Sew in place.

Then with right sides together sew the under arm and side seams. (the black lines)

Now you have a bodice. Pin the bodice front flap in place.

For the ruffle layer Draw lines straight across the skirt piece to act as the guide. I made 3 inch wide strips folded length wise and gathered. This gave me 1.5 inch ruffles and I spaced them all 1 inch apart so they would overlap.

Start up a little from the bottom so you can still hem the bottom edge. Then sew the ruffles in place along the lines. I used a close zig-zag stitch when sewing them down so that it would help the raw edge from fraying like crazy.

Then after a lot of sewing of ruffles you are done with a cute skirt piece.

Next sew the two curved pieces right sides together along the curved edge and turn right side out. This lines the piece and gives a nice finished edge.

Place the curved piece over the ruffle skirt.

Then place the back piece over the top. Sew down the sides. Then hem the bottom edge by turning it under.

Next step is missing a picture. But you want to sew the bodice to the skirt piece by sewing right sides together matching up the side seams and sewing around the waist. Then add some button holes and buttons to the top bodice flap and you are done.