Summer Sailing by Joy Welsh of Applique for Kids

Who doesn’t love summertime? There are so many fun things to do with the children. Of course, summer brings to mind nautical themes. Why not take the comfortable A-line dress and boys romper and give it a nautical touch? This project was created by Joy Welsh of Applique for Kids.

Find a trim to apply to the garment and add a sailor tie, and you have a really fun summer look! The tie comes in three sizes and the pattern and instructions are available for download here.

The nautical design comes as a single design or with two designs together, both in two sizes. If either of the double designs does not fit your project, then you can take the single design and place it as needed.

Cut the jumper/romper out. You’ll need to seam the romper together at the center front seam. I like to have the tie already made, as it helps in planning where I want my trim and design to go. Print the design template out true to size. Lay the garment on the table and start playing with the design template, trim, and the tie (below).

When I make this style, I like to have the trim with a drop-waist look. When you have the trim placed where you like it, mark placement of the trim with a water-soluble pen. NOTE: For buttons at the shoulder, be sure to remember to work with the buttonhole placement also.

Mark the cross marks from the printed template onto the garment. This will be matched to the hoop’s cross marks. I did not hoop the 
garment but floated it on top of the hoop. Mark the cross marks of the hoop onto stabilizer. You can press in light crease marks on the back side of the garment to help you line it up in the hoop. Spray this area with a light spray of temporary adhesive spray and then match this to the drawn lines on the stabilizer. Smooth into place, making sure you do not have any wrinkles or bubbles (below).

Pin through the garment and stabilizer, taking care not to push hard. Check that the pins are out of the sewing field by placing the template in the hoop (below).

Once the design is finished, apply the trim and then finish constructing the garment according to your pattern.

Tie: Follow directions in the PDF file. The tie can be sewn in place with a zigzag stitch, or if you prefer, pinning it in place; but be sure you are using a suitable and safe pin. You also want to be sure to prewash the tie fabric several times to make sure it will not bleed onto the garment.

Garment details: Patterns used for sample garments: Children’s Corner Johnny and Children’s Corner Lillian.

Previous articleA Conversation with Kari Mecca
Next articleView Gail Doane’s Videos Offline on USB Drives