Sewing tutorial: Toddler pinafore dress

1. Print pattern . Match up the numbers and join with tape. Place along the folded edge of the fabric and cut out. You should have two dress pieces and two facing pieces from the fabric. If using a light fabric, you could also cut two facing pieces from a light iron-on interfacing and iron these to the wrong sides of the facing fabric before sewing.








2. With right sides of the dress pieces together, sew down the side seams of the dress, leaving a 1cm seam allowance. Press seams open.








3. With right sides of the facing pieces together sew down the sides with a 1cm seam allowance. Press seams open.


4. Use a zig zag stitch or serger to sew along the bottom edge of the facing, to prevent fraying.






5. Place the dress inside the facing, so that right sides are together. Sew right around the arm holes, shoulders and neck, joining these two pieces. Trim corners and turn out the right way. Press.









6. Fold over the hem 1cm and press. Fold over again 2cm and press again. Sew along the hem.

7. Sew buttonholes in place on the back shoulder flap and buttons in place on the front shoulder flap. Check positioning by trying the dress on before sewing.

Sewing tutorial: Easy baby pants

1.  Print pattern. Match numbers and join pages with tape. Cut out the pattern. Size 00 should fit a child aged 3-6 months and size 0 should fit a child aged 6-12 months.

2. Fold fabric in half and place the pattern along the fold. Cut out 2 pieces.

3. Open the two pieces up and place them with right sides together. Sew from the waist to where the leg begins, using a 1cm seam allowance.


4. Keeping right sides together, open the pants up so that each leg is folded together (as in picture on the left). Iron the seams flat. Sew along the inside of each leg, using a 1cm seam allowance.








5. Prepare the waist casing and the bottom hems. For the waist casing, turn the top over 0.5cm and iron flat. Turn over again 1.5cm and iron flat again. Starting near the centre back sew around, leaving an opening of about 4cm.







6. For the bottom hems, fold over 1cm, iron flat and then fold over again and iron again. Sew around near the top of the fold.

7. Using a narrow elastic (around 0.5cm), measure your baby's waist and cut elastic around 2cm longer than the measurement. Fasten a safety pin to one end and thread the elastic through the top of the pants. Overlap the two ends by about 2cm and sew together using a zig zag stitch. Sew the opening in the casing closed.