Scrapbuster No. 10: Ruched Tank ...Mini SJP? (tute included)

I asked for a model.

She asked for a tutu, and candy, and Cinderella shoes.

I needed pics, so her demands were met. 

As I was snapping pics of her last night, I thought she looked an awful lot like a toddler SJP with her fancy tank tucked into her fluffy skirt .. .and her heels of course! :-)

for the life of me, don't think i could jump in those shoes!

you talking to me?

Wanna make one too? This "technique" could TOTALLY be used on a women's tank too.

Materials:

• Shirt to embellish (white kid tank). I'm using an American Apparel tank in size 4t.
• Shirt to use for embellishment (green women's tank) - this is my SCRAP. Even though there is a hole right in the front of this tank, I couldn't throw it away! You'll need enough of a scrap to cut four strips that are 1" by roughly 24" each. A RIBBED item works great for this ... the ribs really ruche up well!
• Regular sewing supplies (machine, lots of pins, etc)

white kid tank - stains on it

women's tank - hole in it

Step 1. Cut four 1" rounds from the green tank. Cut the round at a side seam so that it's a long strip (and then cut off the actual side seam). Those side seams would get bunchy in the ruching.  See (below) how there are long 1" stripes laying across the tank? We want 4 of those ...

Uneven edges are totally fine - you'll never see it when it's ruched up and sewn down.

Step 2. Run a basting stitch down EACH long end of the 1" strips. Leave long ends so you can gather / ruche the strips to your desired ruffled or ruched amount. Repeat for other three 1" strips.

Step 3. Starting at the shoulder, tuck the beginning end under. Pin away ...

We are using two 1" strips for each side of the tank ... you'll run out of strip about halfway down. Just leave the end of strip 1 loose and (see picture below) and start pinning strip 2, right onto it.

secret is out - i am an obsessive pinner!

Step 4.  When you get to the bottom, tuck the end to the back of the tank slightly and pin well.

Step 5. We're going to sew completely around the green strip (all 4 edges) to attach it to the white tank. Start at the shoulder (do a stay stitch), and then come around the neck, down the chest all the way to the bottom ... at the bottom WITH THE NEEDLE DOWN, pick up presser foot and rotate 90 degrees to sew across that bottom end (where the end was turned to back of tank) and then sew UP the other side of the 1" strip (up the white tank). You'll end back at the shoulder where you started.

Step 6. Repeat for other side.

Step 7. Grab model, grab candy, dancy away!

totally cheesing!