Say It With Letters Tutorial

I wanted to share with you here my tutorial that was on the Say It With Letters blog last week.

Photo by Everything Etsy.com

Say It With Letters Tutorial

by Julie Ann Shahin

featuring"Girly Girl Closet"Dresses

Welcome friends and fans from the Everything Etsy Giveaway Extravaganza! I'm excited to have designed a set of dresses for you to win on Everything Etsy's site (GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED) and now I'll share with you a tutorial on how I made those dresses, so that you can get a pair of unfinished dresses from Say It With Letters to make for yourself, and for gifts for upcoming holidays, birthdays, shower gifts, etc.

Pictured above is a sampling of the supplies you'll need: about 3 patterns of paper per dress, one or two pieces of chipboard cardstock in total, 7 small buttons in total. Then you'll need adhesives and tools such as my favorites: Fabri-tac or Golden Gel Medium Matte, Scissors and/or an X-acto Knife, Ruler, and something round to trace such as embroidery hoops or small plates, and a writing utensil to trace with.

Instructions
 

First, I sketched out my ideas for the trio of dresses with colored pencils. I had a patterned paper in mind from my stash or you could go shopping for just that right pattern.

 

Then I started making the largest dress first. I knew I needed a solid base for the skirt/apron so I used chipboard/cardstock from For The Luv of Art . I half-traced, half-created my design for the skirt by tracing the scallops then tracing an embroidery hoop as seen in the photographed steps.

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Next, I used the negative space left from the chipboard to decide where I want my patterned paper to line up on my skirt. You can use a lightbox to trace the skirt or hold the paper up to a lightbulb and see where they line up. Remember to trace on the wrong side of the paper. Then I used Golden Gel Medium Matte as glue on the chipboard to adhere the paper to it. Set it aside for now.

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For the top, I decided where I wanted the top to be on the patterned paper and again, used the lightbulb technique to make sure the shape lined up before I traced it on the wrong side of the paper. Then I cut it out and adhered the pink top to the wood shape. The next step was to cut a striped skirt, so I traced the wood shape and cut and adhered that to the shape. I could now adhere the skirt and add a blue ruffle to the skirt.

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I also wanted to make a ruffle to add to the striped skirt so I traced the scallop twice as shown in the photographed steps. I cut it out and adhered it to the wood shape.

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Now it's on to the medium dress shape. I have three patterned papers, three buttons, and my tools. First, I trace the blouse portion. Then I trace the scallops for a ruffle.

 

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I know I want a certain portion of the pattern included on the sleeveless apron, which is the peacock shown in photograph #1. Again, I use the lightbulb technique discussed above. I trace the dress, and be sure to leave off the sleeves. I adhere the blouse I cut previously, and then the sleeveless apron. Next, I make a second ruffle that will be centered on the larger ruffle. I then add the buttons to both the large dress and the medium dress.

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Here, I am ready to start the third, and smallest dress. This dress also requires a chipboard cardstock base for its' apron. Again, I half-trace the dress, and half-trace the embroidery hoop for the skirt. This one also has a center flare. Then I use the lightbulb technique once again to trace the apron onto the wrong-side of my patterned paper.

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I traced and cut the skirt that goes underneath the apron, as well as a contrasting hem for it. I adhered both to the wood hem and then the apron, and the buttons. There you have finished your trio of Girly Girl Closet Dresses! I hope you are feeling artsy and inspired!!!

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Please leave any questions and I'll be happy to answer them!

Thanks everyone for stopping by!!

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