Lee & Pearl™ Tweak the Pattern #1051-a Fold Over Elastic-Edged One Piece Swimsuit for 18" Dolls In this "tweak" of our Pattern #1051: Ballet Basics for 18" Dolls, we've included a new BACK pattern piece with a lowered neckline so the swimsuit can slip on and off without a center back seam or velcro opening. We've also demonstrated how to remove the seam allowances from the Pattern #1051 FRONT piece, and we've included our favorite "newbie" directions for attaching fold over elastic to keep the swimsuit edges sturdy, while adding a pop of color. MATERIALS 8" long x 13" wide piece of 4-way stretch fabric 4-way stretch fabrics, which typically include Lycra, spandex or elastane, stretch not only from side to side, but also lengthwise. Test any fabric before you buy it by stretching one corner: to be a 4-way stretch, the fabric must stretch both vertically and horizontally. 1 yard fold over elastic (either 5/8" or 3/4" works best) Matching thread * P attern #1051: Ballet Basics Leotard and Unitard for 18" Dolls is available as a FREE GIFT for joining the Lee & Pearl mailing list. Please visit www.leeandpearl.com for details. ©2014 Lee & Pearl™ All rights reserved. www.leeandpearl.com 2 Lee & Pearl™ Tweak the Pattern #1051-a Fold Over Elastic-Edged One Piece Swimsuit for 18" Dolls 1. From this pattern, cut out SWIMSUIT BACK. From Pattern #1051, cut out FRONT 1. Trim along the line marked "cut for leotard." Then trim away the 1/4" seam allowances on the following edges: neckline, armhole and leg opening. (The fold over elastic finishes these edges along the seam line.) 2. Cut and mark fabric. Be sure to mark the neckline center front and center back. Cut fold over elastic: For the neckline – one piece 12 1/2" long For the arm openings – two pieces 5" long For the leg openings – two pieces 5 3/4" long NOTE: Our instructions for attaching fold over elastic might differ from other instructions you have seen. First, because swimsuit openings should fit the body snugly, our fold over elastic pieces are cut slightly shorter than the fabric seam lengths. Stretch the elastic as you stitch to smoothly match the fabric length. Second, our directions describe a two-step attachment process in which each side of the elastic is stitched separately. There are many Internet tutorials that instruct you to fold the elastic, slip it over the fabric edge and sew it down in one step instead. If you are comfortable doing this – while stretching the elastic – go ahead. But for anyone new to fold over elastic, we strongly recommend following our steps at least the first few times. 3. W ith right sides together, pin FRONT to BACK at shoulder seams. Stitch using either a serger or a straight stitch. NOTE: when working with stretch materials, it is best to significantly reduce the presser foot tension on your machine. ©2014 Lee & Pearl™ All rights reserved. www.leeandpearl.com 3 3. CONTINUED Press seam allowances to the back if using a serger. Press open if using a straight stitch. 4. Decide which side of the fold over elastic you want to use as the right side. In our example, we have chosen the matte side, not the shiny side. With right sides together, fold the neckline elastic horizontally. Mark the fold with chalk or a pin, and pin the free ends together. Stitch the free ends at 1/4" and press open. With the right side of the fabric facing you, lay the wrong side of the elastic underneath so the fabric just reaches the center (fold) line of the elastic. Pin the elastic seam to the fabric center back, and the chalk mark or pin to the center front. With a standard sewing machine set to a wide and deep zig-zag (essentially, a basting zig-zag), sew the elastic to the fabric edge as shown. Stretch the elastic as you go so it evenly matches the length of the fabric. When you have finished, reset your machine to a shorter, narrower zig-zag. ©2014 Lee & Pearl™ All rights reserved. www.leeandpearl.com 4 4. CONTINUED Turn the free edge of the elastic to the front, encasing the fabric. Stitch again, on the right side, toward the bottom edge of the elastic. 5. Pin the ends of the armhole opening elastics to the side edges of the armhole. Attach the armhole elastics in the same manner as the neckline elastic in Step 4, being sure to stretch as you go to match the length of the elastic to the length of the armhole. 6. W ith right sides together, pin the side seams. Stitch. NOTE: These seams need to be able to STRETCH. We recommend using a serger. If you do not have a serger, check your machine's specifications for the best stretch stitch it can produce and be sure to stretch the fabric as you sew. 7. Pin and attach the leg opening elastics in the same manner as the armhole and neckline elastics, being sure to stretch as you go to match the length of the elastic to the length of the leg opening. 8. W ith right sides together, pin the crotch seam. Stitch. ©2014 Lee & Pearl™ All rights reserved. www.leeandpearl.com 5 8. CONTINUED If you used a serger for the side and crotch seams, finish off any trailing threads with Fray Check or by hand stitching the finished seam allowances over them. CONGRATULATIONS, YOUR FOLD OVER ELASTIC-EDGED ONE PIECE SWIMSUIT IS DONE! ©2014 Lee & Pearl™ All rights reserved. www.leeandpearl.com TM Center Back ON FOLD 1” 1051-a Swimsuit Back Cut 1 ON FOLD ©2014 Lee & Pearl™ All rights reserved. www.leeandpearl.com Welcome to the world of Lee & Pearl™ www.leeandpearl.com like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/leeandpearl follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/LeeandPearl admire us on Pinterest www.pinterest.com/leeandpearl and on Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/leeandpearl and shop us on Etsy www.etsy.com/shop/leeandpearl This exclusive pattern, #1051 Ballet Basics: Leotard and Unitard for 18" Dolls, is available only as a free gift to our mailing list subscribers. Visit our website at www.leeandpearl.com to sign up!