Quilted Bolero Jacket and Dress

Create the perfect Easter or special occasion dress for any child while using your favorite quilting techniques! This simple dress and bolero can be made in a favorite color or fabric and you could make one for every holiday. Let your imagination run wild! Download printable instructions.

Materials:

• Simplicity Pattern 8064 or similar style
• Follow yardage and notions as listed on guide sheet for the dress
• ½ Yard of contrasting fabric
• ½ Yard of white cotton for backing
• Baby Lock Cut Away Ultra Soft Stabilizer (BLC204) 20” x 24”
• 2 Yards of ribbon for bow and sash for dress
• Madeira® Cotona thread for sewing
• Frixion marking pen
• Straight edge ruler
• Basic sewing supplies

Tools:

• Baby Lock® Jazz II sewing machine
• Walking foot (BLG-WF)

Steps:

1. Cut out the pattern pieces for View A for the dress. Disregard reference to the lace overlay for this dress it will not be used in this project.

2. To create quilted fabric for the bolero follow the next set of directions:

   1. Make a sandwich by laying the white cotton backing fabric 20” x 24” stabilizer section and the contrasting fabric for the bolero on a flat surface.

   2. Place the ruler 45˚ on the fabric sandwich and draw a straight line from top to bottom. Draw additional lines on the diagonal to cover the entire section 1” apart.

   3. Reverse the piece and draw straight lines 1” apart from each other in the opposite direction to create a diamond shape on the fabric.

3. Set up the machine for quilting with the walking foot:

   1. Wind a bobbin using the same thread that will be used on the top for sewing. In the sample white thread was used.

   2. Thread the machine.

   3. Attach the walking foot.

   4. Select straight stitch #1.

   5. Set the Stitch Length to 3.

   6. Set the Stitch Width to the black dot between the 4 and 3. Refer to the instruction book page 15. The needle will be placed in the center of the presser foot.

   7. Place the sandwich section under the presser foot with one of the center drawn lines so that the line is centered under the presser foot.

   8. Sew over the line careful to keep the line centered under the needle. Stitch the other lines in the same direction. Stitch back and forth over each of the lines.

   9. Rotate the section and stitch over the other diagonal lines. Always start in the center and work your way outward.

   10. Press the section to remove the drawn lines and to flatten the section.

4. Fold the section and cut out pattern pieces 13 and 14.

5. Assemble the bolero while following the pattern guide sheet.

6. Cut two 2 ¼” wide bias strips from the dress fabric. One will be used for binding around the arms and the other to bind around the front and neck edge on the bolero

   1. If the lengths are not long enough you may need to piece the bias sections together. With wrong sides together fold the lengths together and press.

   2. . Place the bias strips with right sides together along the sleeve opening and stitch using ¼” seam allowance. Press the bias binding outward and fold to the back.

   3. Top stitch along the front. Sew together the side seams. Repeat for the binding around the outer edge of the bolero.

7. Use the seam allowance as stated on the pattern guide sheet.

8. Follow the guide sheet to assemble the dress.

9. Stitch a decorative stitch on the ribbon to finish the dress by following the next set of steps:

   1. Cut out the length of the ribbon that is needed.

   2. Turn the pattern selection dial to stitch #27.

   3. Thread the machine with a contrasting thread color to match the fabric.

   4. Stitch the decorative stitch down the center length of the ribbon.

10. Finish the dress by following Step 33 on the pattern guide sheet.