I am so excited to be a part of the 30 days of Sundresses over at Melly Sews. Read through to make your own Crumbcatcher dress (which works as an awesome swim coverup), and head on over to Melly Sews for tons of other free patterns and tutorials to fill all your summer sewing needs!

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I am super excited to share one of my favorite tutorials with all of the Melly Sews readers today. This is the tutorial for the size 12m-3t Crumbcatcher Dress and Tutorial. This has a forgiving size due to the elastic, so it can fit 12-24m as a dress, and up to a size 3 as a Top. If you would like to size this up beyond a size three, you can add one inch of width and one inch of length per size up to a size 6.
*** If any of you make it, I'd LOVE to know and see pictures!!!***

And here is the full tutorial for all of you!!!!

First, you need 3 cloth napkins or rectangles of fabric approximately 19x20
*One can be in a contrasting color for the bodice lining and sash
You will also need: 3/8 elastic (1/2 inch will work too)

Take two of your napkins and lay them with the shortest side on top

-Cut a four inch band off the top of both pieces. These 4 inch bands are your straps, the remainder is the body of the dress.

- take your straps and cut a 1.5 inch section off the end of each (these are your sash loops)

-Take your third napkin (this would be the contrast) and cut 5x 4inch strips (if your napkin is smaller than 20 inches, cut 2x 4inch bands and then divide the remainder by three)

*Two of these bands will be the bodice lining, the other three will become the sash.

Construction: (Seam allowance is 1/4)
-Sew the side seams of the body of the dress

-Sew the side seams of the two 4inch contrasting lining segments

- Use the two 4 inch strips with a finished edge or Turn the bottom edge up 1/4 and press

-Pin the bodice and lining together right sides together (RST) matching up the side seams.
-Sew with a 1/4 seam allowance along the top edge.
-Flip the lining to the inside and press the top edge.

-Pin the lining so that it lays flat against the inside of the dress
-Top stitch along the folded/finished edge of the lining, leaving a 2 inch opening to thread your elastic.

- Measure up 3/4 of an inch from the bottom of the lining and mark all the way around.
-Measure 3/4 of an inch up from your line and draw another line
*I like disappearing pens for marking, but chalk pencils would work well too, or mark with pins
-Stitch along both of these lines leaving a 2 inch opening on the first line that lines up with the first two inch gap (this is how you will thread in your elastic). The top line of stitching should be all the way around with no opening
-You will now have two casings for your elastic

-Measure your elastic 2 inches shorter than your child's chest measurement. My daughter is barrel chested at 21inches - so I cut 2 pieces of elastic at 19inches.
-Attach a safety pin to your first piece of elastic and thread it through the top casing
-Pull the elastic through and sew the ends together
-Repeat with the lower casing
-Stitch the two 2inch openings closed

-Take your two strap pieces. Fold in half RST and sew along the edge in an 'L' one short side and one long side.
-Clip your corners, turn right side out and press

-Turn the dress inside out
-Attach the straps 4 inches apart (2 inches off of center on each side). Turn the unfinished edge under and pin the strap so that the turned edge overlaps the middle casing line by 1/8 of an inch.
-Stitch the strap in place along the middle stitching and top stitching lines (this way your strap stitching should blend in with the existing stitching from the casings)
-Repeat with second strap

-The Sash loops are optional, but I like that they keep the sash exactly where it should be without the sash having to be sewn onto the dress.
-Take the two small pieces you cut off the straps earlier (1.5 x 4) and press them as bias tape
-Turn the outer edges to meet in the middle and press
- Press the whole length in half
- Top stitch 1/8 from each edge
-now cut them in half so you have 4x 2inch pieces

-Attach the front two belt loops 4 inches apart.
-Turn the edges under and stitch along the very top and the very bottom casing stitching lines.
-Repeat for the back loops, or leave them off - up to you!

-Take your three sash sections - stitch together along the short ends (RST) so that you have one long strip.
-Fold in half RST and stitch along the 'L'
-Clip your corners, turn right side out and press
-On the open edge, turn the raw edges in 1/4 and press
-Top Stitch around the entire rectangle