Bib Tank Tutorial

By Laura Evangeline on May 30, 2012 in Wearable

I keep seeing adorable clothes for little girls, but never for us “big girls” like me. I want cute clothes too! So… I decided to see what I could do with my sparse sewing skills. After rummaging through my tank top drawer and fabric scrap bin, I came up with a plan to work up a cute little bib tank.

Supplies:

Tank Top or T-Shirt

Fabric Scraps

Aqua Striped Ribbon

Plaid Round Buttons

Scrap Paper

Fabric Marker

Scissors

Sewing Machine/Kit

Iron

Fusible Web/Stabilizer

Lumiere 3D

MicroBeads

1. Take a scrap piece of paper and draw out a template that suits you and trim it out. This is your pattern. I sketched my design, folded it in half, and then cut it out to ensure it was symmetrical.

2. Once you’ve come up with a pattern that you like, cut out your pattern in a fun fabric. The fabric I chose was an old drawstring bag used to keep shoes nice when traveling.

3. To make the center strip, measure the top of your pattern to the bottom and add an extra inch to fold over later. You can create the strip as wide as you’d like, but I made mine 1.5″ wide keeping in mind that I’d be folding over 1/4″ on each long side to hide my raw edges.

4. For the outside ruffle, measure around the bib of your pattern and double it. This is about how much fabric or ribbon you’ll end up using once you ruffle or pleat it. You can also purchase a trim that is already ruffled if you like. If you’re using ribbon, you may want to consider the materials to ensure it can be washed (won’t bleed or melt). All of your cut pieces should end up looking like this:

5. To ensure that my center piece would be mid-line, I took a washable fabric marker and drew a line to mark the center of my bib.

6. You’ll then want to fold and iron the top edge of your bib down about 1/4″. I snipped the fabric in a bit about every 1/2″ so there would be less bulk and puckering. Fold and press over 1/4″ on each long side of your center strip fabric and apply a strip of fusible web 1/2″ narrower than the width of your fabric strip to the back before ironing to the bib. You’re then ready to sew the strip to your bib and attach the buttons. It should look something like this…

7. Sew the ribbon on top of the bib around the bottom 1/4″ from the edge. (If the material you choose to make a ruffle or pleat is single sided, you’ll want to ensure that is facing down for this portion.)

8. Carefully iron your ruffle/pleat out flat, add fusible webbing to the back, and iron on to your tank top.

9. Sew the bib to the tank top ensuring you don’t sew all the way through to the back (like I did). Now for bling… Use the Lumiere 3D to embellish the existing pattern on your chosen fabric and sprinkle on microbeads. I pressed the beads in lightly with the back of the measuring spoon once a hefty amount was sprinkled over each dot. Once the Lumiere dries for 72 hours it’s completely washable.

10. And… that’s it! Wear it, enjoy it, and maybe even make a few more!

I hope you’re feeling inspired, and have a crafty kinda day!

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Laura Evangeline

I was raised in Central Texas. After hanging up my hat as a firefighter and music student, I joined the Army in 2003 to become a Combat Medic. I eventually received orders to be stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and ended up serving for almost 9 years. I was lucky enough to met and marry my sweet husband during an Afghanistan deplyment a few short years ago, and since then delievered our own little Soldier, Ethan. After finishing my military contract a few months ago, I began the nursing program here at a local university. Adjusting to the new civilian life hasn't been easy so far, but I can't wait to graduate with my BSN in just one more year!