Mini tutorial - Lady Bug Dress

So things have been slightly crazy here. So it is difficult to write/take pics/sew and post a full length tutorial. ( Though I do have some nice surprises for the next week)
I thought I will just post a mini tutorial for the lady bug dress which is just the simplification of coral- reef dress. I didn't take any pics for this one, because you can always refer to coral-reef dress, if you want to look at the pics. I'll just highlight the differences in this tutorial.

I like to think of coral-reef dress as the dress, in which you can make sand-castles, pick wildflowers, run around etc. Whereas ladybug dress is the one which you'll don, when going to you BFF's birthday party, or going for dinner at a snazzy restaurant. Hey! little girls need style too. ( Or if you're like me, only the little girl has got the style ;) )

Anyway, I just started with the regular dress pattern, traced it around and cut out the front and back pieces. Sew along the shoulder and both sides. ( Refer Coral-Reef Dress Tutorial here)

For the armhole, I cut a 1.5 in. wide piece, about 12 inches long ( cut on the bias) just fold it in half across the length and sew it along the armhole. You need to keep the raw edges aligned to the raw edge of armhole. Turn it out, top-stitch. Armhole done!

Shoulder strap: Take a 1 in wide piece, about 10 inches long. Sew into a tube, turn out. Sew it on the wrong side of the dress

For the ruffle : This is the main variation in the dress. Instead of cutting a straight strip for ruffle, I cut a circular ruffle. You have to draw 2 co-centric circles. The circumference of inner circle has to be bigger or equal to the neckline of the dress and the outer circle should be made by adding 4 inches to the inner circle radius. Its not as complicated as it sounds, Make it an Love it has shown it very nicely here. We have to do exactly what she does to make those cascading ruffles. Only we don't place them vertically we just sew it along the neckline, the right side to the ruffle touching the wrong side of dress with the shoulder strap sandwiched between both  ( Refer coral-reef dress tutorial). Turn inside-out. Top-stitch if you want ( I didn't, and I like it that way). Because the outer circle is bigger than the inner one, and you sewed across the circumference of inner circle, it will have a very elegant ruffle effect.

Sew a pretty trim across the front hemline. And you're done :)