my new best friend- accuquilt go! baby (and a pretty in pink dress tutorial!)

In perfect time for my plethora of Piper-Jane-Room-Projects (as well as all sorts of other ruffle-y goodness, ahem, pink ruffle dress), Accuquilt sent along a GO!baby fabric cutter. And, y'all, I. love. this. thing!

The 2 1/2" strip cutter has me constantly thinking in ruffled projects- ruffled pillows, ruffled dresses, ruffled curtains. Also on the list of future-strip-cutter-projects? Bias tape (have y'all noticed that I almost always make my own bias tape? This little gem is like having a bias tape maker and fabric cutter in one!), a quilt (yep, you read right), the list goes on!

And don't get me started on the onesies, little girl headbands, throw pillows, storage, coasters that I've seen around the internet using other dies that are on my to-make list!

While you are certain to see all sorts of GO! Baby projects in the near future, today I'm going to share the how-to for the sweetest little Pretty in Pink ruffle dress.

To make this ruffle dress, you'll need:
-eight 2 1/2" wide fabric strips (for a 12M dress, more if you're making a bigger size)
-a much too big t-shirt in a coordinating color (I used a 4T shirt to make a 12M dress)
-a couple of strips of jersey in a coordinating color
-sewing supplies

First, cut out your ruffles with the very-fancy, but oh-so-easy GO! Baby fabric cutter.

Just cut the fabric to match the die (with my thin, pink fabric I could do nine [yes NINE!] layers of fabric at a time... which translates into one cut for all of the ruffles for this dress)...

...place on the die and crank through the machine...

...remove the excess exterior fabric and admire your stack of gorgeous ruffles! This machine is going to be trouble for me, I can already tell. That many ruffles with that little effort? Oh dear.

Now that your ruffles are finished, trace the sleeves of an A-Line dress (in the size you're wanting to make ) onto your too-big tshirt with a fabric pen. Cut the sleeves to match.

*Note- I also had to sew up the side a little to make the armholes small enough. You might have to as well.

Pin a pleated jersey collar along the neckline and sew in place (I stitched two lines, one near the top edge and one near the bottom edge).

Start pinning rows of ruffles onto the body of the dress, starting at the bottom. Sew in place. Repeat and repeat and repeat until the 'skirt' of the dress is covered in ruffles.

Sew three vertical lines of jersey pleats along the collar.

For the top 'ruffle,' sew two fabric strips together up the long sides, right sides facing in. Don't sew the top or bottom edges shut and turn tube right side in. Finish off the ends into triangular points. This will be your 'belt' and also top ruffle. Tuck the diagonal rows of jersey into the top edge before sewing in place.

Sew in place along the top edge. Tie in back.

DONE! Pretty in pink indeed. Admire (and simultaneously think of five new projects using strips of fabric). Fabulous!

And while you're thinking of great projects, remember when I mentioned my big quilt plans? Accuquilt will send you 22 FREE (yep, free!) patterns if you sign up. Have you signed up? Which is your favorite pattern?

Pssst- giveaway coming. Can you guess what it might be?

All opinions 100% mine.