Children’s Ballet Wrap Top

Ballet Wrap Top

Difficulty Level = Beginner

This beautiful wrap top has three-quarter length sleeves, a v-neck at the front with a bound back neckline. The front wraps right over left, with a tie thread through the side seam, wrapping around and tying together. 

Our Facebook group is a great place to get help, share your tips and creations! We are a friendly bunch, and we love to help and see what you have made.

Please read the full instructions before getting started.

Wash, dry, and press your fabric before starting your project. A bit of prep now prevents shrinking and means your garment will stay the same size you made it.

Never leave a child or baby unattended or allow to sleep in a garment made from one of our patterns with ties, snaps, buttons, or anything they could remove, choke on, or get caught on. Always use caution if you are unsure. We love our patterns, but we love your bundles of joy more!

Size Range

12mo - 12yrs

Size Chart

This pattern is drafted to the sizes listed below. If your child is between sizes, choose the larger size and adjust the pattern to remove the extra width/height to achieve the intended fit.

Finished Measurements (Inches)

The wrap top is fitted into the natural waist with a three-quarter length sleeve.

• Sizing – Sizing varies in different countries and stores, so please measure your model before picking your size. The ready-to-wear size your model normally fits into may be different from our size chart.
• Picking your size – Choose your size using the chest measurements. If your measurements fall into different sizes, use the layers feature to print those sizes, then grade between the sizes by drawing a smooth line. Start from your chest, grading out or in, to your waist.
• Height adjustments – If your child falls into a different size for height, use the length, neckline and armscye for that height size bracket, keeping the width to the size your child best fits into for chest measurements. Blend the two patterns together using the size bracket from their height measurement. 
• Muslin – To ensure you get the best fit, sew a muslin. A muslin is a test version of the pattern in an inexpensive fabric. To make a muslin for this dress:
  • Check the fabric recommendations and use a fabric with the same properties as your final one. 
  • Cut all the pattern pieces and label each piece with tailor’s chalk / fabric pen. Baste these together using a ½ inch seam allowance.
  • Try on. If happy with the fit, continue to the final garment.
  • If you feel the fit needs adjusting for your personal shape, turn the muslin inside out and try on again.
  • Adjust the seams with pins until you are happy and then baste.
  • Trim your new seam allowances to ⅜ inch and pull out your basting stitches.
  • Use these bits of fabric as your pattern pieces instead of the original pattern pieces. Continue to sew your final garment.
  • Make sure to keep your adjusted pattern pieces. It is like having a tailor-made garment, so they are a valuable addition to your pattern library in case you wish to make more!
• If you get stuck with fitting, see our favorite resources on our Pinterest Sewing Fitting Advice board.

Main & Lining – Your fabric needs to be a stretch/knit fabric with a 2 way stretch. The finer the fabric, the more drape it will have. Great examples are single or double brushed poly, cotton lycra, poly rayon spandex, sweater knit, tri blend, cupro, viscose/rayon elastane, rib knit, modal jersey.

Fabric Requirements 60 inches/150 cm wide (in YARDS)

* If you are using a narrower fabric, a directional print, or a fabric with nap you may need more.
** Make sure to wash, dry, and press all fabrics before cutting out in case they shrink.

You will also need:

• OPTIONAL Clear elastic – approximately 1 yard will be sufficient for all sizes. This can be added into the front neckline.
• Thread to match

Tools needed are, sewing machine, pins, scissors, tape measure or ruler. Serger/overlocker is optional but not required.

Settings

The pattern is a separate download. Choose either the US letter paper, A4 paper, or A0 paper size based on the printer you wish to use. If you are in the US or Canada then your printer will likely use US letter paper. Other regions normally use A4 paper. Some people prefer to print their patterns at a print shop: A0 is best in this case.

Print at 100%.

On the second page, you will find a 1-inch and a 3-inch square test box. Print this page first, on its own, and measure these squares.

Once you are happy that the test box is accurate, print the rest of the pattern pages.

Please follow this video for information and assistance on assembling this pattern.

Also, please note that some Rebecca Page patterns and projects also come with cut files and a printable design page which you can use to plan your project if you wish. These are provided in a separate section below to avoid any confusion!

Cut each of the pieces according to the directions on the pattern piece. Seam allowances are all included so just cut them as is.

Cutting Charts – All pattern pieces are included, however if you prefer to cut using a cutting chart, the dimensions for the rectangular pieces (in INCHES) are below: 

Cutting Checklist: 

• Front Right – Fabric cut 1, Lining cut 1 
• Front Left – Fabric cut 1, Lining cut 1
• Back – Fabric cut 1 on fold
• Sleeve – Fabric cut 2 on fold
• Ties – Fabric cut 2 on fold
• Back Binding – Fabric cut 1

NOTE – To cut fabric on the fold, fold your fabric over parallel to the selvage edges. Align the pattern piece so it is on the fold of the fabric. Cut around the edges, leaving the fold. If you have folded your fabric correctly the fold will be parallel to the two edges of the fabric that are finished. The raw edges will be at a right angle to your fold.

Tips for Sewing with Knit Fabrics

Using a serger is not a necessity to sew with knit fabrics! Here are a few tips to get the best results on a regular sewing machine:

• Use a ball point needle of a size appropriate to your fabric when working with knits – The ball point needle has a slightly rounded tip and will prevent from damaging the fiber. Use ball point pins or clips and, if you can’t, use regular pins into the seam allowance and you should be just fine.
• Use a stretch stitch – You can use either a short and narrow zigzag or a stretch stitch (lightning bolt stitch) for construction. Test on a scrap of fabric to find which stitch and tension settings work best for you. You don’t want the fabric to pucker under your stitches.
• Your machine might have many fancy stretch stitches and you are welcome to play with them, but often the basic zigzag or stretch stitch are just right.
• Use a walking foot – Using a walking-foot is not a necessity but it is highly recommended when working on a stretchy knit. The walking-foot helps to prevent one layer of fabric from stretching out while sewing. Both layers of fabrics are fed at the same time under your needle.
• Reduce your presser foot tension – Some machines will allow you to change your presser foot tension. Check your manual to see how to reduce your presser foot tension. Reducing tension will prevent your fabric from stretching while it goes through the machine.
• Use a ballpoint twin-needle (double needle) for top stitching – Using a twin-needle will give you a regular double line of straight stitches on the right side and a short and stretchy zigzag on the wrong side. Alternatively, if you don’t own a twin needle, you can use a medium size zigzag stitch for hemming and topstitching. I like to lengthen my stitch a little when top stitching with the twin needle. Test on a scrap of fabric to find what works best for you.
• Finishing the seams – Because knits don’t fray, it isn’t strictly necessary to finish your seams. That being said, you will achieve a more polished and durable look if you do an overcasting or zigzag stitch on your raw edges.

Here is an example of some of the stitches you could use.
From left to right: Ballpoint twin-needle, narrow zigzag, stretch stitch (lightning bolt), overcasting.

⅜ inch seam allowance included – Topstitching ⅛ inch – Basting ¼ inch

Sewing –

1. TIES – Fold Tie in half lengthwise right sides together. Stitch long and one short edge. Turn right way out. Press. Repeat for other Tie. Lay Front Left right side up. Baste short raw edge of Tie onto pointed center front, right sides together. Repeat to attach other Tie onto Front Left.
2. BODICE – Place Main Front Left and Lining pieces right sides together. Stitch neckline and hemline. OPTIONAL – Add clear elastic. Turn right side out and press. Repeat for Front Right. Press Binding in half lengthwise wrong sides together. Lay Back piece right side up. Find and mark center of Back and Binding. Stitch Binding onto neckline, right sides together, matching raw edges and center points. Trim seam allowance. Fold Binding over seam to wrong side. Press. Edge stitch. Press. Open Front Right at shoulder. Place Back right sides together with Main Front Right, matching the shoulder. Take Front Right Lining and place it over Back, right side to wrong side of Back, matching shoulder. Pin all three layers. Stitch. Turn Bodice right side out. Press. Repeat, attaching Front Left onto other shoulder.
3. SLEEVES – Mark center of Sleeve head. Lay Bodice right side up. Place Sleeve right side down, matching center of Sleeve to shoulder seam. Pin. Pin ends of Sleeve head to ends of armscye. Ease Sleeve onto armscye. Pin. Stitch. Repeat for other Sleeve. Place Bodice and Sleeves right sides together. Stitch underarm seam and side seams together, stopping at end of Front.
4. BODICE HEM – OPTIONAL: Finish raw edge of Back. Close Front of Bodice so Main Front Left, and Main Front Right are right sides together with Back. Place Bodice with Lining right side facing up and fold Back hem over at side seam, right sides together with Lining. Stitch, stitching over previous stitching. Repeat at other side seam. Turn hem to wrong side of Back. With Bodice facing right side up, open Fronts and move them out of the way. Fold Back hem ½ inch wrong sides together. Stitch.
5. BUTTONHOLE – Stitch vertical buttonhole at Back right side, close to side seam, just above hem.
6. SLEEVE HEM – OPTIONAL: Finish raw edge of Sleeve hem. Fold hem ½ inch to wrong side. Topstitch. Repeat on other Sleeve.

Congratulations, your Ballet Wrap Top is done. Enjoy! 

We would love to hear how you got on and see photos of your finished project!

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Thank you for using a Rebecca Page pattern.

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