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Step 1:
First, print out your Minnie head design. I googled Mickey head because all the Minnie ones had a bow, and since I was using ribbon for the bow, I just needed the head so used this one here. Cut it out and trace it on to the paper side of the Wonder Under. 

 

Step 2:
Place the rough side of your design onto the wrong side of your black fabric and dry press with your iron at the heat you would normally use for that type of fabric. For example, I was using cotton so I could have it at a higher heat setting, but if you were using satin you would put it at a medium heat. After it is fused on, cut your shape out carefully.

 

 

Step 3:
Measure the front of your shirt seam to seam right where you want your Minnie head to go, divide that number by 4 and position the sides of the head that many inches in from each side. For example, my shirt measured 12 inches across, 12 divided by 4 equals 3, so I started the side of my Minnie head at 3 inches and 9 inches to make it centered as in the photo below. Take the paper off the wonder under and iron in place.

 

 

Now we need to sew around the edges of the Minnie Mouse head. I used a narrow and long zigzag stitch. It doesn’t need to be narrow, some people do a regular spaced zigzag stitch around their design and it also looks great! As you stitch, make sure that the outer zigzag stitch goes just barely right outside of your shape, and the other one lands inside. I couldn’t get the best picture here while under the sewing machine but hopefully you can see my needle is just right outside of the shape. If you haven’t done this before it is a very good idea to practice on a scrap piece of fabric first. I still do not do this part as well as I’d like! There are many Youtube tutorials on applique that will help you. If you are using a shirt with stretch like mine, make sure to stretch the shirt a little where it is stitching or else it will look bunched up in places. I had to rip some stitches out because I did not know I had to do that!

 

 

Time to add some bows! I was thinking of just using applique for the bow part as well with my polka dot fabric, but ended up choosing a ribbon bow for a 3-D effect. Either way would be good! Then I added a bow to the cross on the back of the shirt. It was very difficult to make a bow with 1 hand to also take pics so I am just going to leave a link to the Youtube video I followed here I used a pinwheel bow for the front and hand sewed it on the the side of Minnie’s head, the middle would look good too, it’s up to you! For the bow on the back, I didn’t want something so big, so I made this simple bow found on Youtube here. Before I wrapped the small ribbon around the middle of the bow, I wrapped it to the cross of the shirt and just used hot glue to secure it in place.

 That’s it for the shirt! Now it’s time for the skirt. It actually isn’t as complicated as I first thought, and ended up super cute!


Layered Ruffle Skirt


Step 1:

 First, you need to measure yourself around your hips and add an inch or 2 so it’s not so tight, remember that number. You will need to cut out six strips total from your fabric. Three are your ruffle pieces, so you need to make those longer either by multiplying by 1.5 or 2 your hip measurement depending on how ruffled you want it. I decided to times by 1.5 because I am an adult, if I was making this same thing for my daughter I would go fuller it’s all up to you. Next you need to decide how wide you want your strips to get to the ending length you want. The strips that you will not be ruffling should be at least a half an inch thinner than the ruffle strips so they don’t show. Remember to add seam allowance on the ruffle pieces for both the hem and the ruffling. I want my top ruffle piece to be 3 inches wide, so I cut 4 inches for seam allowance on top and bottom, my top non-ruffled strip I want to be 2.5 inches so I cut it 3.5 inches wide. My middle and bottom ruffle strip is 4 inches so I cut 5 inches for both of those so I wanted 3.5 inches for my middle and bottom non-ruffled strips so cut them at 4.5 inches for seam allowance. For my middle strip I added 1 inch to the length so it would be wider for my legs and the bottom strip I added 1 inch more to the length, so 2 inches total more than the length of the top strip. So now I have 6 strips total, 3 which are longer for ruffling.

 

On your 3 long ruffle strips, you need to hem before you ruffle them. Fold 1/4 down and press, then another 1/4 down over it and press again so you have a double fold hem. Do the same for your bottom non-ruffled strip, this will be the only non-ruffled strip you’ll need to hem. Sew in place. 

 

 

Now ruffle your 3 longer strips. I used a basic ruffler foot and did 2 lines of stitches and maneuvered it a little to get it to the width I needed. You could also sew with a basting stitch leaving long threads at each end and pulling your bobbin threads to the ruffle you want.

 

Lay your ruffle strips over your shorter strips all in order like the photo below. With both the right side of your non-ruffled strip and your ruffle strip facing up, sew the ruffle piece over the corresponding non-ruffled piece. I just used a straight stitch.

 

Sew the ends of your strips together so it forms a circle or tube shape. I started with my bottom piece and stuck the middle piece inside of it so wrong sides are together like so:

 

And stitch together so it looks like this between the layers.

 

Do the same thing with the top layer around the middle layer.

 

You are done with the strips and now all you have to do is add the waistband. There are many different ways you could do this but I decided to go with an exposed waistband for this one. Measure your waist and subtract 2 inches and add 1 inch seam allowance. Cut your elastic and put the 2 ends together right sides together and sew into a tube with a half inch seam allowance. Then take your seam allowance ends and fold them back and sew as shown in the pictures below.

 

 

 

Almost done! All that’s left is sewing on the waistband to the skirt. Fold your waistband in half and pin the middle front, then pin both sides to mark it so you can sew it onto your skirt evenly. Mark the same spots on your skirt waist.

 

For an exposed waistband like mine, put your elastic in the middle of your skirt’s waist wrong side facing the wrong side of your skirt. Pin it so the waistband is sticking up about 3/4 inch above the fabric and that the pins in center front, back and sides match the  corresponding pins in the skirt. Sew with a straight stitch with matching thread, stretching the elastic as you go.

 

Fold the elastic over making sure it folds over the stitching of your top ruffle strip and sew the bottom of the elastic to the skirt.

 

And it should look similar to this.

 

You’re done! Now you have a Minnie Mouse applique shirt and a layered ruffle skirt. All you need now is Minnie Mouse Ears and you are ready for Disneyland the DIY way, without spending a fortune. I felt like a kid again and fit right in with everyone else in their Disney outfits! Here is my little one as Daisy!