Below is a step by step guide in sewing a cheongsam for little girls.
Materials :
1) Printed cotton (1m)
2) Bias tape (1 packet)
3) Chinese clasps (3 sets)
4) Metal snaps (3 sets)
5) Elastic tape
The printed cotton is to be cut into patterns as shown in picture below. (Pattern for printing to be uploaded later).
For the Top :
Steps :
1) Open up the bias tape and align to the wrong side of the fabric for the front piece. Sew along the fold.
2) Turn over the bias tape to the right side of the fabric and sew in place.
 |
Top left : Sewing the bias tape along the fold to the wrong side of fabric,
Top right : turning over the bias tape to the right side
Bottom left : Sewing the bias tape to the right side of fabric
Bottom right : Finished front piece |
3) Putting the right side of the fabrics together, sew along the shoulder line for the back and front upper pieces. Your garment should now look like this :
4) Place a strip of printed cotton, right side of fabric facing up, flat to the working surface. Align the collar of the garment (wrong side of fabric facing up) on it. Then, place another strip of printed cotton (wrong side facing up) on top of the garment. Sew along the edge.
5) After sewing, trim the excess fabric by cutting small triangles along the seams. This is so that the curvy part of the collar does not bunched up.
6) Turn up the strips of printed cottons. The wrong sides of the both strips will now face each other. Align the left and right sides of the front top pieces so that the end of the collars touches each other. Cut away the excess if necessary. Trim the corners to slightly rounded shape.
7) Open the bias tape and sew along the fold to the wrong side (or inner side) of the garment. Then turn the bias tape over and sew in place along the outer side.
 |
Top left : How the collar arrangement should look like
Top right : Trimming the excess fabric along the collar
Bottom left : Aligning the pieces in place
Bottom right : Sewing on bias tape to the collar |
 |
After sewing the bias tape
|
8) Arrange the garment neatly and place the front piece on top. Pin in place.
9) Sew only the left side of the front panel to the main garment, as near where the bias tape as possible to hide the stitches. The garment should now look like this.
10) Flip over the garment so that the right side of the fabrics are facing each other. Sew along the left side from the armhole to the hem. Repeat at the other side, only that the stitching should be done from the armhole to the upper piece of the right front piece.
11) Fold the edges of the right side of the garment and sew a few stitches on top and bottom to hold it in place. The folds are where the metal snap buttons will be.
12) Open up the bias tape and sew to the inner side of the armhole. Flip over and sew along the outer side of the garment.
13) Hand stitch in place the chinese clasps (1 on each side and the collar) and metal snap buttons (right side of garment).
14) Fold and sew along the hem of the garment.
For the skirt :
Steps :
1) Place both rectangular pieces of the skirts with the right side facing each other. Sew along the left and right sides.
2) With the wrong side of the fabric facing up, fold about 1/2 inch of the upper edge and sew along, leaving a gap of about 1/2". The gap will be where the elastic tape will go through.
3) Fold and hem the skirt.
4) Cut a piece of elastic tape to the length of the waist of your child. Thread it through the gap in Step 2, making sure the other end of the tape does not go into the gap.
 |
| Threading in the elastic tape |
 |
| Both ends of elastic tape at the gap, after threaded through the waist of the skirt |
5) Align both ends of the elastic tape together to overlap of about 1 - 2 cm. Sew in place. The skirt is now done.
