Children love creative art and craft projects - painting, sculpting, glueing - the messier the better! Protect your little artist's clothes with a cute and functional art smock.
This simple adaptation to the Petal Wrap Dress features a big pocket at the front, perfect for holding art supplies and other treasures, and crossover petals at the back. Easy to put on and take off, and if you wish, it can be made to be reversible.
The Petal Wrap Art Smock hack features two new pattern pieces: a front piece with a lowered neckline, and a big semi-circular pocket. You may wish to size up so that the smock can be easily pulled on over clothes.
Materials:
- Petal Wrap Dress Front pattern piece (the petal-shaped one)
- Petal Art Smock Front and Pocket pattern pieces
- Exterior and interior fabric of your choice (the art smock is a perfect project for upcycling pre-loved textiles!)
- Closure of your choice (snaps, button/elastic loop, ties, velcro would work well for an easy on/off smock)
Cutting:
Download the Art Smock Pattern Pieces by clicking here
- Cut 2 Exterior and 2 Interior fabric from the Petal Wrap Dress Front pattern piece (these petal-shaped pieces will be used for the back of the Art Smock)
- Cut 1 Exterior and 1 Interior fabric from the Art Smock Front pattern piece
- Cut 1 Exterior and 1 Interior fabric from the Art Smock Pocket pattern piece if you'd like a pocket on one side only, or two of each for a reversible smock with pockets on both sides
*Be sure to use the Art Smock Front pattern piece (rather than simply reversing the Petal Wrap Dress front-to-back) because the neckline has been lowered to wear at the front.
Sewing:
1. Prepare the pocket. With right sides together, stitch the pocket pieces together with a 3/8" (1cm) seam allowance, leaving a gap along the top edge for turning.
2. Clip the corners and trim the seam allowance along the bottom curved edge of the pocket. Turn pocket right side out and press.
Close the gap by machine edgestitching the top of the pocket with a 1/8" (3mm) seam allowance, or by sewing the gap closed by hand.
3. Use the placement line guide on the Art Smock Front pattern piece to position the pocket. Top-stitch the pocket in place around the curved edge, backstitching at either end to reinforce.
4. Stitch one or more vertical lines down the pocket, backstitching at either end to reinforce. Here, I have stitched one vertical line down the centre, dividing the pocket in two.
5. Continue sewing the smock as written in the Petal Wrap Dress tutorial.
The version pictured here, made from an upcycled denim skirt, uses buttons and elastic loops for the closures, but snaps, ties, or velcro would also be good options for an easy on-off smock.
We look forward to seeing the creative messes your little ones get up to wearing their Petal Art Smocks!
Please join us at the Twig + Tale Facebook group to look for inspiration, ask questions, and of course, share photos of your lovely creations.
Read more about the Petal Wrap Dress & Tunic here:
