So… you love ruffly, lacey, fancy bibs embellished with buttons and trims galore?!  Yessss! Me too!!! I’m going to show you how to embellish the bib of your Stacey Top to get that boutique look you’re wanting to replicate!

First thing’s first.  Cut your bib pattern piece.  Press bib in half width wise to find center.

Next is the fun part.  Decide on your embellishments.  There is no limit to your creativity here!  You can use fabric, ribbon, trim, lace, buttons, embroidery, etc.  Lay your ribbon or trim out on your bib how you like.  Pin your trim in place.  TIP:  You can also use double sided fusible tape to help hold your trim in place.  Here are 2 examples using ribbon and lace.  Stitch in place.

My favorite way to embellish is by cutting a 2″ x 5″ strip of fabric.  You can use a variety of colors and prints to really make a fun bib!  Easily adjust the width of your fabric strip based on your preferences.  I usually use my buttons as my guide.  If you are using small buttons, you may want to decrease the width.  If using larger, you may like a wider strip.  It’s totally up to you and your preferences! 🙂

Press both long edges to the wrong side 1/4″.

Center the strip on the center front of bodice.  Pin in place.  You could also use hem tape to hold it in place.

Edge stitch fabric down.

I decided to layer some lace down the center.  So, just repeat the pinning and edge stitching process.

Flip bib over so it is face down.  Trim off the excess fabric, ribbon, trim, etc.

If you are planning on adding buttons.  WAIT until you have attached the neckband binding.  Trust me!  It will be easier adding them at the very end so you don’t have to fuss with them while attaching your binding. 😉

Now that you’re finished embellishing, continue following along with the tutorial at Step 5.

Instead of adding a bib ruffle, play around with different trims and lace!  Check out some of these tester photos for inspiration.  These lovely ladies used a variety of lace, ribbon, and trim to finish up the edges of their bibs instead of using the ruffle, and I just adore how they turned out!!

Once your neck binding is attached, add buttons if desired.  There you have it!  A boutique-inspired bib to complete your Stacey top.


Don’t forget to share your Stacey top in the Made for Mermaids Patterns Group on Facebook!  We love to see what you’ve sewn up!  Here are some inspiration pics from our talented testing team! <3







For more boutique-inspired patterns, check out the rest of the Best Friends Collection!!
Stacey Top
Rose Ruffle Top
Skipper Skirt
Hailey Pants
Barbie Headband