Saturday, June 4, 2011

Super Easy Summer Dress

 This dress is super easy and super comfortable. Any beginning (or advanced) sewer can do.


"Read on" for the Tutorial!



 First cut a big square of fabric. I would suggest using a jersey cotton or something flow-y and stretchy. You will want it to be about 6" longer than your measurement from the top of your bust to the floor. Leave it longer wide, than you are around for the gather.

*I started with about 2 yards*
 Then sew it into a tube. (this is hard to photograph :P)
 Now you are going to sew a hem around the top and make it a little wide for your elastic. Don't forget to leave a little opening to slide your elastic in.
 Put a safety pin on the end of your elastic. (ignore the fabric on mine. I recycled it from a failed dress.)
 Slide it all the way around your dress then sew the elastic closed.

Now take 3 long strips of fabric in a matching or coordinating color. Knot them at one end, braid the whole thing, knot the other end. 

Try your dress on and measure how long you want your dress to be. Trim. You can either hem it or just leave it like I did. It's a jersey cotton so it won't fray.  I like the way it flows better than with a seam at the bottom.

Now you are done.


 You can either knot the braided tie around your waist,
Or you can twist it up and tie it around your neck. 

Check out this other dress I made too. Click here for the tutorial:




37 comments:

  1. How fun! I love this! Such a great and simple idea.

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  2. The dress looks beautiful to the model.

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  3. My daughter would love both of these! Great job, and you are just adorable. :)

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  4. I would love if you linked this up to my Make it for Less Mondays @ Simply Cadence

    www.simplycadence.blogspot.com

    Where did you get your fabric from?? I like it!

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  5. I think your dress is just darling Ali - and so are you!! :)
    I'm featuring this in the Think Pink Post tonight as the most clicked link! :)Thanks for linking up!

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  6. I love them both!! They are GORGEOUS!!! I saw you over at Flamingo Toes and had to stop by to say hello! :)



    Ami with AliLilly

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  7. Holy. crap. I love it! Do you have a tutorial for the other dress you posted? It's amazing!

    You are too pretty!

    http://lifecraftsandwhatever.blogspot.com/

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  8. How much fabric did you start with? A yard or 2? It looks great! I want to make one for myself!

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  9. I super DUPER like the look of the second one! Did you use a pattern?

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  10. Wow! These are much cuter than the one I made yesterday.....just adorable.

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  11. Thank you for this. I had some stretch fabric and no idea what to do with it. Of to my machine now. Thank you!

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  12. I featured you today on Blissful & Domestic. Stop by and check it out!

    -Danielle
    http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com/2013/05/10-summer-tutorials-feature-friday-link.html

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  13. Thank you for this! Really. I'm on day 3 of wearing an old navy tube dress I was gifted and I am just loving the comfort, but I really feel good wearing it too! So it's perfect......and I'm online looking for exactly what you have here! Thanks again!

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  14. I am new to sewing and justin wondering how to measure for the length of elastic?

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