Simple Summer Dress
This Simple Summer Dress can multi task as a dress or a maxi skirt. Have made this style a good few times in different fabrics. See a version – here. You can make it more or less gathered. And in a lighter or heavier fabric.
What’s important is you use a stretch fabric. And you get the stretch going in the right direction.
In this case, I made it in a slightly heavier knit fabric. Here’s how I made it.
You need: –
- fabric
- matching colour thread
- sewing machine
- tape measure
- sewing chalk
- sewing scissors
- pins
- unbendable elastic
- safety pin to feed elastic
You do: –
First take your measurements to make this dress.
You want to measure around your bust. And around the widest part of your hips. Whichever is wider – use that measurement for the top of your garment.
To determine the length – measure from your waist to your ankles. And your underarms to your knees. Take the longest of those two measurements for your length.
Now you want to add a bit of flare at the bottom of this garment. I added 7 centimetres to either side of the bottom of the pattern.
Lastly you want to add a seam allowance for the centre back. And a generous seam allowance to the top and bottom for a hem and a casing to insert elastic.
It’s REALLY important to get the stretch in the right direction or this dress/skirt will fall wrong and be a pain to get onto your body. See stretch direction in the image below.
Once you have cut this out, you want to sew the centre back together. I made a slit in the back of this so if I want to wear it as a skirt, there’s room to move. Press the seams flat.
Fold over the top and fit elastic in the seam. See picture below.
Fit your garment and check where you want the lower hem to be. Pin and sew. You may want to top stitch the slit at the back.
Voila! a perfect item to go on holiday as its a dress AND a skirt.
Have a great green week.