How to Make a Quick Dress
Strapped for cash but want a cute new outfit for date night? Make your own dress, quickly and easily with a few yards of material and basic sewing tools. Test your sewing skills by hand sewing this simple dress, or make short work of this project with a basic sewing machine.
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Instructions
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Measure the dress' intended wearer to determine the measurements you need to cut the dress material. Measure the wearer across the chest, under the arms and across the breasts where the top of the dress is intended to hang. Measure down the body to the dress' intended hanging length. Add an inch to each measurement to allow for hems and seams.
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Draw a cutting line on the fabric with a washable fabric pen to provide a guide for cutting out the material; divide the chest measurement in half for this step. Center the line along one edge of the fabric.
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Measure down from this top edge using the measurement for the dress' intended length and draw a line straight across the material measuring 12 inches longer than the top edge of the fabric. Center this second line so an extra six inches is available on either side of the top edge.
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Draw a line to connect the end of the second line with the edge of the top line. Cut out the material using these guide lines to produce a trapezoid-shaped piece of fabric. Cut out a second piece of the same fabric for the back panel of the dress.
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Lay the two pieces of material with their patterned sides facing and fasten safety pins along the two long sides of the material to hold the two pieces together. Sew a hem along both sides of the material, a half-inch in from the edges. Fold the excess material on the outer edge of the material in on itself and sew a second stitch to prevent the excess material from rubbing against your skin during wear.
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Turn the tube of material inside out so the patterned side is visible. Fold the material at the top and bottom of the dress in to produce a half-inch overlap of material. Sew a stitch through these folded flaps of material to create a seam.
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Pull the strapless dress on and use a tailor's tape measure to measure over each shoulder to determine the necessary measurement for the dress' shoulder straps. Add an inch to each measurement to allow for a half-inch seam when attaching the straps. Cut the material to the necessary length and in any width or taper you desire.
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Sew a half-inch seam around the edge of the strap material to prevent the fabric from fraying.
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Attach the dress straps with safety pins to hold them in place. Sew a stitch across the top of the dress to fasten each strap into place. Repeat on the back side of the dress.
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Tips & Warnings
Tie a sash, ribbon or belt around your waist to cinch the dress and show off your feminine curves.
References
Resources
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