How to Make Bubble Dresses
The bubble dress, identified by its wide, puffy skirt, has come into style in recent years. However, rather than paying the high prices for a designer dress or settling for a lower-end knockoff, you can create your own bubble dress at the cost of supplies. This skirt style can be applied to any bodice top, and can be altered to suit your tastes. To make your own dress, follow these simple instructions for a bubble dress with a waistband.
Things You'll Need
- Sewing equipment and supplies
- Fabric
- Zipper
- 1/4 inch elastic
- Measuring tape
- Fabric pencil
- Dress bodice pattern
Instructions
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1
Take your measurements, using the measuring tape. Measure your bust, underbust, waist, and hip. Choose which midriff measurement you would like the skirt wasitband to be on. Usually, bubble skirt waistbands start at the natural waist. Then determine how long you would like your skirt to be from the waistband. If you are making sleeves for your bubble dress, measure the sleeve length and the size of your shoulder.
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2
Determine how wide you would like the waistband of the dress to be. Double this measurement, and add 1 inch for seam allowances. Cut a rectangle of fabric that as long as your skirt waistband length measurement and as wide as your skirt waistband width measurement. Using a fabric pencil, mark the center front. Fold this rectangle in half lengthwise and put it aside.
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3
Cut a second rectangle of fabric that is twice as wide as your waistband measurement, plus 1 inch for seam allowances, and as long as your skirt length measurement plus 3 inches. This is the skirt piece. Using a fabric pencil, mark the center front.
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4
Gather the top of the larger rectangle, using a double line of gather stitches for sturdiness. Pin the top of the skirt piece to the raw edged side of the waistband piece, right sides together, adjusting the gathers and lining up the center back edges and center front. Stitch the skirt to the waistband.
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5
Attach the top of the skirt waistband to the bodice of your choice. You can create a bodice using the bodice and sleeve pieces of any dress pattern. Leave the center back of the bodice open.
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6
Pin the zipper to the center back edges of the dress. Stitch the zipper to the fabric on each side, then stitch the remaining edges of the center back together. Turn the hem of the skirt up 1/2 inch and press, then turn the hem up another 1/2 inch and stitch it in place most of the way around, leaving a 3 inch gap at the back of the skirt.
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7
Determine the length of elastic you will need at the bottom of the skirt to complete the bubble shape. Take the elastic and wrap it around your legs, making sure that it is not too tight to walk in, then cut the elastic to that length. Attach one end of the elastic to a large safety pin, and feed the safety pin into the hem gap of the skirt. Push the safety pin all the way around the hem, holding on to the free end of the elastic, until the pin comes out the other side. Stitch the elastic ends together and remove the pin, then stitch up the gap in the hem.
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