How to Make a Wrap Dress
Ever since the wrap dress was popularized by Diane von Furstenberg and other designers, women's wrap dresses have always been in style. Rather than spending the money to buy a designer or retail dress, however, you can sew your own wrap dress using any fabric you like. This sewing project requires at least a novice level of sewing ability, including knowledge of the sewing machine and basic pattern use. To make your own wrap dress, complete the following directions.
Things You'll Need
- Sewing equipment and supplies
- Fabric and matching thread
- Measuring tape
- Fabric pencil
- Wrap dress pattern
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose a wrap dress pattern that you like. You can use a pattern from a commercial company like McCall's, Simplicity, Vogue, New Look or KwikSew, or you can use one of the online patterns in the Resources section of this article. Choose the proper fabric and notions, as directed by your pattern instructions.
-
2
Take your measurements, using the measuring tape. Measure your natural waist, hip, bust, bodice length and skirt length. To determine the bodice and skirt length, first decide where you would like the waistband of the wrap dress to be. Everything above that line is the bodice length, and everything below is the skirt length. Using your measurements, determine the size of the pattern that you should use. Fit your largest measurement first, and then scale everything else down from that.
-
-
3
Print and cut your pattern pieces, so that you have a back, two front pieces, a waistband, a sleeve band, a neckband, a sleeve and a skirt. Pin the pieces to your fabric, paying attention to how many of each piece you need, and then cut the fabric. Transfer all markings directly to the fabric with a fabric pencil.
-
4
Stitch the front pieces to the back piece at the shoulder seams, and then the sleeves to the armholes at the armhole side. Press the seams open and clip them or finish them as desired. Stitch the back piece to the front pieces at the side seams and underarm seams, and then press and clip the seam allowances. Finish the neckline by either attaching a neckline band or by folding the fabric under, as your particular pattern allows.
-
5
Stitch the top of the waistband to the bottom of the bodice, then the bottom of the waistband to the top of the skirt. Make sure that the dress wraps properly before finishing the waistband. Press and clip all seam allowances, and then either add snaps or ties at the waistband opening, as your pattern directs.
-
6
Hem the bottom of the skirt by turning the edge under and stitching it down.
-
1
