How to Make a Sun Dress

Summer is the time for easy, comfortable clothing. It is also a great time to refashion and recycle a tee or tank. This article includes step by step instructions for how to sew a sundress using materials already in your home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tank or tee
• Thread
• Cotton broadcloth fabric
• Sewing machine
• Scissors - dressmaker shears
• Sewing pins
• Cutting board for sewing

1. 
    
   Tank Top and Vintage Sheet Fabric

   Gather your materials: Get a tee or tank that fits and cotton broadcloth fabric that will wrap around your hips at least one and a half times. The length of the fabric should be at least twenty-three inches.

2. Cut the cotton broadcloth fabric one and a half to two times your hip measurement wide, and twenty-three to thirty-two inches long (according to your preference) with dressmaker shears or very sharp scissors.

3. 
    
   Gathered Sundress Skirt

   Gather the cotton broadcloth fabric on your sewing machine or serger.

4. Sew the ends of the skirt fabric together to make a tube.

5. 
    
   Sundress Skirt Pinned in Place

   Pin the gathered skirt fabric to the hem of the tank top or tee. Distribute the gathers evenly. Sew in place with a stretch stitch.

6. Turn the sundress right side out and hem. The sundress example shown here uses a cut-on hem technique.

Tips & Warnings

• When attaching the skirt fabric to the top, adjust the waistline location according to your preference. A drop waist or raised waist can be created.
• When stitching the skirt closed, sew only halfway down to create a slit for more walking room and a cooler dress.
• For a warmer dress, sew the skirt tube completely closed and use a tee shirt for the bodice.
• It is difficult to keep the gathered fabric running straight along the hemline of the bodice. That's okay - it will not show when the sundress is worn, unless the bodice is white or a very light color.

Resources

• Sewing Techniques - Cut on Hem
• Dental Floss Sewing Gathers
• Sewing Tutorials

[boatst]

on 9/15/2009 Wonderful idea. Thanks