How to Make a Cute Summer Dress

Summer dresses are made with light material to keep the wearer cool in the hotter months. They should be comfortable and classic, so that they can be worn over and over. The perfect way to ensure you have a unique style is to make your own summer dress. You do not need to be a fashion designer or seamstress. You just need one of your old or even new t-shirts or skirts, material and your creativity when making your very own summer dress.

Things You'll Need

• 1 to 3 yards 100 percent lightweight cotton material
• 1 T-shirt
• Scissors
• Sewing needles
• Sewing thread
• Sewing pins
• 3 buttons
• Tape measure
• Long skirt
• Belt or ribbon

Instructions

Sewing a Dress

1. Take your t-shirt and determine whether you would like the skirt or bottom of the dress to be added to the outside or inside of the top part. In other words, decide if you want the t-shirt to have a tucked in effect or an overlay look.

2. Put on the shirt and then wrap the material around your waist, placing it where you would like it to be sewn to the t-shirt. Pin the material closed, leaving half an inch to work with. Also pin a couple of pins horizontally along the t-shirt where you plan to sew the material.

3. Remove the t-shirt and material from your body carefully. Cut off excess material from the length of the material, depending on how long or short you would like the dress. Also trim excess fabric off the width where you pinned the material closed.

4. Hem the bottom of the material upward about an inch by threading a needle with thread close to the color of the fabric. This will create a crisp look.

5. Sew the vertically pinned section that will become the back section of the dress. Start from the bottom, and sew the dress together. Leave roughly three inches of the material open at the top.

6. Take your t-shirt, and line up the top of the newly sewn material with the pinned line you created when trying it on.

7. Align the back of the material to the back of the shirt and the front to the front. Starting at the end with the open part, begin sewing about an inch away from the open section. Sew the material onto the t-shirt circling around until you reach the back again. Do the same thing as before; allow the last inch or so to not be sewn down.

8. Take three buttons, and place them on the back of the right side of the material that has not been sewn vertically closed. Sew the buttons to the material, and create holes on the left side.

9. Take your newly formed dress, and put it on over your head with the buttons undone. Once on, button the back to ensure a secure fit.

Turning a Skirt Into a Dress

1. Put on an ankle-length or floor-length skirt.

2. Pull the top part that fits around your waist over your breasts like a tube top would fit.

3. Allow the skirt to fall past your waist; it should be either to your thighs or knees now.

4. Tie a ribbon or belt around your waist to pinch in extra fabric creating the look of a short summer dress.

5. Add accessories like a small jacket, or hem the bottom of the dress to make it a mini-dress style.

Tips & Warnings

• You can make a tube top dress by using techniques used to make the t-shirt dress and ommitting the t-shirt. Follow the way to sew the skirt section, but first measure the material around your upper body.

• If you feel more comfortable putting the dress on by stepping into it, you may need to cut the shirt down the back, matching the line up to the vertical closure of the formed skirt. You will need to slightly hem the material inward, and then add buttons similar to the ones on the skirt. Double strand and knot the thread, so it holds through materials and remains tight.

• You may want to use a sewing machine instead of doing the sewing by hand, which will ensure precision. Love to Sew suggests using light weight 100 percent cotton, denim and even light weight wool as summer dress material.

• Be careful when using scissors, needles and pins. They are sharp and should not be anywhere near children. Be careful of making the dress too tight or the belt around your waste too tight, which can be uncomfortable.

References

• Love to Sew: Sewing & Making Dresses