How to Design Your Own Girl's Sundress
A sundress allows your little girl to wear a fashionable, yet cool, garment during the hot months of the year. You can design your own girl's sundress by corresponding your design to materials you may already have on hand. Once your design is complete, use large sheets of paper to make a pattern you can use again and again to make additional sundresses as the summer lingers on.
Instructions
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Preparation
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1
Take measurements of your child with a measuring tape. Measure across the chest where you want the top of the sundress to rest, across the back just below the shoulder blades, over the shoulders where you want the straps to be and from where the top of the sundress will fall to a few inches above the knee, as desired.
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2
Gather material that you already have on hand so you know what you have to work with in the design. Select a few yards of lightweight material for your dress, as well as any material for ruffles and shoulder straps you want to use.
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3
Lay out your material so you can see how the patterns of the material work together as you design.
On Paper
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4
Draw the body of the sundress. As you draw the body, consider if you want the top of the sundress to have elastic gathering or just a hem. Gathering the material with elastic will provide a bigger poof for the sundress and will also require you to use more material.
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5
Mark the measurements you have taken on your design to use when you make the pattern.
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6
Draw the straps you prefer for your sundress. For example, you might want 1-inch thin straps that go from the front of the dress to the back, or thin, spaghetti straps that tie together on the top of the shoulder.
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7
Add ruffles along the bottom or top of the sundress, as desired, or perhaps design your dress with lace.
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Tips & Warnings
Use contrasting material patterns to make the body of the sundress and the ruffles on the dress to make the dress bright and bold. Add iron-on appliqués to the dress, such as sunflowers or baby animals, to give the dress a personalized touch. Make your sundress with silk and for a special event, such as a wedding.
