How to DIY a Cute and Easy Dress for Beginners
In this tutorial, I'm going to show you how to sew a simple dress for beginners.
It's so quick and easy to do, you could make a DIY dress in 15 minutes with a little experience.
I used a lightweight woven crinkle fabric for mine and my measurements are for a European size 38. This is a perfect project for a new sewist.
Tools and materials:
- 2.5 yards (220 cm) of 43 inch (110 cm) wide fabric
- 2 x 12 inches (30 cm) of narrow elastic
- Ruler
- Measuring tape
- Fabric marker
- Pins
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
1. Cut out the fabric
Fold your fabric in half widthways and place it down with the folded edge away from you.
Pick up the bottom right corner and place it on the top left corner to make a triangle.
Turn the fabric so the folded base is towards you.
Watch the video from 0:18 to 2:01 to see how I draw the pattern on to the material.
Cut out the dress shape along the marked lines.
Separate the two dress pieces. Fold one in half lengthways and mark 2.7 inches (7 cm) down from the neckline along the folded edge.
Join the mark with a curved line to the outer edge of the neckline and cut out the curve. This piece is the front of the dress.
Cut half an inch (1 cm) inside the vertical edge of the front armhole to make it wider and taper it to meet the underarm.
2. Waistline
Place the front on top of the back with the right sides together, matching the shoulders and side edges.
Mark 20 inches (50 cm) up from the lower edge in several places and draw a curve to join them. Create a matching curve on the back piece.
Sew a piece of elastic to the front along the curve on the wrong side, stretching it to fit as you sew. Repeat for the back.
You can pin the elastic to the side edges and at the center to make it easier to distribute it evenly.
3. Assembly
Finish the raw edges around the neckline and armholes and the lower edge.
Join one of the shoulder seams, with the right sides together.
Turn a narrow hem to the inside along the neckline and sew it in place.
Join the second shoulder seam.
Hem the armholes in the same way.
Join the side seams, matching the edges at the underarm and the elastic at the waistline.
Turn up a narrow hem on the lower edge.
DIY dress
And there you have a very cute mini dress or a top to wear over pants or leggings. It's so comfortable to wear in summer and easy to make in lots of different fabrics. You could even start a business selling these!
I'd love to know what you think of this DIY dress pattern. Leave me a comment and follow me on TikTok for lots more sewing ideas: @tugbaisler
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