Make This Nifty Skater Dress Without a Pattern!

Tools and materials:

• Fabric
• Lining- Cotton works best
• Basic t-shirt
• Hook & eye
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• Pencil
• Measuring tape
• Pins
• Paper

Make the Bodice

Ok, first things first- Let’s make the bodice. Take your basic t-shirt ( it should fit you well) and fold it in half. Fold the sleeves inwards.

Modify the neckline and armholes, should you want them to go deeper. You can see in the image above how I modified mine. Next, Trace the outline of your t-shirt, adding a 1.5-inch seam allowance, too.

Cut your paper pattern and pin it on the fabric. Fold the fabric in half and cut it on the fold. You’ll need two pieces of this fabric- one for the front and the other for the back.

For the lining, cut out the same pattern. Again, you need two pieces for the front and back bodice.

Layer and assemble the bodice

Now it’s time to layer on those fabric pieces! You can follow the sequence in the image above. Start with a lining piece, two fabric pieces ( right sides facing), and lastly, layer the last lining piece on top.

Draw a line at the side seams of the top, at 1.5 inches away from the edge.

Pin all four layers of the fabric together where the line is. Stitch the layers together along the line.

Make your skirt

Now, it’s time to make your skirt. Start by folding your lining twice. If your waist size is 28 inches ( like mine), then make a distance of 4.5 inches from the corner, and measure up to form a semicircle. 

If your waistline is not the same as mine, follow this table to figure it out easily!

For the length of your skirt, measure the distance from the curve you just cut and draw a line. Once satisfied, cut this out, too. For reference, my length was 14 inches away from the curve.

Now, do the same for the main fabric. You can either remeasure it again and repeat the process as listed above or you can trace the lining fabric pattern.

TIP-

Keep the length of the main fabric piece longer than the lining’s length, at least by 3 inches.

Open your fabric so that you have a donut shape. Pin the pieces together at the shorter curves, and stitch them together.

Assemble the dress

Place the top upside down and pin the bottom to the top curve of the dress, as shown. Then, stitch both the pieces together.

Hem the dress

Once done, turn your dress inside out and stitch the dress and the lining fabric separately. Create a two-fold hem so that no fraying occurs over time.

Remember to hem the neckline and armholes, too. Create the same double fold as you would with the bottom hemline.

Make and attach the straps

Cut two pieces of 2-inch wide strips from your main fabric. Fold the edges towards the center, and fold it in half again. Next, press it so that you have a neat fold to work with.

Stitch the strap on both edges so that it stays straight and sturdy.

Attach both the straps on either side of the dress’s neckline.

On the back side of the dress, manually stitch a hook in place.

Next, measure 6 inches on the strap and stitch a loop so that you can place it in the hook. This will ensure you’ll have a secure fit.

Isn’t this skater dress so dreamy and flowy? This easy skater dress project doesn’t even need a pattern, making it so convenient to sew. I hope you enjoyed this skater dress tutorial as much as I did. I think I’ll be making a few more in other colors and prints!