My favourite dress, a tutorial with no pattern needed!

This is a tutorial on how to make my favourite dress.

(Please excuse the photo! My 12yr old took this photo & I think we may need some lessons on how to take flattering, not un-flattering photo’s! Giggle!)

It is so simple, easy & trust me, you will want to make more than one!

I now own 4 dresses in this style, all in different colours.

You can make this a very elegant, free flowing dress that would be perfect to wear to a wedding or function.

Make it from a light voile & wear it over your togs for a beach to the shops look.

A closer fitting jersey stretch fabric for a “got to do the groceries, pay the bills & pick up the kids from school” look.

You are only limited with your imagination with this dress.

This is the first post in a series of posts about this dress.

From time to time, I will post again about this dress & show you all the different ways you can change it just by your fabric choice & accessories.

I will now show you just how easy it is to make one…

To make a full, free flowing dress, I use voile & use the full width of the fabric.

Here is the basic pattern…

Cut 2 of the above rectangles.

Measure the length from the top of your bust (where you want the top of the neckline of the dress) down to the bottom of your bust.

(Please excuse my kindergarten drawings! Giggle!)

Take that measurement & add 2 inches.

Measure from the top of the 2 rectangles down the amount of your bust plus 2 inches.

Cut along that line that you have just measured from the top of the fabric.

(This is the material that I am making my next “fave dress” from)

Sew up the side of the small rectangle (bust) & the side of the large rectangle (bottom of the dress)

Pin the top half to the bottom half like this

Sew along the red line as in the diagram above. Make sure to make the seam allowance 1 inch as this will form the elastic casing for under the bust.

Over lock or zig zag the edge of the seam allowance.

Iron it flat so that the edge of the casing points towards the bottom of the dress.

Pin it flat & sew along the outside edge to for the under bust casing.

Make sure to leave a 1 inch opening so that you can thread the elastic through.

Fold down the top of the dress to form an elastic casing along the top of the bust.

Sew along the length & remember to also leave a 1 inch opening again so that you can thread the elastic through.

You should end up with something that looks a little like this…

Cut 2 lengths of elastic that is around 1cm wide.

The first is for on top of the bust, make sure it is not too tight but just sits snuggly.

The second is for under the bust, this is what will give the dress shape.

Thread the elastics through the casing & sew the ends securely.

Sew closed the openings in the casing that you threaded the elastics through.

You can hem the bottom of the dress or use a rolled hem as I did to give it that floaty look & feel.

At this point you can leave the dress strapless or add straps, it is up to you.

I chose to out straps on this dress as I am a little busty & don’t want to be worried about showing too much!

The above photo is shows the shape of the dress.

I added a wide black belt in the next photo to give it another look.