Summer dresses.

It’s so so so easy to make. Perfect for beginner level seamstresses, & doesn’t need crazy cutting & measuring. As long as you know some basic sewing, my general run through should be enough to guide you.

Supplies:
– Thrifted tank top, loose fitting. Mine was about $5.
– Jersey knit fabric of your choice. I started with 2 yards & had a ton leftover.
– Coordinating thread. I used maroon thread + a shiny rayon mustard yellow thread.
– Sewing machine
– Scissors, pins, tailor’s chalk*I used a special kind of jersey knit fabric, called ITY knit (interlocking twist yarn). It stretches like a normal jersey t-shirt but has an amazing, high quality & smooth feel to it. I bought mine from Fabric.com, but you can find ITY knits all over the web & at fabric supply stores. I’m personally in love with this fabric – and Fabric.com – and just recently placed another order. I definitely recommend them!

You can even use the fabric from an old oversized shirt – I’m sure you can find some crazy printed jersey t-shirts at the thrift store – and don’t forget to look in the mens’ and maternity section. As long as it’s big enough to give you enough fabric, then go for it.

The measurements of my huge rectangle of jersey was 60 inches wide & 31 inches long. This will obviously be different depending on your top/preferences, but here’s how I determined this:

Laying flat, I measured the shirt at its widest, which was at the bottom. I didn’t do this where I marked the line, since I wanted extra fabric for that gathering effect. It was 20 inches at its widest point, or 40 inches all around. SO, I measured 40 inches of jersey knit, then added half of that – so 60 inches wide, total. Or x1.5 the 40 inches. I also added 2 extra inches for extra sewing space.

 I put on the shirt again & measured from the chalk mark to where I wanted to the skirt to hit – about 26 inches, right above my knees. I tacked on an extra 5 or so inches just to be safe, since it’s better to start with too much and trim it down later on. Again, this will be different for you depending on your shirt, preference & obviously height.

Along the top/width of the fabric, I sewed it up to give it a clean edge. This is the part of the fabric that will be attached to the top.

I cut off the bottom of the shirt, about 2 inches below the chalk mark…

…then hemmed the bottom.

With right sides facing each other, I lined up the jersey fabric with the side seam of the shirt. Then, I pinned the two pieces together & pleated at random intervals. To create a pleat, simply fold over the edge of the fabric as you pin. Since I had an extra 20+ inches width wise, I was able to pleat all the way around.

I sewed the bottom & top half together…

…which ended up looking like this. See those pleats?

I then sewed up the side of the bottom portion, since it had only been sewn along the top so far.

After trying on the dress yet again & figuring out the definite length that I wanted, I trimmed a good 4 or so inches off of the bottom. A dress form would be really useful at this point, but a hanger can work as well. I sewed up the bottom edge with the shiny mustard yellow thread.

Reminder: don’t forget to adjust your thread tension! Tighter, smaller stitches worked best with both of my fabrics.

Not so flattering on the hanger, but add in my favorite leather waist belt?

And it looks like this. This matches perfectly with the Studded Wedges I made back in March! (bordeaux suede wedges studded with furniture nails)

This is what I was drinking earlier today, while writing this up. Strawberry champagne punch: champagne, ginger ale, frozen strawberries. Or just strawberries. Either way, I totally recommend it.

This is S&P’s first ever sewing project, so if you have any questions, ask away. There’s definitely going to be more summer dresses coming up, so stay tuned for those.

  After these last 2 big clothing DIY’s, I’ll be back later this week with a simpler jewelry project!

xo,