Mama's Little Green Dress

Earlier I posted about using the Junebug Dress pattern to create this version for my daughter. I made this using a green polyester fabric picked up at the thrift store. I had so many yards of this fabric that I decided to make a dress for myself. Here is the completed dress and tutorial:

Supplies: 2 yards of fabric, 1 fitted t-shirt, thread to match your skirt material, elastic thread, scissors, sewing machine, ruler

STEPS:
1. Take the fabric and wrap it around your body about 1.5 times to find out how wide you need your fabric. (Yes that is me in this pic...my hair was blonde when I made the dress but not in the modeling shots-oops) Then measure from below your chest to where you want the dress to fall and measure. Add 4.5 inches to this length to allow for seam allowances and a deep hem. Once you have cut out this large rectangle of fabric cut it into two even pieces, width wise, to create a front and back for the skirt.

 2. Next measure and mark the center of the front of the skirt, mark with a pin. Then measure out 2.5 inches from each side of the pin and mark. Create your pleat by folding the outside pin onto the center pin and then folding the fabric back on itself. Repeat with the other side.

 3. Baste the pleat in place, press the pleat down for several inches. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the back skirt piece of fabric. Sewthe front and back of the skirt together at the sides, right sides together.
4. Next put on your t-shirt and mark where you want the skirt to be attached. Cut the shirt off just below this measurement. Mark the center front and back of the t-shirt with a pin. Use this mark to match right sides of the shirt and skirt together. The pin should line up in the center of the pleat.

5. Next, wind your bobbin with elastic thread. You will want to wind this by hand. Then using the elastic thread for your bobbin and regular thread on the top stitch the shirt and skirt together. Using elastic thread will allow the dress to be pulled on and off easily.

Make sure you pull the t-shirt as you sew to fit it to your skirt.

6. Next turn up your hem and press. I first pressed up 2 inches and then another 2 and 1/4 inches to create a deep hem. 

7. Finally, I made a sash to wrap around the dress with leftover fabric. I cut a strip about 8 inches long and the width of the fabric. Fold the fabric in half right sides together and stitch the one long end. Turn the fabric right side out, tuck in the ends and press, then topstitch all the way around the fabric sash. 

Shannon