In this practical and beginner friendly sewing tutorial, I’ll show you how to sew a made-to-measure summer dress.
This style is cool summer dress pattern with a relaxed fit that you make to your size and fit requirements. It can be dressed up or you can comfortably hang around the house in it without feeling restricted or uncomfortable. An old duvet cover is perfect for this project because there’s lots of fabric to work with and they’re usually made from a cotton / polyester blend that’s easy to sew making it perfect for beginners.
The duvet cover that I’ve chosen for this project I picked up for a few dollars from my local thrift store. It’s got a pretty flower design and a border at the bottom. Best of all, it’s got a frill around that I’ll be able to use for the sleeves and save the left overs for another project. Whenever you’re cutting off a frill from fabric, make sure you leave enough fabric to attach the frill to your next project. Always cut more than you think you’ll need.
Step 1 – Take your top measurements.
The first step is to determine your top measurements and where you want the top section to end. Do you want the top to end under the bust, like a princess line dress, or at your waist.
Remember to measure the largest area, whether that’s around your bust area or tummy. Because there is not going to be a zip, the top has to be wide enough to get it on and off.
Measure from your shoulders down to where you want the top section to end whether this is below your bust or to your waist. Add extra for seam allowance.
Step 2 – Make a pattern for the top.
Then we need to make a pattern for the top section. Halve the measurements that you took previously and this will form the pattern for the top. This is easier than many people think. I tend to use a top that I like as a base for sleeve and neckline.
After cutting your pattern template, hold it up against your body to double check it’s not too small.
Folding your fabric in half, ensuring you’ve got a fold section, line the inner section of the pattern to the fold and cut out your pieces.
Now, because I wanted the top of my dress to be lined, I cut two identical pieces for each section. So, I had four pieces of fabric for each pattern template.
This means the top won’t be see through. It also gives it more stability.
Step 3 – Sew the top pieces to make the top section of the dress.
After cutting out the top sections, I sew these together, inside out, to form two pieces.
I leave a section open so I can turn them right side in.
Step 4 – Cut a slip in the back of the top for access
Now I have two top pieces – one for the front, one for the back.
Next, we want to cut a slit in the top of the middle of the back seam so we can get the dress on and off over our head.
Find the centre and cut straight down. I cut down about 10 cm or 2 inches. If you’re not sure, cut a bit at a time, testing whether or not you can get it over your head.
Then hem and sew each side of the cut to neaten it up.
Then add a button and an elastic loop to close the opening when you’re wearing the dress.
Step 5 – Skirt measurements
Now we move onto the skirt measurements.
Depending if you want a straighter skirt or a fuller skirt.
First, measure the length you want the skirt. If you’ve made a top that finishes at the waist, measure from the waist to where you want the bottom of the skirt.
If you’ve done a princess line, measure from there.
It might be easier if you put the top on to take these measurements.
Add more for seam allowance. Remember, it’s easier to remove fabric to make something smaller than the other way around.
Next, measure the biggest part of your lower body. For some this will be the hips and butt, for others it might be the stomach or thighs.
Be generous to allow for gathering. This is the key to this dress and skirt design. If you want lots of gathers, add more to your waist measurement.
Finally, quarter these measurements. This will give you the measurement for the front section, and the back section.
Step 6 – Make the skirt pattern
Using the measurements taken above, cut out your skirt pattern template.
Then cut two sections of fabric long enough and wide enough for front and back skirt pieces. Fold these pieces of fabric in half, laying them on top of each other with the folds together.
Lay your pattern template on top and cut both pieces at the same time. This gives you the front of the skirt and the back.
Then, join these together by sewing the two side seams and we’ve got our skirt.
Step 7 – Gather the skirt
Now, the next section is a little tricky to explain but easy to do.
On your machine, a few centimetres or an inch in from the top waist seam, sew two rows of gathering or basting stitch. This is the longest stitch length.
First, I recommend practicing on an off cut of fabric first before doing it on your dress.
To get an even row, I line up the fabric with one of the notches on my machine footer plate.
Start sewing at one of the side seams. Important – do not backstitch. Stop when you reach the next side seam. Pull out and cut lots of thread. Start again on the other side of the seam, again stopping when you reach the next seam. Again, leave lots of thread at the ends.
Now, to create the gathers, separate the top and bottom threads which will be the cotton reel and bobbin threads. Holding the bottom bobbin threads together, you should be able to slide or gather the fabric.
The goal of the gathering at the top of the skirt is to get it the same width as the bottom of your top.
It takes a little bit of adjusting to get it right the first time but gets easier the more you practice.
Step 8 – Stitch the gathers in place.
Once you’re happy with the gathering and it matches the width of the top, take the skirt over to the sewing machine and sew over the gathering pleats to secure them in place. Make sure to return your stitch length back to the normal setting.
You’ll have a lot of excess threads after gathering, just cut these off after you’ve secured the gathers in place with a row of sewing.
Step 9 – Attach the skirt to the top section.
And then I pin the skirt to the bottom of the top, hiding the gathering stitch underneath the hem of the top so all you’re going to see is the gathers, no stitching.
I then top stitch the top to the skirt on the sewing machine.
Step 10 – Finish the bottom hem.
And finally, we just need to finish off the bottom hem.
The fabric of the duvet cover I used to make this dress had a border which I used for my bottom hem. I was able to use the straight line of the bottom of the border to cut a nice even hemline.
Step 11 – Add a frill to the sleeves, if available
Because I had the ready made frill that I had cut from the duvet cover in the beginning, I decided to sew this around the arm holes.
And here it is finished. This is a relatively simple dress to make that doesn’t require complex zips or tricky elastic. Because it’s made to measure, you can make it as loose or tight as you want, just as long as you can get it over your head and the widest part of your body. That’s why the initial measurements are important, adding extra so it can be taken in if needed.
Easy to sew dress pattern tutorial video.
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Clothes upcycling helps reduce waste by repurposing old or unwanted garments, often diverting them from landfill.
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Upcycling clothing not only extends the life of existing textiles, conserving these valuable resources, but promotes more sustainable consumption patterns.
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