THE DAY DATE DRESS:: TUTORIAL

pssst! The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is happening right now! Shop all my picks for sale in this post

 Dress: me (similar fabric, similar dress here and here) | Shoes: similar here and here | Bag: similar, Sunglasses: Chicnova c/o (similar here and here) | Necklace: similar | Jewelry: Michael Kors, Bip and Bop here and here c/o,  T&J Designs c/o | Lips: Mac 'So Chaud'

I had the idea for this dress in my mind for quite some time.  I also had the fabric for...quite some time.  I mean, navy knit with white pin dots?  Too good to use on just any old pattern.  This stuff deserved a pattern all its own.  The light-weight fabric, slightly longer than the knee length, and pockets all work together to make this dress easy to wear.  Perfect for a day date.

Shop my look below...

Here are a few dresses that I was inspired by for this look:

Click through below for the tutorial...

Materials:

• 2-3 yards of light-weight knit
• beter pan collared shirt to use as a pattern
• 1 yard of 1/4" wide elastic
• 1/4 yard of lightest weight interfacing (made specifically for knits)
• matching thread
• buttons (optional)

• Create the top of your dress by using an existing high-neck top as a pattern.  
• Fold shirt and fabric in half length-wise and cut around the top leaving 1/4" extra for seam allowance. The top should go about 1/2" past your natural waist.  Sew up any darts on the sides of the bust if needed.  Sew right sides together along tops and sides. 

• I used an old top that I was going to throw out, so I just cut out the peter pan collar and used it as my pattern.  Cut out 2 collars from your main material, and one out of the interfacing.
• Iron interfacing to the back of one of the collar pieces.  Stitch up collar pieces rt sides together around collar with 1/4" sa (seam allowance) but leave the top width of the collar open.
• Flip collar rt side out and press

• Cut out short sleeves (use existing shirt as pattern).  Cut out cuffs for the sleeves that measure the width of your sleeve and 4" long (pictured above).  When folded the cuff will be 2" wide. Cut interfacing 2"wide for each sleeve as well.
• Iron interfacing to top backside of each cuff.  Fold in half width-wise and stitch up short side with 1/4" sa.  Flip rs out and fold in half all around and stitch rs together to prepped sleeve 
• Insert sleeves.  Sew buttons on sides if desired.

•  Cut out two 1" strips of fabric using your neckline as a pattern.  Pin to outside of the neckline rt sides together and serge.  Pin collar along neckline just as you would like it to lay (start by pining in the front center where the two ends meet to make sure you get them centered).  Serge/stitch the collar to the neckline.  
• Fold the 1" strip of fabric under twice and stitch in place all around the neckline.  (The stitching won't be visible because the collar will lay on top of it.)

• Fold remaining fabric in half lengthwise to cut out the skirt section of your dress.  (Remember you will need two of these).  
• In order to get the gathered skirt, take your natural waist measurement and measure that far out from the fold.  Measure from your natural waist down to about 5" past your knee and use this as your length measurement.  This should leave you with a front and a back skirt section that each measure the width of your waist, giving you double your actual waist measurement to allow for the gathering.

•  Using an existing pocket as a pattern, cut 4 pocket pieces.  (you can also just lay your hand at a slight diagonal along the straight side of fabric and mark a curve around your hand)

•  Place one pocket piece on either side of skirt 5" down from the top, rt sides together (make sure pockets are pointing down).  Stitch only along the side edges of the pockets, where they match up to the sides of the skirts.

•  Place skirt sections rt sides together with pockets pointing out, and stitch down each side, stitching all around the pockets.

•  Using a long basting stitch, stitch all around the top of the skirt with 1/4" sa, leaving thread ends long.  Gather so that the width of the skirt matches the width of the top.

•  Flip top inside-out.  With rt sides together, place skirt inside the top (as shown above) and pin the top of the skirt to the bottom of the top.  Stitch with 1/4" sa with the elastic laying on top as you sew.  Make sure to pull the elastic fairly tight as you stitch so that the waist will pull in.

• Now fold the bottom of the dress under 1 1/2", pin, and stitch around to hem. 

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