DRESS: MADE BY ME (TUTORIAL BELOW) CREATED FROM THIS DRESS, SIMILAR HERE AND HERE | SHOES: NORDSTROM | CLUTCH: J.CREW (SOLD OUT, SIMILAR HERE) | SUNGLASSES: KAREN WALKER (RENTED FROM DITTO - USE CODE 'ELLEAPPAREL' TO GET YOUR FIRST RENTAL FREE!)
Kimono dresses are great when you aren't pregnant, but the work so well for maternity! I loved the floral dress I wore in this post that I patterned this dress after it and wore it to dinner for my 30th birthday.
The tutorial for it s pretty simple. It's a lot of straight lines, and it is fairly loose, so it's pretty forgiving if the pattern isn't cut just right. If you would love to make this dress but don't know how to sew, my friend Merrick and I just launched The Modern Girls Guide To Sewing, a brand new e course that teaches you everything you need to know about how to sew! Make sure to check out moderngirlsewing.com to get started! (check out the post below for more details!)
Shop my look here:
See the full tutorial below after the jump...
Materials:
3 yards of lightweight fabric (rayon works great)
Matching thread
*** If you would love to make this dress but don't know how to sew, my friend Merrick and I just launched The Modern Girls Guide To Sewing, a brand new e course that teaches you everything you need to know about how to sew! Make sure to check out moderngirlsewing.com to get started!
To cut out your pattern pieces, you can use the figure above as a guide. I added in my own dress measurements, and since the dress is loose, it fits a handful of different sizes.
Step 1: Take your 2 front dress pieces and place them rt. sides together, stitch up in the center with 1/4" seam allowance.
Step 2: Take your 2 back dress pieces and place them rt. sides together, stitch up in the center with 1/4" seam allowance. Step 3: Fold the front V of the dress down 1", press in place. I added a tiny stitch down the very center to hold down the V in the front. Step 4: Lay your front and back dress pieces rt sides together and stitch across the top shoulder seams with 1/4". Step 5: Open you dress up like the image above, and lay one of your sleeves on top rt sides together, matching the center sleeve piece with the center top sleeve seam of the dress, and pin down either side. Stitch up and around the shoulder sleeve with 1/4" s.a. Repeat with second sleeve. Step 6: Flip your dress inside-out and stitch from the bottom of the sleeve, up to the armpits, and down the side seams of the dress with 1/4" s.a.
Step 7: Fold your WAIST TIE piece in half width-wise and stitch up one of the short sides and all across the top. Flip rt side out, press, fold the remaining raw edge under 1/2" and stitch across to hold in place.
