Knock off sewing - Colorblock Maxi Dress

      I love long dresses and skirts. They are comfy, cute, and you don't have to shave your legs....what is there not to love? I knew I needed to include a maxi dress in my line up of knock off sewing. I found these two that I really liked...specifically because they almost look like a shirt worn over a long skirt. I liked the lower waist line since I'm boycotting anything remotely similar to maternity wear. (not sure why the picture is showing up so fuzzy, sorry about that!)

Modcloth $47.99

Revolve $195.00

   

     As you can see, one is sleeveless, the other has three quarter length sleeves. I chose to give mine a narrow flutter sleeve.

 

     Here is the sketch on how to make your own.

     Use a shirt that fits you well and hits at the hips to make the top portion of the dress. Fold your fabric in half and then half again. (I used cotton interlock knit with the stretch going width wise) Lay the shirt on the fold and cut around it adding seam allowances.

     Don't trace the sleeve, leave it sleeveless. This is what it should look like.

     Put the right sides together and sew the shoulder and sides together.

     Take the alternate colored fabric and cut a rectangle five inches longer than the bottom of your shirt. The width of the rectangle should be a third of the total length you want the skirt to be. So if I want my skirt to be 30 inches long, each section of the skirt should be 10 inches. ( You don't have to be all that exact, mine are all slightly different)

     Sew it to the bottom of the shirt, stretching out the shirt as you sew to match up with the longer piece. It will gather itself when you are done sewing and will look like this.

     Continue adding five inches to the length of each strip until you have reached the desired length of your dress. Hem the neckline and arms or finish off with the sleeve of your choice. To do flutter sleeves, I measured the arm hole. Mine was ten inches from shoulder to pit. I grabbed a mixing bowl that was ten inches across and drew a circle on my fabric.

     I then measured in about three inches and cut it out. ( I later trimmed it to about an inch and a half for a more narrow sleeve)

     I top stitched it to the arm hole, starting the end at the arm pit and ending on the other side.

     I think that bit of sleeve kept the dress from looking too severe. All in all it cost me about $15 and an hour and a half to make.

     Looking at it now, I wish I had made four stripes instead of three...oh well, that's why its a knock off and not the real deal!







"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."

Psalm 34:8