Simple Dress for Cheap!

Hello! You've probably noticed that this is a craft blog. Or, it's going to be. To get started, I'm going to share a tutorial for a simple dress from my favourite blog, Talk2theTrees.

For reference, the original is here: http://talk2thetrees.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-make-easy-high-waisted-dress-for.html

All credit for this goes to Rachael Treetalker. (:

(Also my centered text is something I picked up from her. Ha. It looks cool.)

Like Rachael, I'm also cheap and love dresses. I'm also learning to sew, and this would be a great beginning project. It's a little hard to mess up. Plus, you only need about $6 to make it. And it's super cute, with the lovely Rachael modeling.

All you need is a ribbed tank top and 3 yards of fabric. 

Cut your tank top about in half. A little shorter or longer depending on the way you want it. 

Then wrap your fabric around your waist one and a half times, and cut it straight. I'm really glad she doesn't use patterns, because I don't know how to use them. IMPORTANT, keep your fabric folded. Or if it isn't folded, fold it. This way you'll have a bubble hem, and you won't have to actually hem it. Short cuts! 

Now fold it in half again, and sew down the raw edge. Now sew a simple running stitch around the top of the skirt, but only on one layer. If that makes sense? Then you're going to make a ruffle. You do this by holding the thread and scooting the fabric. If you know how to make a ruffle, great. Because it's really hard to explain. 

Turn your skirt inside out, unless you never turned it back the right way, so that the raw edges you sewed are on the outside. Now pin your tank top inside out inside of your skirt. Make sure it's pretty even and lays flat. Now you can sew around the edges.

And then it looks like this. Now to make the sash. Take some of the leftover fabric and cut it into a strip. Make sure it's big enough to fold in half longways. 

Then sew along the raw edge. Turn it right side out and finish the edges, and then you're done! This isn't sewed to the dress, so you just tie it around your waist.

And there you have it. A cute dress for only $6 and 30 minutes of your time. (:

Again, this is not me. This is a tutorial by Rachael Treetalker.