SPRING/SUMMER NAUTICAL STRIPED DRESS

Hello friends here is a tutorial for one of my favourite dresses. It is a very easy dress to make and could be made with any Jersey knit fabric, get creative and try fun colour combinations. You can wear it with leggings and a cardigan in colder climates. Good Luck!

1. One meter or more depending on your dress size of a striped jersey fabric.
2. Half a meter of a co-ordinating jersey fabric(Optional).
3. Scissors
4. Coordinating thread
5. Sewing Machine
6. Tape measure
7. Tailor's chalk

Cut out 2 rectangles or squares with these dimensions

1. Length from shoulder to shoulder.(if your hips are wider than your shoulder, use your hip measurement divided by 2.
2. The length of the dress (see image).

Next, fold the fabric in two along the width and measure out these dimensions.

1. Measure from your Shoulder to Bust (widest part of your bust).
2. Measure from shoulder to waist.
3. Measure from Shoulder to the widest part of your hips.

1. Measure from your Shoulder to Bust (widest part of your bust).
2. Measure from shoulder to waist.
3. Measure from Shoulder to the widest part of your hips.

Join the marked lines as shown in the image.

Then cut the fabric adding a 1-inch seam allowance.

1. Measure 1 inch down from the top corner of the folded side.
2. Measure about 5 inches across on the folded side.
3. Join the 2 lines with a curve. (See image)

I used a serger/overlocker to sew this dress but you don’t need a serger/overlocker to sew Jersey knit fabrics. A normal 2.5 zigzag stitch will do just fine as it will allow the fabric to stretch or stretch stitch if your machine can do stretch stitches. To find out if your machine can do stretch stitches look for the S.S on the stitch length dial.

1. Sew along the red marked lines. (see image)
2. Then mark how low you want your neckline to be, like I have done in the picture above.

Most people say horizontal stripes make you look bigger, I believe that with the right tricks it can do the opposite. This next step is about adding the contrasting waistband to trick the eyes and make you look slimmer depending on your body type. This really works!!

Try on the dress again.

If you are apple shaped- Mark a line just below your Bust (thinnest part of your waist) and make the dress shorter to show off your legs

If you are pear shaped- Mark a line just below your natural waist

If you are an hourglass- Mark a line on your natural waist

If you are a rectangle- Mark a line around your belly button.

if you are an inverted triangle- Mark a like just above your belly button

Now take the dress off and cut across that line (see image).

Next, measure a strip of fabric from your coordinating fabric

The length should be your waist size

the width should be 10 inches

*****Note- Make sure the length of the strip is cut so that it stretches horizontally. i.e cut the length along the grain. Do not add any seam allowance as the fabric will stretch horizontally.

Now fold the fabric in 2 along the width so that is doubled and provides support around the waist.

1. Turn the dress on the wrong side, place the strip on a table place the top half on the strip so that the right sides are together.
2. Pin in place with a 1-inch seam allowance
3. Do the same for the bottom half.
4. Sew horizontally along the red lines.
5. Now sew up both ends of the strip along the red line with a seam allowance of 1/2 an inch.

The arms

Do a simple hem by folding 2cm around the arm and sewing down with a straight stitch length of 2.5.

Do the same on the bottom of the dress.

The neck trim

1. Cut a strip of fabric this time across the grain 20inches long and 4inches wide.
2. Fold the strip along the width and press with an iron.
3. Place the strip on the neckline and pin around.
4. Trim of the excess fabric and join the two ends together.
5. Sew around with 1cm seam allowance.
6. Join the ends.
7. Steam press the seams down.
8. Then turn the strip over and steam press down as shown in the picture.

And voila!

How was it difficult, easy, hard to follow? Leave me a message and I will try to assist you.

Nemi x