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30 Days of Sundresses: The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress)

June 14, 2013 By beatnikkids 7 Comments

 When I think sundress, I usually think of something I throw on as I go out the door.  Something simple and relaxed and above all else, comfortable.  BUT . . . there comes a time in every SAHM’s life when she realizes she’s got a summer wedding to attend or (gasp) a rare night out with the husband or girlfriends and the casual sundress just won’t do. What’s a girl to do?  Follow this strapless dress tutorial to copy your favorite dress pattern and create a pattern you can use again and again.
30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

It’s so much easier than you think to copy a ready  made dress to create a pattern.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

Mr. Wonderful and I don’t get out nearly as much as we should, but we do have a few weddings this summer so I thought Melissa’s 30 Days of Sundresses was the perfect time to pull out all the stops.  Which doesn’t mean giving up on the comfort factor. Using the right knit fabric ensured that this dress would be comfortable and still look classy enough for a night out on the town.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

I started by copying my favorite store bought, strapless dress.  The original was made with a stretch woven so I knew I could get away with a knit fabric and have just enough ease in through the hips.  To copy the pieces, I turned the dress inside out, place freezer paper over top and made a rubbing with crayon.  The dress I was copying had 3 different top panels and 4 different bottom panels several of which had a matching panel.  I made sure to mark each as I went along and whether that piece needed to be doubled.  I also drew out a small rectangle to use as a “vent” placket.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

Once the pieces were cut, I started sewing the bodice panels from the center out creating a long “rectangle”.  Each seam was pressed toward the back and top stitched.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

 

The process was then repeated for the skirt panels.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

With right sides together the bodice and skirt were pinned, from open seam to open seam and sewn together.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

Now it was time for the zipper.  I went with an exposed, metal toothed zipper for a little pizazz.  I laid my zipper out on the wrong side of my dress and marked where I wanted the zipper to end. Then, with wrong sides together, I sewed the skirt seam from the bottom to the mark where the zipper would end, back stitching at the beginning and ending of the seam.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

To insert the zipper, I pressed the raw edges of the bodice open (to the wrong side),

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

and pinned the zipper on one side.  I changed to my zipper foot and sewed the left side to the dress.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

This was then repeated for the second side, making sure to open the zipper half way.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

For the elastic, I pressed the top of the bodice down 1/2 inch, pinned and sewed around the bottom, raw edge, forming the casing.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

The elastic was then cut to my upper chest measurement, threaded through the casing

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

and stitched on each end.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

To insert the back “vent”, I opened the back seam from the raw edge.  I pressed each placket under 1/2 inch on one short side, pinned the placket to the vent, right sides together and sewed using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

The placket and seam were pressed toward the vent.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

The raw edge was then pressed under a 1/2 inch and the entire placket folded over the seam and top stitched in place. This was then repeated for the other side of the vent.  Lastly, I hemmed the bottom of the dress by pressing 1/4 inch and then a 1/2 inch and top stitching in place.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

 

I’m usually a 100 % cotton kinda girl, but I’m really liking how this double knit polyester-spandex blend hugs my curves and I can’t complain at all about a dressy dress that doesn’t feel constrictive.  I could be wrong but I don’t even feel like I need my Spanx.  Which, I’ll tell you, is pretty rare these days.

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

The black and cream is really fun to accessorize.  I can add little pops of yellow, turquoise, or coral that really stand out against the geometric pattern or go for a more sophisticated look and stick with black.
And there you have it, a fun or sophisticated strapless sundress perfect for a night on the town!

30 Days of Sundresses:  The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Pattern From Your Favorite Dress) women's dress tutorial sundress sewing pattern drafting dress pattern

By the way, this was my first self-photographed shoot away from my own house and let me tell you, it was an interesting experience.  I’m pretty sure I was the talk of the town that night! Haha, maybe I should have worn the Spanx.

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Filed Under: sewing, tutorial, women's sewing Tagged With: dress pattern, pattern drafting, sewing, sundress, tutorial, women's dress

Comments

  1. Melissa (Melly Sews) says

    June 14, 2013 at 1:08 pm

    Beautiful! Thanks for participating.

    Reply
  2. April Boyer says

    June 14, 2013 at 11:14 pm

    So pretty! I love the yellow belt with black and white. I just finished making myself a strapless dress and I'm planning to wear it out, with my husband, tomorrow night!

    Reply
  3. Zoe says

    June 16, 2013 at 2:49 am

    Pretty dress, I love it with the red earrings 🙂

    Reply
  4. blissfulsewing says

    June 18, 2013 at 3:11 am

    Wow…..!!!!!!!!!Thanks for sharing such a eautiful idea.
    http://www.blissfulsewing.blogspot.comb

    Reply
  5. Lisa says

    July 2, 2013 at 12:14 pm

    This is gorgeous on you! I love the pattern you picked for it!

    Reply
  6. Jill says

    July 25, 2013 at 7:34 pm

    Lovely dress! I love the pop of yellow with the black and white pattern.
    –Jill, from Jill Made It

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Flutter Sleeve Tutorial - Beatnik Kids says:
    June 7, 2016 at 7:01 am

    […] of Sundresses sewing series.  In year’s past, I’ve joined in the last three years with The Date Night Dress (aka; How to Create a Dress Pattern From Your Favorite Store Bought Dress), a DIY Watercolored […]

    Reply

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