Wednesday, July 21, 2010

How To Make An Easy Dress (For Cheap!)

Two facts about me:

I'm cheap.

I love dresses. 

I wear dresses probably 6 days out of the week. It's not that I one day just decided to wear dresses to feel cute and girly. Far from it. I spend a lot of time sitting at home, knitting, crocheting, painting. I also spend a lot of time in the car traveling across the country. I absolutely hate the feel of jeans around my knees.. Ugh. The thought of it makes me grumpy. 

Back in November when I really started Talk2thetrees I kinda just wore pajama pants and sweat pants.  I hated it! So I decided.. I should wear dresses!

Dresses are so comfortable, I can sit around the house and feel comfortable and cute. That's the best.

The only problem.. they are expensive! Now.. to me, 19.99 is expensive. I told you. I'm cheap. So I started making my own dresses, and skirts, for under 6 dollars each!

Here is a tutorial on a High Waisted Dress:
For under 6 bucks!



First you will need a ribbed tank top. 
I got mine from Walmart for 2.50
You could also use a t-shirt
3 yards of matching fabric.

Clearance section is my favorite. I got three yards for 3.00 total!
 Cut the tank top almost in half. This is really your preference. Depending on your bust size, and how short you want your dress. The shorter the tank top, the shorter your dress will be.  
(I cut mine a little too short.. oops!)
For the bottom part of your dress take the fabric and wrap it around your waist about 1 and a half times, and cut in a straight line. The fabric will come to you already folded, don't unfold it. This way you have kind of a bubble hem. You don't need to hem up the bottom at all, and the inside will look like the outside.
I never measure, I never use patterns... Sorry if this seems silly!
Next you fold your fabric in half. Remember it's already folded, so you are folding it again, creating a skirt.  Sew up the short side. (There will be four layers of fabric that you are sewing.)

You have kind of a big blocky rectangle skirt. Next open it up and change your sewing machine's tension so it will create the biggest stitches possible. Instead of sewing a waist band in like a normal skirt, you are just sewing a straight line around the two layers of fabric joining them together.
(You are sewing the raw edges, not the bubble hem)
This is where I didn't get pictures.. awesome.
We are going to create a ruffle. Don't do a back stitch when you start sewing around the skirt or after.
To make the skirt ruffle you hold the thread and scoot the fabric down. 
Make sure the skirt ruffles are evenly distributed and pretty loose. 
Turn the skirt part inside out so that the raw edges (from when you turned it into that big blocky skirt) are facing out, and put the tank top inside as pictured. 
Next you will pin the tank top and the dress together.
Once it's pinned make sure that the tanktop part of the dress folds out to be inside out like the skirt part. 
Make sure that the tank top park lays flat and the skirt part is ruffled still.
Make sure your tension is set back to normal and sew the skirt and the tank top together just under the previous stitches.
Remove the pins and the dress part is done! Now for the sash.
Cut a strip out of the left over fabric, about double of how thick you want your sash to bed. Fold it in half long ways so that the printed side is facing in. And sew up the sides.
Turn it right side out and finish up the edges, and you are done!
The sash is not actually sewn  onto the dress, it's removable and is just tied in the back. You could always use a regular belt or another coordinating fabric for the belt! 
This dress came out a little shorter than I normally like.
This would have been avoided by leaving the tank top a little longer.
This dress took about 30 minutes to make.
It cost about 6.00 total.

I now have three of these dresses.
They look good with a cardigan, and a pair of tights or leggings.
Yeah, Yeah I know I'm looking to the side an awful lot..
Probably making sure my pup isn't on the table ;)


Much better than buying one here.
Not that I don't like Delia's.. I just don't like paying a lot of money for something so simple to make!


I hope this tutorial made sense.. I've never done one before and honestly have not been feeling myself since the incident at the restaurant. I hope you understand. ;)

I hope you can save money and make something cute and comfortable!

** Update! Wohoo! I just added another tutorial! Check it out here!

353 comments:

  1. I love this!
    Thanks.
    I'm finally buying a sewing machine soon.
    And I should probably wear a dress for once in my life.

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  2. i love the black one. its so cute.

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  3. This is so cute, thanks for posting it! This is exactly at my skill level, I'm not quite up to using patterns yet. They intimidate me. :P
    I love delia's, but their dresses are so ridiculously expensive for something I could probably make myself.
    You should try this kind next... http://shopimages-pe.delias.com/157691_crb_w.jpg

    Hope your head feels better!

    <3

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  4. This is AWESOME! I'm a cheapo too, so this post was great. I love how you have so many differnt options too with the fabrics and colors. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. omg i love it!!

    I wish i knew how to sew! Rachael, you are too creative.

    You should totally sell these in your shop! People like me don't know how to sew and are willing to pay at $20 for a dress!

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  6. Love! I have some seersucker fabric that I need to put to use - I am going to have to try this! Thanks!

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  7. oh my gosh i love how simple you made this i can't believe you get those done so fast! i always measure and use patterns so this will be fun to try. when i get my sewing machine and some time i will. thanks for the tutorial :)

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  8. This is so cute! i have never thought to make my own dresses and i am so woefully short on skirts and dresses. I have been wanting to start wearing skirts and dresses more often, because you don't really have to pair them with much, they are just so simple. but of course i'm exactly like you and 20 bucks is way out of the price range for a dress. i'm going to try this! thanks for the tutorial

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  9. Super cute! And easy! Great post :)

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  10. I agree with LoveErica! I wish I wasn't a complete loser at sewing, these instructions are toally cute and easy and I love them!

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  11. Stunning! And you could even do ruffles on the tank top or other establishments. Make it as crazy as you like. I will surely try your tutorial soon!

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  12. i think i might try this with a t-shirt instead of a tank top. if i do, i'll let you know how it works out.

    also, can you help me fix my one problem with skirts/dresses? i can't ever keep my legs from being too hairy!

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  13. This is such a great tutorial! Thanks for putting it together, I love the style and fit, I think I may try it, I'll have some hunting for fabric to do first though! I'll definitely link back on my blog if I post it :)
    I'm worried about you! It sounds like you had a concussion, have you thought about getting it checked out? I hope you start to feel better soon!

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  14. I just made this dress but with a quarter sleeve top and the skirt part starting just below my hips. This is the first sewing project iv ever done, your instructions were so easy to follow it gave me the courage to try. It took me six hours but it turned out great. I didn't understand how you attached the sash but I looks good without it anyway.

    Thank you so much now I can fell proud wearing something I made myself.

    I will post a video of the finished project on my youtube channel tommorow if you want to see it.

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  15. I would love to see the tee shirt idea. It sounds great!

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  16. Wow, the dresses look amazing! You're very clever and skilled!

    I do hope you're feeling better.

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  17. wow you are so clever! i love em all :)

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  18. Oh wow I love the second dress!! its gorgeous!! this is a genius idea!

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  19. OH MY GOD. i know what i'm doing all weekend! thank you tremendously! i feel the exact same way about dresses vs. jeans. i've been wearing some variation of a dress or skirt for the past couple of weeks (now that its actually feeling like summer here in los angeles!) and i've been thinking that i need to craft up one of my own. this is perfect- totally my style and way of doing things, i've never been one for following the "rules" when it comes to crafting. anyway. i love you for this :)

    p.s. are you just tying the sash on the back side?

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  20. thats really cute, i like sewing so i might try this out :D

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  21. I just found your blog yesterday and oh my goodness! I cannot tell you how happy I am to have found you! You inspire me so much! You are something I can really aspire to :)
    Thanks so much!
    Amycat xx

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  22. I love dresses and skirts! I have to wear "business casual" at work and I have one pair of tan pants and one pair of stripped but I hate having to wash them so often so I always wear dresses. I'll be making this one for sure!

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  23. WOW!
    Great idea and great tutorial...
    I'm a very BASIC sewing person myself, but I can totally see myself making this.
    Thanks!!
    Carmen.

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  24. this is totally cute! I'm an hourglass though so I think I'd need to use elastic thread to sew the two together... need to go buy some asap! How do you attach the belt? Did you just tie it in the back?

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  25. The sash is just tied around the waist, it isn't sewn on. That way the dress can be washed if needed without having to wash the sash!

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  26. Sweet! I can imagine endless color-combinations and ways to do this, great tutorial! ^.^ I also just want to say I love your haircut!
    /enmi

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  27. Oh my gosh i cant wait to do this!! so looking forward to summer now!! thank you !!!

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  28. I made some dresses using your tutorial, thank so much for posting!
    Here they are http://jenniferbirge.blogspot.com/2010/07/making-dresses.html

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  29. This is so cute! I've been looking for a pattern for a dress like this for awhile, but they all seem so difficult! Can't wait to try it. :]

    You are way too cute.

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  30. I love this! Where did you get your fabric? Everything I find is so expensive.

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  31. This is amazing! I love the black dress, and wish I could sew so I could save $$ too! :)

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  32. hi! I just wanted you to know that I featured a link to your tutorial from my blog today! What an awesome and easy idea! If only I could sew!!

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  33. This is adorable and SOO easy - my favorite combo! Loving your blog. Must meander now. Have a great week.

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  34. great tutorial and wonderful smiling girl on the photos

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  35. So I've already tried this twice in 2 weeks, and I now have 2 fab new summer dresses! The first is a navey top with a skirt thats red with little anchors on it. I made a little fabric flower with the leftover scraps, and I pin it to the strap. The second is a black tank with a b&w floral print bottom, and I used some of the scraps to put little bands around the straps to add a little visual interest. I also tried an alternative to the scrunch n bunch method on the waist, I stretched out elastic while sewing it on, and then when released, it gathered all the material right up! Thanks for posting this! Its so much fun! I have a few more ideas lined up to try too!

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  36. Thank you so much for this tut! I so know what my besties are getting for Christmas! I'm going to modify it a little with a long sleeved shirt. WOnderful idea! I'll post pics when I get them done. <3

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  37. I saw your dress today on craftgawker (it was the #1 craft in case you hadn't seen!), so I went out, found fabric and a shirt and made one this afternoon while my preschooler took a nap. LOVE this idea and LOVE my new dress! Pics in the post here: http://southerndisposition.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-new-dress.html

    Thank you so much for such a fantastic idea!

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  38. i can't scooch the fabric! i've been working on this all day, but every time i try to scooch the fabric on the skirt, the thread breaks :( i can't get past that part!! i've tried it 3 times...are you using super strong thread or something??

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  39. Anonymous- I use regular thread, the thread tension needs to be really loose, like the loosest setting. so that the stitches are really big. Try that, if you have anymore questions email me at talk2thetrees@gmail.com . I would be more than happy to help!

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  40. Hi,
    I tried your tutorial, and linked this post in my blog:-)
    Thanks for the idea:-D
    http://orlosubito.blogspot.com/2010/09/vestido-facil.html
    Sandra

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  41. That's beautiful and hope u're feeling better now.

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  42. i did this as my very first sewing machine project. its the first thing i've ever made that i would actually wear.

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  43. I made several of these (as tunics) for my daughter this summer (she is 7) never thought of making one for myself as a dress. might have to try one out. Very Cute!

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  44. After reading this at work yesterday I went out and got some beautiful fabric (in the sale!) and from an old top at home made one of these dresses... it took 2 hours and I broke my sewing machine needle but I am wearing the dress today! It was my first ever attempt to make clothing and only the second thing I have made on my sewing machine (the first was bunting). Thank you for sharing your idea and inspiring me to have a go at making my own clothes. x

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  45. Cool blog! I loved this! :P If I had a sewing machine I would do it

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  46. Just finished my second dress! I only used one yard of fabric for each that I made though, because thats all I had - still worked okay but I think I will use 3 next time like you said. Thanks for the tutorial, it got me thinking of so many great things to try :)

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  47. LOOK AT THE CAMERA. jesus christ.

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  48. You're one fine creature. And nice dresses, they compliment you very nicely.

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  49. LOVE the dresses! I am going to make some for myself and my daughter! Adorable!

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  50. I love the dresses you made! It's so simple and cute! I can't wait to start making some for spring and summer! New follower!

    http://herworthisfarabovejewels.blogspot.com/

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  51. Well you are just going to make me fall in love with dresses! Very sweet dress. Great tute. Thanks for sharing.

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  52. I friggin love this! Amazing! thanks for sharing

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  53. I just finished making my own. I had an old bed sheet lying around so I used that for the skirt. It's so cute and was really easy to make (once I figured out how to get my sewing machine to work...stupid bobbin) Thanks for the post!

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  54. Like many of your other readers I have never made an item of clothing before but your tutorial was great and you can see the results here http://always-have-a-plan-b.blogspot.com/2011/02/dress-up.html

    Thank you!

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  55. ohhh i am in LOVE with this tutorial! what kind of fabrics would you suggest for the skirt? do you put a zipper on?

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  56. wow this is such a simple yet amazing idea. i hate the feeling of spending hard erned cash on things i feel that are cheap or that i can make at hime with a little time. very inspiring! i especially love the black and white plaid dress. very neat!! thanks a ton :D
    ~C.K.

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  57. If you sew a small seam when you sew the sides of your skirt together, turn it to the other side, fold right on the seam you sewed, and sew again, just outside of where the fabric from the first sewing ends (it is in the fold), then you will have no edges that can fray. This is called a French seam.
    The left over bottom of your tank top could be sewn together, cut edge to hem, and it will make a stretchy belt you can pull on over your skirt. Or, you could cut it down first and make a headband for your hair.

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  58. comment before me: oh so nice :]

    I hope I can get my hands on a sewing machine 'cause I would LOVE to start making my own, thanks for your tutorial!

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  59. Thank you ^^

    I found this on Stumble during a bout of insomnia and instantly decided to try with some old fabric and a shirt I never use, it took me 2 hours from start to finish. I love dresses, and cheap stuff, but I'm to impatient for measuring and patterns and stuff needed for making my own.
    So thanks for posting this.

    Also, I have one suggestion for the skirt.
    Instead of folding the it in half, with the closed end as the bottom and then again in half and sewing the sides together, I skipped the first fold and sewed the sides together and then folded it in half over the back-end of the seam so it's hidden inside the double fabric. Doesn't take any longer and it makes the hem prettier.

    English is my second language so I'm having some trouble explaining, hope you get it.

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  60. Im going to make this for my girlfriend, im going to make the middle line red and the skirt white and the top black, ill get her matching red necklace. How wouold that look?

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  61. Thanks for sharing--I'm definitely going to make a few of these once the weather starts to warm up.

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  62. So cute, and what a price. Love it!

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  63. I just saw this on burdastyle. What a wonderful and simple idea!

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  64. Thank you very much for so good tutorial. Soon I will be sawing some for myself and my dauther. Thank you.

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  65. Could someone post a video tutorial of them making this dress? It's so beautiful and I want to try, but I'm definitely a video kind of gal XD

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  66. Thanks for the awesome tutorial! I made one of these last week, and this post made it so easy.

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  67. I'm kind of confused when you said to sew the short end? I folded it in half and now I have two folded ends and two not. A long and short of each. It makes since in my head to sew on the long not folded. And I'm also kind of confused on the step after...

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  68. Hi lovely, I love your blog! I love your dresses! It is so fun to meet another creative blogger. I also only wear dresses, I sew or rework all of them, I never use patterns and I love it :) Oh, and I do it by hand, but I am thinking I might get the old sewing macine out now :D

    xx Anika
    http://byanika.com
    @AnikaByAnika

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  69. I just made a dress on a Saturday morning, getting ready for Spring Break :)
    Thanks so much for this easy tutorial!

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  70. Thank you For taking the time to Do this. I love dresses also and like you i think 19.99 is expensive. Plus i have 3 girls and now i can make us all some dresses!

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  71. Thanks for the tutorial :D I couldn't help but notice the scars on your wrist in the last pic...

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  72. Thanks! My friend and I just finished making ourselves dresses. They came out a bit large, and tying the fabric belt in the back doesn't look as attractive as we might like, but overall it was a good experience and we came out of it with two cute summer dresses =)

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  73. Wow! I was just deciding what crafty thing to do today, and now I know! I already have all the materials. Thank you so much for posting this, you're cute AND you share!

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  74. my mother and I are trying to make this but we are having trouble. we dont sew much. I was wondering if you all coud help me! Here is what happend with the first one, I dont think we bunched it enough but I dont think that was too much of a problem but when I put it on it was too tight and I felt stitches break I am about the same size as Rachael, the breaking didnt matter so much because my mom put the shirt in wrong and sewed it on so that when it was done the shirt was on inside out. Any help at all on how to do the waist and sewing on the shirt so its not too tight woud be helpful. We were thinking of elastic thread but I didnt see that anywhere so I am not sure if that is what everyone else uses normally or not. Thank a lot!

    /nik

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  75. Now my sister and I know what we're gonna do over spring break! :) These are so cute!

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  76. This is such a great tutorial! I live in India and it's impossible to find dresses like these in stores here. I'm going to get my hands on some fabric and take a shot at making a dress in the next couple of weeks. So excited!

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  77. Thanks you sooo much! I just recently decided to take up sewing, even though I have no idea what I'm doing. This project is so easy, that even I can do it. I've even been able to make a dress a day, and fit it into my son's nap time without a problem.

    Also, I've been able to make the dress while purchasing only 2 yards of fabric. It seems to be just the exact right length to wrap around me 1 1/2 times & still have enough fabric left over to make the sheath.

    Also, you must be pretty tall. The dresses always come just past my knees (I'm 5'5"), but I actually kind of like it that way. It works out perfect for squatting on the floor to play with my little rugrat. I can still stay active with him, without having to worry about flashing the whole world.

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  78. I just made one of these dresses and it turned out great! I love it!

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  79. This looks fantastic, I'm going to try this ASAP! Thanks so much!

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  80. Thanks for sharing your wonderful idea!! I absolutely love!! >P.S. you look stunning in your photo! :)

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  81. I included your dress tute on my roundup of fun DIY dresses--here's the link if you're interested:

    http://twogirlsbeingcrafty.blogspot.com/2011/04/linky-love-diy-dresses-edition.html

    Thanks for the inspiration!

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  82. Just a tid bit of vocabulary, you wouldn't change the "tension", just the stitch length :) Loved the project!

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  83. You are absolutely gorgeous (: You really are extremely cute, and I love the way you make your dresses. I'm working on making my own things too for college. Thanks for the tutorial. (:
    -Megan Elaine.

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  84. I love this dress! I just tried making my first one and I have a question: Did the seam between the tank and the skirt part end up stretchy enough for you to pull on over your shoulders or hips? Mine doesn't seem to like stretching, and I'm curious as to how you (or anyone) got theirs to pull on.

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  85. I just tried making a dress based on the instructions, it was difficult. This is a great idea but I believe you need to add a little bit more detail with explaining.

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  86. You did a GREAT job showing how to make this dress. I'm in my 50,s and love to sew. You are helping to keep this art alive...good for you!!
    My College daughter sent me the link, so I guess I know what I will be doing this summer! Teacher HER to sew!

    G Bixler, Atlanta

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  87. god fucking dammit you are cute!

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  88. I just made this with some alterations. It was fun and easy. It's here if you wanna check it out: http://someoneswaterlily.blogspot.com/2011/05/onion-to-water-lily-paper-bag-waist.html

    Thanks for the tutorial!

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  89. What a great idea!! Thanks! AND you can use short sleeve and long sleeved tees too.

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  90. This is adorable! But i tried making it and am not sure how to make the waist so that I can pull it over my shoulders. It seems to just break the thread where I scrunched. How is anyone getting into this with it still being fitted at the waist? any suggestions?

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  91. Thanks for the tutorial. You should make a video! That would be very popular. I am a beginner, so this project took a few hours... LOL But I think it turned out pretty well. I can't wait to get better at it!

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  92. This is a really cute dress and has so many possibilities! I can't wait to make my own :)

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  93. WOW!! So fun! Thanks! Wonder if you can make a maternity version... hmmm?? I'll give it a go when this baby is born if not!

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  94. Thanks for sharing this. I love this idea and plan to try this idea out for both my daughter and I. I love the idea of the tank top. It will be great for summer wear.

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  95. LOVE IT!!! Going to the store TONIGHT!

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  96. Or you could have made a skirt and paired it with any one of those tank tops you killed. that way you could have still used the top for a different outfit.

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  97. These dresses are so fun to make. I made one ofr my daughter and one for myself today!
    Thanks for the brill idea...

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  98. You should totally sell these, could make a name for yourself, and I love the range of patterns you have, something for everyone xx

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  99. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS. Thank you. Thank you. You just made my life 10 times better.

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  100. just finished with the dress and it was a little tricky but i got it in the end! Thank you so much for the amazing and fun i dea it was my first attempt at sewing.

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  101. Wonderful tutorial. Thnk you very much!
    I would like to share this with all of my other sewing savy friends, wish I knew your name to give you credit.

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  102. if only i knew how to change the tension on my sewing machine. im 100% self taught so i guess i should get on to teaching myself that so that i can make this adorable dresses, i dont know exactly how they will look on me because im very hourglass shaped but even if they didnt look cute on me selling them at a cheap price girls would love that! im extremely cheap as well... i only buy dresses if that are 15 and under which is rare to find. forever 21 has good cheap dresses but they are still way more expensive than 6 dollars for a dress.

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  103. omg these are so cute i definitely have to make me some...

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  104. this is a aesome way of making cheap Dresses !! i totally loved it ..!!

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  105. Question: What Kind of fabric you would recomend to me? I mean for the bottom of the dress..
    This is just a beautiful dress and I really want to do it! ♥

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  106. I just used some cheap cotton material!

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  107. My sisters and I each made one this morning! Thanks!

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  108. hi, thanks alot for sharing. I made one dress with some alterations, and I'll be making more!
    http://kapteinbiff.blogspot.com/2011/06/jeg-har-sydd-en-kjole.html

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  109. I swing dance, and I'm always at a loss for what to wear... But these are so perfect! With some cute flats and even leggings if it's colder, this is the perfect must for my wardrobe. I'm abroad at the moment but when I get home in July, I'm stealing my grandma's sewing machine!

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  110. Wow! I'm totally inlove with the black dress. And secondly the green dress. I'm really amazed on how you transformed the sleeveless thing into a gorgeous dress.

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  111. Made one of your dresses yesterday, it looks great =D I would suggest only having one piece of cloth though, because the cloth I used was kind of heavy. Otherwise you can just get a really light piece that's a dark colour, so nothing shows through. I also had a bit of trouble with the scooching part, but I got it by pulling one of the threads only. Thanks for the tutorial! I'll definitely be making another one ^^

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  112. Gorgeous! And such a clever idea!
    p.s. I love your hair!
    Tikkitiboo + Ahka Vintage

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  113. I just finished my dress, and it was easy and so cute. Thanks for the 'pattern', this was my first attempt at dress making and it turned out great.

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  114. I don't sew well and was despairing because I couldn't find any good sundresses for my young teen daughter. We love this design! We've used regular fitted t-shirts and it still looks great. It's so easy that I've started making dresses for her friends! The gathering was difficult at first (my thread kept breaking), but now I use a very wide zig zag stitch and run a thin cotton string (not just thread) down the middle of the zigzag stitch. When I pull the string to gather the fabric, the string never breaks and the gathers stay in place. I've also varied it by using wide grosgrain ribbon instead of the fabric sash. To make it whimsically childish for younger children, I've added grosgrain ribbon, rick rack, sequins and swiss eyelet trim. Love your design!!! It's all the fun of creation, with none of the hassle.

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  115. Im not one to wear dresses but those are cute. and you are also one of the prettiest girls ive ever seen. Not to sound like a creeper. hope you have a good day. =}

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  116. Great tutorial and the dress looks cute and not to difficult! I've featured it on my blog at http://www.craftbuds.com/free-pattern-features-summer-dresses-winner/.

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  117. Mamta.... :)

    Its great idea to combines two use less clothes i really like that one where you use belt and cover the stitched area with the belt and thank for your help.:)

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  118. I love this so so much! It seems easy enough for someone (like me) who never sews. I was wondering if you could clarify for me exactly how you did the ruffles for the skirt? Did you sew them by hand?

    Also, did you just tie the sash in the back or sew it into a loop and slip it over? Thanks so much for your help, I really want to try this!

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  119. Hey Alyssa! The ruffled skirt is really easy to do, just not very easy to explain. Basically you sew a loose thread through the top part of the skirt. (Where it will be sewn to the tank top) Then you gather the skirt along the thread.. by pulling the thread and pushing the skirt. I don't know if that helps or not.. I'm terrible at explaining!
    The sash is just tied around the waste, that way you can switch it with a belt, or another color of sash. Let me know if this helps! Thanks!! xoxo

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  120. I love this!! Just moved to NC from GA and left my sewing machine at my in-laws house! Now I want to get it back to make some dresses! Thanks! :)

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  121. I saw this tutorial a few days ago and was dying to try it out! I finally made my dress today and I love it. The instructions were really easy to follow too. Great job!

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  122. can u make urself a video.. please please.. please

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  123. What a great tutorial! I'm going to make some of these for my little daughter right away - she loves dresses and skirts and has amazing design taste and I can use orgo material (she has tons of allergies and is a very special special needs kiddo). She will be thrilled to have fluffy skirt dresses - and the top can be high waisted or low waisted!! Sure will be A LOT less expensive than Hanna Anderson!!!
    Thank you so much for sharing this, thank you thank you thank you!!!

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  124. thanx so much 4 d tutorial. i spend a lot on dresses n i hav a sewin machine. this annoys me. i'm so grateful.:)

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  125. Very cute!! I will try this for sure!!

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  126. This was my first dress! I just inherited my grandmother's old sewing machine. Thanks!

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  127. I love this!! Thank you so much! Will try this soon! :)

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  128. i found it on www.viigoo.com

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  129. This is brilliant!! and my kind of sewing :)

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  130. Thanks for the great idea!!
    This is mine http://nina.dreep.de/?p=1466 :)

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  131. This be my first clothes! I in a minute hereditary my grandmother's elderly tapestry engine. appreciation!

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  132. I absolutely LOVE this....I need to make one! Thanks so much for sharing this tutorial.

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  133. I didnt acctually get how to do this, i was following till the sewing part... Can u plz do a video?:)

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  134. I am excited to try this. I have a hard time finding a dress I like, either it doesn't look right or the color is off. This way I can make it to look good on me!I plan on making one for my niece too!

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  135. I love the black tank top & plaid skirt one!
    I'm so making this ;) ...once I find fabric! Thanks for the awesome tutorial!

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  136. Please post another dress tutorial, I LOVE this one, thanks!

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  137. Your smile is Beautiful I hope a girl like you tames me sameday

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  138. This is a great tutorial, thanks for sharing.
    I am making my daughter one very soon :)
    Following you:)

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  139. This is an adorable idea, thank you for sharing. And thank you for being a cool, modern girl defending wearing a dress 6 out of 7 days a week. I do too, for the same reason: They're so comfortable!

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  140. oh this is a lot of help I’m a high school student and I’m in a fashion class and this really helps out a lot i hope you keep posting more stuff. keep on keeping on.

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  141. thank you !
    i have to try this... i love high waisted dresses : )

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  142. This is so awesome! I have been having a hard to lately to shop dresses lately.

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  143. Thank You so much!
    I made an Alice In Wonderland themed one :)
    Love you and thanks again!

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  144. This is great! I will try this as soon as I can. As soon as I find fabric.

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  145. cute dress. I like to make one for myself!! confidence. love it!! http://blogbarbie05.blogspot.com/

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  146. Thanks! It was a miracle to find your tutorial. I'm a college student on a very big budget, and dresses are not something I can buy often. This tutorial was perfect. I spent my Christmas break making a bunch of these dresses. This dress is cheap, easy, and cute!

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  147. I think that's really cool, i've always thought about making my own clothes but never really gave it a shot, but now i think i most definitly will

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  148. i also like cheap fashion drss
    i found www.viigoo.com is a good place to buy cheap and high quality products online.

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  149. Hi
    Your blog is so cute! I love what you have done! I have been trying to figure out how to make a dress from a top and a piece of fabric. It's the ruffle part that I am missing. I can't wait to try again! Thank you!
    Lydia
    my blog is:
    www.plumlinevintageblog@blogspot.com

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  150. i love this style..
    i will make this as my
    project..love it!!!!!

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  151. great tutorial and ty so much for sharing you have made this one of the easiest dresses i have ever done i was in a rut on my sewing but i read this and got up found the stuff and bam 1 new beautiful dress for my daughter she is gonna be so happy thanks again u rock

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  152. now, this is what i mean of being initiative and innovative when it comes to clothes. very nice. with enough experience maybe you can put up your own online clothing stores.

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  153. love it! can i post a link on my blog? i myself love to do diy and im super cheap! love your dress super cute! my blog... http://pennypinchingsisters.blogspot.com/

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  154. Ok, this may be a silly question. But, I am VERY new to this, like just purchased fabric for the first time new! I pre-washed my fabric because I've been reading a lot that you should do that. So, how do I fold it initially to begin when wrapping it around my waste, when it is already supposed to be folded?

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  155. I just made one and it's adorable! It took me longer than expected because this was the first thing I've ever sewn. Definitely going to make more soon :)
    my blog: pot-ter-head.tumblr.com

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  156. This dress is awesome and so easy to make. Ive made three in the past 2 days.

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  157. I purchased a dress like this at Target a couple of years ago. I've been wanting a pattern ever since! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! The most comfortable and cutest dress I've had! I live on an island, so this is PERFECT!!!

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  158. I too purchased a dress like this at Target a couple years ago and love it! I am going to make this for my niece's. I sent the link to all of them and they all replied "I love it, I would love you to make me one" I think I found my next project!

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  159. awesome idea-can't wait to try this-I love sun dresses and can't find good ones in the stores (affordable ) thanks,Dee

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  160. Fantastic......very creative!

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  161. This is the style of dresses I like, and your steps are so simple. I'm gonna try it.Thanks for sharing!

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  162. Wow! I was impressed with your post. It was well detailed and amazing. Great outfits as well. Thank you and keep sharing.


    Michelle

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  163. Could you make a vest by any chance i am a new comer in sewing and i would like to start making clothes and a vest would be great

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  164. Oh my.
    THANK YOU!!!!!

    - s

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  165. what can i make my husband wear with tank silver dress with draped neck combination for a wedding part. can you help me out?

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  166. soooo cute :D i'm learning to sew...and this dress looks soo simple.... i'd love to try to make it...just one question about the skirt part...just i can't understand the part when you fold it again..in whitch direction..what are you sewing? ehehe maybe it's just me being dumb..but i have difficulties following :D
    can you help by clarifing that a bit more?

    tnx
    Marianna

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  167. Sooo cute and looks easy! Finally directions that I can understand!! New to sewing and all that sewing lingo confuses me lol!

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  168. Great idea. Will make it with things I recently thrifted.

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  169. The white dress is probably my favorite(: I can't wait to make my first dress!

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  170. hi i like to design cloting and always wanted to make one of my designs put sewing makes me fustrated but this looks supper easy i think i might make this i love dresses so much better then pants glad i found this sight

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  171. Hi. Just made this dress! Like you said, it took about a half an hour. Super easy! Thanks for posting.

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  172. Thank you, I've recently been looking for info approximately this topic for ages and yours is the best I've came upon so far. However, what concerning the conclusion? Are you sure concerning the source?
    Sorel Men's Conquest Boot

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  173. This is such a creative idea=) Keep up with the good, random work.

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  174. i love making stuff so im gonna try this out right now. i hope to be a fashion designer when i grow up and you have inspired me and shown me that making cloths isnt as hard as i thought it was. you have inspired an 11 year old. thank you so much!

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  175. I've had this in my Stumble Upon favourites for ages and have finally bought myself a sewing machine, mainly due to this post being in the back of my mind for nearly a year! I can't wait to try this once I figure the sewing thing out better! It's amazing. Good job! x

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  176. I found your blog while looking for a how-to for turning jeans into a dress. I love this idea! I'll have to try it. (^_^)

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  177. i am so gonna tell mom to buy me a sewing machine,but for now i am gonna heve to stick it the old fashon way.

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  178. i would love to make one of these dresses.

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  179. hi..nice blog and your information is very useful. i really like it.. you can find latest dresses at paris designer sarees from G3 fashions surat.

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  180. i LOVE this dress! im going to this art contest thing and i had no idea what to wear, until now! THANK YOU!

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  181. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  182. AWESOME tutorial and i LOVE your hair!!!

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  183. im entering some of my art into an art contest and i had NO idea what to wear until i saw this!! i thought "hey! whats better to wear to an art contest than something i made??" THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!

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  184. Oooh, I LOVE this idea! Definitely doing this over vacation! Thanks for sharing this!!!

    Check out my blog at

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  185. Love this tutorial!! Thank you! I love to wear dresses but I am super pick and cheap. I know what I will be doing over spring break!

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  186. "I never measure and I never use patterns." Girl after my own heart! I despise patterns and usually just use them for ideas. lol. This is really cute I think I shall try it soon :)

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  187. Hey!
    I love this so much!
    I'm 13 and I love sewing and I love knitting and arts and crafts and all that. For my birthday yesterday I got a sewing machine finally, and instantly I thought I should sew a dress. Thanks so much for the instructions! :)

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  188. that looks totally simple and easy, i cant wait to try it tomorrow

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