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Debbie Shore's Dressmaking Studio: Spring Shirring Dress
Moderate |
Quick Links: What you'll need Project steps
Step into Spring and stitch this shirred dress! This is a patternless and made-to-measure dressmaking project; download the instructions and sew along with me.
This shirred, ribbon-strapped dress is perfect for the Spring and Summer! I went with an Easter motif for mine but feel free to theme yours however you'd like. Depending on how you've themed your dress, it would also look super-cute in the winter when paired with some thick coloured tights, chunky boots and layered on top of a turtleneck jumper! So, really, it can be styled differently and adapted year-round.
This dress is made-to-measure, meaning it is suitable for children as well as adults. I made my dress for a two-year-old but you can certainly alter the measurements to fit all ages and sizes. Do you have any grandchildren, cousins or other relatives who may love to wear this on a special occasion? If so, read ahead and the instructions are ready above for instant download.
To decide how much fabric you require, measure your desired length for the dress (starting from underneath the armpit, then add 2in (5cm). Then measure around the chest area or child's chest and multiply this number by two for the width. You now have the size of the fabric you’ll need. Mine measures 44 × 21in (112 × 53cm) and is for a two-year-old.
I chose to adorn my dress with an appliqué bunny and two bright yellow buttons. The shirred bandeau top/bodice creates this sweet, textured look that I just love and proves to be perennially stylish. To make this dress, I would recommend going over some of the following techniques:
This project is from my book Debbie Shore's Sewing Room Secrets: Machine Sewing, where you can find further guidance on machine sewing.
For more dressmaking inspo, why not check out my Pinterest?
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You will need:
Equipment
- Sewing machine
- Needle and thread
- Pins
- Optional: fabric glue
Materials
- Shirring elastic
- Four decorative buttons
- Four lengths of ribbon, each measuring 14in (35.5cm) in length and 1in (2.5cm) in width
- One 6in (15cm) square of plain fabric for the appliqué
- One main fabric of your choice to use for the dress
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Project steps:
Step 1
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Step 2
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