Maxi Dress

I don't go shopping....like hardly at all. I actually love looking at cute clothes, and I love seeing what's in style. However, I really (really really really) don't like spending money, plus I'm kind of in a DIY kick this year. Hence the blog, right? So most things lately that I want (skirts, dresses, jewelry eventually) I feel like I would rather make exactly what I want (and learn the skill of making my own things!) than spend money at a store.

That's where this maxi dress came from. I love the idea of maxi dresses- but I've never found ones I liked in my price range. So I had an old t-shirt with a hole in it right at my belly button where my jeans always rubbed against it, and I decided to go for it!

I am practically always looking at blogs or articles on new sewing techniques or tutorials, so I can't remember where I got all my inspiration for this dress. But I did follow this tutorial from Elle Apparel (one of my very favorite sewing blogs), just without the yoga waistband. However, I have quite a bit of grey jersey material left, so I will probably make a yoga skirt like hers too!

(Maxi skirt from Elle Apparel- it looks so soft and comfortable)

I don't have any picture from my actual process, but it was so very, very simple. I measured my length and cut two pieces for the skirt, and then two pieces for the waistband. For the waistband, I just measured so it would be the same width around as the bottom of the shirt I cut to use at the top. 

(This is a close up of the waistband)

After that it was just sewing! Really, super easy. The cool things I learned in this project were how to use a ballpoint needle and a zigzag stitch for sewing with jersey. I know I read articles on this, so I'm sorry I can't find them! I actually mostly followed the directions for sewing stretch fabrics that came with my sewing machine instructions. The zigzag stitch just makes the fabric able to stretch without straining the thread. 

(Full dress. I promise it looks better when I'm wearing it)

Really, sorry there isn't more to say about this dress. If I had to do it again (which I definitely will since it was so easy and the dress is the most comfortable thing I own), I would add pockets (I recently found an easy tutorial on another favorite blog, Sweet Verbena. Yay!) and I would do something more to embellish the waistband. This is nice and simple and comfortable, but it definitely does look homemade to me. So we'll see! Overall I am so glad to learn to sew with jersey, and just to feel more comfortable with my sewing machine in general.