30 Days of Sundress ~ Effortless Trixie Dress

I am participating in 30 Days of Sundresses blog hop which Melly Sews is hosting right now.

Then get this... not only do you get to see all the fun dress tutorials, there are fun giveaways through out the event at her blog!

I was going through my stash to see what I could make and found some charcoal fabric with a light shimmer. It is rayon blend and very soft... an idea came to my mind right away! I sketched up a pattern and stated to sew. It all happened in an afternoon. Why I named the dress "Effortless Trixie Dress"? Because this dress is super simple to make and so comfortable to wear. You don't need to fuss with zippers, interfacing, button holes... none of that! Did you know the name Trixie means "Bring joy" or "Happy"? This dress certainly does that for me. The dress is a little roomy when it's finished, but the ribbon you can tie in front and the asymmetrical hem line gives a dressed up look to this comfortable dress.

I created a PDF pattern for you to download and use; it is XS/S. If you know how to alter patterns, you can create a larger dress too. I know Melissa has a wonderful post she did in the past, you can check it out here.

{You will need}

Fabric 52" to 54" width x 2 3/4 yards; if you are tall you might need 3 yards.
Matching thread

Other sewing necessities

{How to}

1. Print out the PDF pattern, assemble them together according to the number on each paper.

2. Fold the fabric vertically, right sides together, in half. Then, lay the pattern on top of it. Make sure that the straight line of the pattern says "Center Front/Back on fold" line up perfectly with the folded line on the fabric. Pin, trace and cut all necessary parts, which is: one front, one back, 4 ribbon pieces and 1 3/4" wide fabric strips to make bias tape for the neckline.

3. Treat the edges of the shoulders with zig-zag stitch or with serger to prevent fraying. With right sides together, sew the front and back shoulders together on both sides. Open the seam and press with iron.

4. Start the process to create the arm hole. Fold the fabric twice (1/4", 1/4") from one mark to the other. Press with iron and sew.

5. Fold the four straight edges after the curved line to the bottom seam twice (1/4", 1/4") and sew. This will create simple, yet interesting asymmetrical hem line on this dress.

6. Make two ribbons. Take one set of ribbon fabric and sew all around it except the straight part of the ribbon; leave that part open for turning. Snip the tip off then trim the seam to 1/4" for clean finish.

Turn the fabric inside out and press with iron.

Fold the open seam twice to create pleats. Using the largest stitch on your machine, stitch them down. In same manner, make the other ribbon.

7. Pin the ribbons you have made in between the front and back dress piece. The curved line on the ribbon is suppose to be on the bottom. I have a short torso and I put the ribbon slightly higher than my natural waist line. You can move them up or down based on your body type. Pin both sides all the way down (from arm pit to the end of the curved line) and sew. Once you are done with the dress, it will look like this...

8. Sew bias tape around the neckline to finish it off. You can see the tutorial how to make bias tape on my blog, but bias tape doesn't have to be cut perfectly at 45 degree. Also, here is the link to how to attach the bias tape on the post I did last year.

9. Fold the bottom seam twice (1/2", 1/2"), press with iron and sew. You, just finished the dress!

Since I made this dress I have worn it many times already. It is the perfect summer dress because it is comfortable to wear around the house, but at the same time I can just grab a purse and head out the door to go to lunch with friends.

I love how the asymmetrical hem makes this dress more fun to wear.

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed my tutorial!