How to Make a Party Dress

Sewing can be daunting, but this dress (if you follow along) is actually easy to put together. The top part is a fitted t-shirt and is a no-sew project using E-6000 Fabri-Fuse. Fabri-Fuse is a washable and dry cleanable fabric glue that is flexible when it dries, so it's perfect to use on knits.

2 yards of lace or embellished fabric

2 yards lining

1 yard elastic

1 fitted black t-shirt

E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

Sewing machine

Black thread

Scissors and straight pins

Cut two panels of lining that are 20" wide by 2 yards long

Pin and stitch them together using 1/2" seam allowance so that you have a 20" wide by 4 yard long panel

Hem one edge of the panel by turning and turning 1/4"

Cut two 21" by 2 yard long panels of fabric using the edge of the fabric as the edge of each panel

(You will have a strip left over in the middle to use later)

Pin and stitch them together so that you have a 21" by 4 yard long panel of fabric

Use 1/2" seam allowance

Pin the lining to the wrong side of the lace and stitch the raw edges together with 1/4" seam allowance

Along that same stitch line you are going to bunch the fabric under the presser foot and gather the 4 yard panel together

Cut elastic so that it fits comfortably around your waist

Mark the elastic in 4 equal parts

Pin the elastic evenly along the gathered fabric

Sew the elastic to the gathered fabric by stretching the elastic as you sew using 1/2" seam allowance

With right sides together, pin all 4 layers together and stitch down the side seam from the elastic to the hem.

Cut out pieces from your lace and the decorative edge of your lace (if you have some left over)

Insert cardboard in the t-shirt

Figure out your lace placement and apply the lace and edging with E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

Let it dry overnight and you're done!