DIY Summer Mini!

Hello friends!!! Today I wanted to write my first ever DIY fashion blog post and show you how I transformed this thrift store dress into something updated and perfect for summer! So buckle up, let's get started!!!!!!!!!

I found this dress for $4.99 and fell in love with the fabric. I knew I needed to make something with it! I originally wanted to make a maxi dress but when making one garment from a pre-existing garment, you only have limited fabric availability. There was not enough fabric for a maxi dress unless I wanted it to be an awkward tea length, so I decided a mini would work for me!

I mapped out the length that I wanted the skirt to be + a 1/2 inch seam allowance and measured up from the pre-existing ruffle and all the way around the dress.

Once I cut out that skirt portion I set it aside for later.

For the upper part of the dress I drafted a pattern based on a bikini top! If you don't know how to draft a pattern you can buy a pre-existing bikini top pattern and go based off of your measurements.

For this I was lucky, I was able to cut off the sleeves and double-layer them to get just the amount of fabric I needed for the bodice. I also took the cups out of an old bathing suit I never wear and decided to insert them into this dress so I do not need to wear a bra with it!

From there I cut off the upper yoke portion of the dress so that the fabric would lie flat. I then cut two strips so that I could make a tie that would be 1 inch wide and double the length of the dress.

After sewing together both layers of the triangle-shaped bodice pattern I made, I inserted the pads and ran a gathering stitch through the hem. I wanted to control the width of the gathering in the bodice, so I sewed it directly down to the waist tie that I had made so that the width of the gathering would not change. I then sewed only the front portion to the skirt below.

Here is what it looked like at that point! The back was just hanging free and the waist tie was not finished off.

Unfortunately I forgot to take more photos......

But from there I created a casing in the back of the dress and put 1/4 inch elastic through it to gather it in. I finished off the waist tie and then created 1/2 inch wide halter straps to finish it off.

Here is the finished look! I will update with worn photos soon, I'm planning on wearing it this weekend.

I will also remember to take more detailed photos next time!

But I hope this tutorial gives you somewhat of an idea what is possible when you want to DIY your wardrobe!!!

Thanks for reading <3

~Kelsey