A Little Sister Maxi Dress

After making so many things for myself the last couple of months,

I decided one day in May (yes, I rhymed that one purpose)
that I needed to branch out and make something for someone else in the family.

I had a maxi dress idea I wanted to try,

and my little sister was the benefactor of my test run.

These were my sources of inspiration from my Pinterest boards....

 

 

I *love* this maxi dress, you can find a great tutorial on making it over at Sew Much Ado.

I didn't actually follow her tutorial (but I plan to someday!).

 

This maxi dress also had a cute ruffle along the top that I liked.

You can read how to make this adorable dress over at the blog Dances With Fabric.

 

 

These images were inspiration,

but from there I pretty much just winged it.

I didn't use an actual pattern, instead I took measurements
and basically made the dress one long tube, with a ruffle and an elastic waist.

 

 

I would do some things differently next time I make one of these.

 

I will actually follow the tutorial from the blog Sew Much Ado which I mentioned above.

In it, she uses a tank top for her guideline for the top,
creating a fitted garment and not just a straight tube.

 

A second change I would make is omit the ruffle or change fabrics.
The stiff cotton fabric ruffle looks a little odd and 'in the way'.

 I wonder if that will change with lots of washings??
 

So...

it was a good project because I learned some things along the way
...mostly what not to do.

 

My sister likes the dress, but I think I will probably end up making some changes to it.

 

 

It did turn out cute, so I shouldn't be too hard on myself.

It was my third dress and fourth from scratch project.