DIY Vintage Dresses For Beginners

One of my very first sewing projects was a DIY vintage dress. Why? I was, in the beginning, of my sewing journey and I had a problem with an identifying which fabrics are good for different purposes. I found it easy to find the right fabrics for vintage dresses. Secondly woven cotton is soooo easy to work with! It seemed like the perfect marriage of design and skill.

My grandmother had taught me a handy little trick when I was a young girl eager to learn her seamstress ways. She taught me how to make a pattern from a piece of clothing that you already own. Why? You know that it is going to fit better than a pattern bought from the store unless it is one you have used and loved before.

If you are unfamiliar with how to do this. You literally pin your clothes to the fabric and trace around them with chalk. Add your seam allowance and presto you’re done. Here is a great video that will guide you through the process:

How To Draft Your First Pattern

Creating Your Vintage Dresses

I am a princess seam girl. I love the way the contour and hug the body. I ended up going with a cross over top because I wanted to include a v neckline and add a little spice from today’s fashion.

I ended up using this pattern for the skirt and drafted my own bodice and sleeve.

A year later with a lot more knowledge I would have used a circle skirt pattern or drafted one myself. They look more dramatic and they have a gorgeous twirl. Here is a great pattern if you don’t know how to draft a circle skirt.

Patterns For 3 Vintage Circle Skirt Dress

Here are a few inspirational pics for you to go off when you are considering sewing your own piece.

Designing Your Vintage Dress

You will need:

French Seam Curve (If drafting your own pattern)
Pattern Paper
Tailors Chalk
Tracing Paper If You Are Drafting A Pattern Of Your Own Clothing
Scissors
Fabric ( I LOVE Hobby Lobby! You will pay 1/4 of the price at Joannes)
Sewing Machine
Erasable Fabric Marker
Rotary Cutter Set
Pins
Thread

Step 1:

Draft your top to meet your bodies needs. You can either draft from a current top, pattern or you can create your own. I would suggest trying to draft your very first pattern. Its time to take your sewing to the next level. I chose to draft mine from one of the 100 wrap dresses that I own.

I used the technique from modern girls guide to sewing video at the beginning of the blog in order to achieve the desired outcome. Here it is again.

Drafting a pattern from clothing:

Lay your pattern or tracing paper down nice and flat on your sewing table.
Turn your garment inside out. Pin your garment flat to the paper and trace around each seam to make your pattern pieces.
Add seam allowance and mark your center front, back, and darts (if they apply) on the paper.
Cut out your pattern pieces and label them.

See The Visual Guide To Creating a Pattern From Your Clothing

Photos thanks to Modern Girls Guide To Sewing:

How To Draft a Princess Seam Top

This below video is great to learn about pattern making and it includes a free princess seam pattern that you can download.

Drafting Your Vintage Skirt

Most vintage skirts length is just below the knee. If you want to modernize it then you could take it above the knee or make it really short! The choice is yours.

Step 1:

I measured the length of my skirt from the natural waist to below the knee. Simply add your seam allowance to both sides. Generally, the rule of thumb is 5/8 of an inch.

Step 2:

The width of my skirt was 2 yards. Once again make sure that you add seam allowance to your skirt.

Step 3:

Hem the bottom of the skirt. Press the fabric and a little trick I like to use is to sew a line at the bottom of the fabric as high as I want my hem fold to be. This line makes it much easier to fold and get a nice clean hemline. Press the hemline back and sew.

Step 4:

Measure the circumference of the bottom of your top.

Step 5:

Baste 3 rows of stitching at the top of your skirt. Pull-on one of the threads to start gathering the skirt. Ensure that you gather the skirt to the point that it meets the same length of the circumference of the top.

Step 6:

Pin the waistline of the skirt to the bottom circumference of the top and sew together.

Voila, you have a new dress!

Did you make one? How did it go? Let me know in the comments below.

DIY Vintage Dresses

How To Draft Your First Pattern

Creating Your Vintage Dresses

Patterns For 3 Vintage Circle Skirt Dress