Look, I Made This: Simple Zip-Up Shift Dress

So this dress has been several months in the making.  My Aunt Betsy was so generous the last time I was visiting with her and let me pick through her fabric stash!  I came home with almost a whole tub full of fabrics in all kinds of patterns and colors!  I am very excited to get going on some other projects, including a linen button-up for Jess and some more dresses and skirts for me.  I promise to take lots of photos and throw in some tutorials.

Ignore my glamour shots...awkward. 

As for this linen dress, I am crazy excited to finish it and be able to wear it.  I didn't use a pattern or anything, I just used a dress I already had as a pattern.  However, when I first finished it, it was a litttttle too tight.  Rough. Life.  However, I just tried it on again and it fits soooo much better than it didn't when I finished it and took the photos, so I am much happier than before!

This was 100% a trial and error.  Trust me, there were some errors.  The seam-ripper was my friend!  So, is there a better way to create a dress?  VERY likely.  Did this way work? YEP!

So here's what you need:
2 yards (roughly, depending on your size) of main Fabric, I used linen, but you could probably use anything.
2 yards (see above) of lining fabric, I used a really thin muslin because I wanted it comfortable
Matching or coordinating thread
Ruler
Fabric pen
Pins (lots and lots of pins)
Tape Measure
Zipper, mine was long, like 20" or something, but you could use a shorter one, I think.
Scissors
Sewing machine & basics
A dress (or top, just elongate it as needed)

Before we get started, I would like to urge your to go ahead and iron all of your fabric very well.  It will make tracing, cutting, pinning, sewing, and basically everything so much easier.

SO, let's go!

Lay out your fabric and trace your favorite dress or shirt, or whatever pattern you are using, onto the fabric.  I did my lining first, then continued to use that as the pattern.  Cut out four pieces of fabric for your front and back, two lining and two regular fabric.

Next, line up your front piece of dress fabric with the front piece of lining fabric, making sure that dress fabric is right-side-out.  The lining likely doesn't have a right or wrong side, so no worries about that.  Do the same thing for the back pieces.   Pin together well.  Next, lay the dress pieces together right-sides together, so the dress pieces will be touching and the dress will start inside-out.

Sew the top of the straps, just to keep it from slipping around.

On the back piece, measure and find the center of the BACK piece (make sure it's the correct one, typically the neckline will be a bit higher), and make a line down the back.  This is where the zipper will go.  I went ahead and cut the piece fully in half, but you can just cut down however long your zipper will be.

Now, measure and find the center of the FRONT piece, IF you want a notch-V in the front. Cut that slit, fold to get ready for the hem.

Finish the edges of your neckline and armholes.  I folded (and ironed!) each edge under 1/4", then another 1/2" and then double stitched.  You can see in the photos below.

Now, do the same thing for where you cut your back piece for the zipper, just to make it easier to to work with when installing the zipper.

Attach your zipper per the instructions.  It is pretty easy, just pin it underneath the seam, and zip it up using the zipper-foot attachment on your sewing-machine.  There are plenty of tutorials around if you need a video to help, this was one of the more time-consuming parts.

Next, it's time to sew up your sides!  Lay flat, smooth out, and maybe iron again. Lay pieces right-sides together, making sure the seam on the top of the straps are actually at the top and are even.  It is hard to describe, but I think you know what I mean.  You just want it to lay even when it is finished.

Sew the edges together!  Be sure to measure everything here to make sure you're sewing the same amount of fabric on each side.  I suggest measuring out the same amount from the zipper and from the center of the front to be sure.

The last step is to hem the bottom! Mine was a little long, so I folded up 5/8" inch, ironed, then folded in another 1" and stitched there.

All done! Ha, don't worry, this actually took me about three months to finish...so it wasn't "that" easy. If you can finish in a shorter amount of time, I commend you! I got a little frustrated.   All in all, I am very satisfied with the final product.

I mean, please, look at this gorgeous pink linen!
What girl wouldn't want a dress made from this? 

Love it! It fits much better than when these photos were taken.  Maybe I'll retake them sometime...maybe not.  Either way, I'm very proud of myself!