#FLUTTER SLEEVE MAXI DRESS DIY HOW TO#
#FLUTTER SLEEVE MAXI DRESS DIY PLUS#

You don’t need a sewing pattern, because you’ll make your own simple pattern using a t-shirt as a guide. It takes 2 yards of knit fabric and one yard of elastic, so you’ll be able to make it for $50 or $60 less than the Gap version.

#FLUTTER SLEEVE MAXI DRESS DIY PLUS#

Plus in the reviews people complained that the fabric was very thin, which means it wouldn’t hide my muffin top very well. It was so cute and looked perfectly comfortable and cool for summer. But it was $75, which is a little pricey, and I could tell from the photo that the gathered waistline would hit very low on me which just looks terrible. I got the idea for this easy to sew maxi dress when I saw the dress below (from The Gap years ago). I’ve included new photos and more detailed instructions.

#FLUTTER SLEEVE MAXI DRESS DIY HOW TO#

The original tutorial used my Easy Tee pattern as a base, but I decided to revisit it today and show you how to make this simple maxi dress without a pattern. It’s the simplest way I could come up with to sew up a maxi dress that has sleeves. ***Five years ago I shared a tutorial for a SUPER EASY maxi dress. Let me show you.In today’s post: Learn how to make a super easy maxi dress without a pattern! The flutter sleeve design is so simple that all you have to do is make some pleats. How To Make A Flutter Sleeve Pattern Right On Your Fabric Keep the needle and upper looper tensions at their normal settings. And the fabric edge rolls to the underside as the stitches wrap around the edge. When the lower looper tension is tightened, the upper looper thread wraps around the edge to the underside of the fabric. Make the stitch width very narrow too.įor the rolled hem we will need to tighten the tension of the lower looper almost completely (I put it on 6). You need to use a short stitch length (put it to 1) so the thread completely covers the edge. Settings for a rolled hem are not difficult but you need to change the stitch width, stitch length, and tension. The stitch is formed by the right needle and both loopers. It’s called rolled hem because the serger usually rolls the fabric edge to the wrong side where it’s hidden under stitching. A rolled hem is one of my favorite serger stitches and I think it’s a very attractive finish. This is the most common rolled edge, available on practically all models of sergers. I personally prefer to use natural fibers especially if the material touches the body. So avoid those fabrics when making your flutter sleeves. Quilting cotton, cotton twill, satin, and other thicker fabrics with lots of body will not work well for flutter sleeves so they don’t stick out awkwardly on the arms. Polyester chiffon, rayon challis, cotton voile, and lightweight novelty knits are some other options you can try. If the dress is from a lightweight material you can use the same for the sleeves but in my case, the dress material was too heavy for the sleeves. And of course the same color as the dress, or a color that works well with it.

You want something drapey and lightweight like this natural silk chiffon I used here. Properly chosen fabric is the key to a good flutter sleeve. What You’ll Need To Make Your Flutter Sleeves For a more complete picture, I recommend exploring both versions. If you’re looking to add a feminine touch to your simple dress, then flutter sleeves are just what you need!Īttention! If you like the video format, at the bottom of this post, look for a YouTube video version where there is a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a flutter sleeve. They’re easy to make and flattering on many body types! A pear body shape is best suited for this type of sleeve because they give volume to the upper part of the body and its width balances the figure. These flowy loose sleeves are perfect for summer tops and dresses. ✅ Related tutorial: How to dress well: flattering clothes that hide figure flaws ✅ Related tutorial: How to choose clothes and patterns to hide a big tummy No, this is not a sleeve that will protect you from the elements! But this is another trick in our arsenal to use for enhancing the body appearance and de-emphasizing the less desirable features. As the name suggests, a flutter sleeve is quite literally a fluttering piece of fabric that hangs off your arm.

Flutter sleeve maxi dress diy