Pieces you'll need to make up this dress are:
A: Strap (2)
B: Top (4)
C: Skirt (2)
D: Ruffle (2)
The only part I needed a pattern for was the armholes on the top.
I used one of my daughters empire waist dresses to draw in the armholes on the rectangle for her top.
I drew the top pieces as rectangles, with the armholes and width copied from my daughter's dress. The height is whatever your preference; mine is 3".
I used newspaper to make a simple pattern for the straps since they were just 4"x6.5".
Place it on the fabric where you can cut 2 at the same time, so they match exactly.
The top is the only piece with lining, so I needed 4.
I cut off the sleeves & cuffs of the shirt, so it would lay flat. Both sleeves are laid together so I could cut out all the pieces at once, and they would be more exact.
The Skirt is cut from the back of the shirt. I cut it apart, then folded it in half to cut it evenly lengthwise.
I used my L-ruler to square up the corners, but you can just fold it horizontally to cut it down, so it's just smaller than the armholes.
*Note: when I first sewed this together it was so long it came down to the floor, so I ended up cutting 4" off the length.
The Ruffle I ended up cutting from the 2 front panels of the shirt, after the collar was cut off.
You can see I originally planned on using these for the straps and top pieces. Yay washable fabric markers!
I cut rectangles as wide and high as pieces would allow. Just make sure it's wider than the skirt.
And now you have your summer dress!
And my 'lil Princess still fits in it!
