I bought a little dress at the thrift shop that was way too small.
But I loved the pockets and fabric and was going to make a kids dress but never did.
I noticed the colors looked kind of cute with a tank top I had in my giveaway pile.
This was the perfect opportunity to make myself one of those tank dresses I’d seen a zillion times!
The main issue when working with these elastic waistbands is to keep the stitching on the waistband looking neat..
I made this dress over the weekend and wore it to church on Sunday.
It was so comfy I wore it all day!
Here is how I made my tank top dress:
Tank dress tutorial
This is such a cute dress, I love it! Thanks so much for the tutorial too, you make it seem so easy ;o)
What a great dress! This probably sounds silly, but how do you dye elastic? I honestly don’t know how to dye any fabric at all. I guess that would open up a whole new creative area for me in m sewing! 🙂
I just put a couple tablespoons in a pot with a little water, heat it up and soak it for a couple hours. Then I rinse it out.
I love the colour combination you used. Very fresh and cute. Nice!
Love it!! I bought a serger awhile back, but still need to figure out how to get the tensions right. I look forward to making some simple dresses and skirts! Thanks for sharing! xo Heather
Good tip to baste to the elastic first. Is the top knit and the bottom cotton? I have had trouble trying to sew a waistband to a knit before (in the stretch the elastic, but not the knit stage). Your end result is so cute and summer-y!
Hi Jenny,
The shirt is knit and the skirt woven. Just pin the top to the elastic both at the center seams, and middles. If the elastic is smaller than the top just stretch the elastic to fit as you sew. stretch
Cute! I love the fabric you chose for the skirt part of the dress.
You look beautiful in that dress. I have seen them on pinterst and have been tempted to give it a go! What a great way to use a thrifted dress and give it a whole new lease of life! Thanks for the instructions!I’m off to explore the rest of your blog now! Have a great day. Rebecca @ heronscrafts.blogspot.com
Congratulations on being featured on Daily Craft. I just saw it on FB. I plan to join your party this Saturday, but, having trouble with blogger and uploading pictures. Hope all is well.
Alisha @ Crafty Brooklyn Army Wife
Wow !
Thank u so much for the tutorial
i just made mine,
its’s beautiful ,cheap and easy to make.
Great work.
I’m trying to check out your easy potholder tutorial but the link takes me to easy tank top dress tutorial.
Same here! 🙁
Absolutely adorable. I love the colors and different patterning on the two pieces. Well done and thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your idea of drawing a line on the elastic. This is where I have always failed at this t-shirt pattern.