Off Shoulder Smocked Dress

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Pre-Smocked Fabric: 1-2 yds (for width, take bust measurement, minus 3")
• 1/2" Elastic: 2 yds
• Basic Sewing Supplies

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the Dress:

• Begin by cutting a pre-smocked section width 3" less than your bust measurement.
• Determine your preferred skirt length and cut 1" longer than that measurement.
• Hem the bottom edge by turning in 1/2" twice and ironing.
• Pin in place and sew across the folded edge.
• With right sides together, match the raw side edges and pin.
• Sew 1/2" from the edge.
• Try on and make tighter if needed; finish raw edge with a zig zag stitch or with an overlocking machine.



2. Make the Armholes:

• Match the center front of the dress to the center back.
• Place a weight on it to hold it in place.
• On one of the folded sides of the dress, measure 3" in along the top edge.
• Measure 5" down along the side edge.
• Draw a curve from side to top, connecting the marks, and cut out.
• Keep the curved cut-out folded, flip it horizontally, and trace its shape along the top corner on the other side of the dress.
• Cut out.
• Finish the edges by making two small folds, about 1/8" wide, along each raw edge, press with your iron, and sew.



3. Make the Ruffle:

• Take the material you'd cut from the bottom of the skirt and hem the bottom by folding in 1/4", then 1/2", pressing with your iron, and pinning in place.
• Sew along the folded edge.
• On the top edge, make an elastic channel by folding in 1/4" than about 5/8" (just a little over 1/2" to give your elastic some room) and press with your iron.
• Unfold at the ends, place right sides together, and sew the raw side edge together.
• Finish the raw edge with a zig zag stitch or with an overlocking machine, and refold the elastic channel.



4. Attach the Ruffle to the Dress:

• Mark the center front of the ruffle (the center back of the ruffle is the back seam)
• Mark the center front of the dress (the center back of the dress is the back seam)
• Place the ruffle on top of the dress with both the ruffle and the dress right side up.
• Match the center front of the ruffle to the center front of the dress.
• Fold the creased edge around the top of the dress (this will put the folded edge of the ruffle on the inside of the dress)
• Pin the center in place.
• Continue to wrap the fold around the rest of the dress top, from the center outward, pinning in place as you go.
• Repeat matching the center backs of the ruffle with the center back of the dress.
• Pin the fold on the remaining ruffle in place.
• Make an elastic channel by sewing along the outer folded edge of the ruffle, leaving a 2" wide gap at the center back for inserting the elastic.
• Measure around your shoulders and subtract 2" - cut a piece of elastic to this length.
• Place safety pins on both ends of the elastic.
• Use the safety pin on one side of the elastic to pull it through the channel.
• Use the safety pin on the other side to secure the end to the dress to avoid accidentally pulling it though while you work.
• Overlap the ends of the elastic and (after making sure that the elastic did not twist anywhere in the channel) sew together using a zig zag stitch.
• Stitch the tunnel opening closed.
• If you have not already hemmed the dress, try it on, determine the length, and hem it now.

JOANN HACKS:

• Once you've cut the pre-smocked fabric to the correct width, snip a little into the unsmocked length, and rip the fabric the rest of the way.
• The rip will follow the grain of the fabric and will be remarkably straight.
• If you've never ripped fabric before, try a little test strip, and proceed with confidence.
• Pull the pre-smocked fabric apart lightly as you hem.