A DIY Lace Dress Combo Sewing Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to make this lace combo dress. Its perfect for a special occasion or a classy night out. The guipure lace adds a timeless look to the dress guaranteed to turn heads! Choose one of our bright colored guipure laces to really make the top pop!

Supplies:

1. A yard of the guipure lace fabric
2. Two yards of the crinkle fabric
3. Basic sewing supplies such as scissors, thread, pins, and a marking pen
4. Paper to make patterns with. For a cheaper route, packing paper from a local dollar store works just as well for quick projects.

Let's get started!

1. First we will start with the skirt. Fold the crinkle fabric in half length wise and cut diagonally. The length can be anything you wish. Cut 2 of these long rectangles. This will allow you to make many pleats. If you do only cut one long rectangle, the skirt won’t be as full.

Join the 2 rectangles to make one really long piece of fabric. I used the french seam method to give a clean finish.

2. Start planning out the pleats. I made all the pleats on the first rectangle add up to half of my waist measurement plus an inch for seam allowance and about another 1 inch in for ease because you will get bulk. For me, each section was about 14 inches.

After pinning each pleat you can sew them down

3. Next fold the skirt in half; make sure it is flared out like in the picture and lay the lace fabric over the skirt. For me, I wanted the lace to be asymmetrical so I put the scalloped edge in an angle. You can keep it straight.

Then you will cut the lace piece that you want on the skirt. Remember to add fabric for seam allowance when you cut it.

4. Cut a second identical piece of the lace. Place the pieces over each other and sew the long side seams together. (see dotted line)

5. After sewing at the sides seams it will look like the image above

6. Then lay the lace pieces on the skirt. Attach this to the main skirt at the waist.

7.   Now fold the some of your remaining lace in half. Place a basic bodice on the fold. Before I cut it out I marked out a  dropped shoulder. (see dotted line in the picture above) It is up to you if you want to do this or make a traditional bodice.

8. Next cut out the neckline by keeping some of the motifs. I sewed on other motifs on the areas that seemed empty. Cut a second back bodice using the same steps for the neckline.

9. First I sewed the shoulders and put it on my dress form to do some fittings. You do not have to do this step if you know your bodice will fit you. My back bodice was the same pattern as the front bodice so I had to make it smaller. So I cut out some of the extra fabric from the sides on the back piece

10. Now sew one side seam of the bodice; make sure you leave the opening for the armhole. Attach the bodice to the skirt at the waist. Attach the zipper to the open side seam. Top stitch the zipper if needed.

Hem the skirt and you're done!

You did it! Here is the final product:

Video Tutorial:

Check out our detailed video tutorial. It is easy to follow and you can pause and work at your own pace.