DIY Sequin Mini Dress Sewing Tutorial

Whether it's date night, a bachelorette party, or a night out with your girlfriends for Galentine's day, the perfect dress will set the mood for the evening. Something short, sweet, and sparkly never goes out of style, and when you make it in white, it's really unexpected!

Let us introduce you to the perfect little white dress. When the holidays come around each year, sequins become really popular to add some sparkle to your evening attire, but the trend quickly drops off the radar until the next year. Let's re-imagine how we see sequins with this fabulous white sequin material. It has shimmer without being so in your face (there's only so much disco ball we're willing to don). It's soft so you don't feel like itching your arms all night long (the WORST). It's also incredibly easy to work with (a sewing machine can sew right through it without having to remove each sequin at the seam line by hand)!

To make this little white dress, you will need a yard of white sequin material, a yard of milliskin tricot fabric to line it, and some white cord for the straps. The construction is a simple 4 pieces of fabric with only 5 seams total - this project could not come together faster! Take a look at the instructions below.

Supplies:

• 1 yard all-over micro sequins starlight on stretch mesh in the color snow white
• 1 yard white shiny milliskin tricot fabric
• White cord (about 30")
• White thread
• Sewing machine
• Measuring tape
• Scissors (fabric and non-fabric)
• Pins

Time:

2-3 hours

Difficulty:

Easy

LET'S GET STARTED!

1. Start by making the lining of your dress by folding the milliskin tricot fabric in half. Measure around your bust, waist, and hips and mark out your pattern using your own measurements as shown below. Alternatively, this can also be done using a body-con or shift dress you already own, adding a 3/8" seam allowance at the side seams. The top edge of the dress should be at a slight angle to create the scooped neckline. Once you cut out the first piece for the front, repeat for the back. With the lining pieces cut out, place one down on top of the sequin fabric, pin them together, and then cut around it as a pattern piece. Cut each piece of sequin fabric out in single layers to make it easier to cut, and use a pair of normal scissors so you do not ruin your fabric scissors on the sequins.
   
   
   
   

2. Place one piece of lining on top of the other with the right sides of the fabric touching. Pin along the sides of the dress and sew together about 3/8" from the edge of the fabric. Repeat with the sequin fabric.
   
   
   

3. With both layers created, turn the lining fabric right side out and slide it inside of the sequin layers which are still turned inside out. Pin together the top edges of the dress to create the neckline. Sew along this edge about 1/4" from the edge of the fabric leaving small openings at the points for the cording.
   
   
   
   

4. With the pieces sewn together, try on the dress inside out and figure out how long you need your straps to be. Cut the cord to this length plus 2". Place the pieces of cording through the holes you left at the points in the front of the dress with the 1" excess sticking out through the points. Pin down. The cording will extend between the lining and sequin layers between them to connect to the backside of the dress through the point at the back. String the excess through the hole at the point and pin. Sew along the points to connect the cording to the fabric.

Turn your dress right side out and wear!

This Tutorial was created by Julia Bleck of Bunny Baubles Blog