DIY Sweetheart Neckline Dress

Materials you need for the dress:

Main fabric
Lining fabric
Skirt/tie fabric

You will need to cut one front panel, two side panels, and two back panels out of your main fabric, and your lining fabric.

The following is all done with the main fabric.

Take the side panel and match it wrong sides together to front panel like shown below, and sew that seam. Then do the same to the other side.

After sewing both side panels on you will end up with this.

Now, you need to add the back panels. Same idea, wrong sides together and sew up the seam.

Now you have this.

Repeat the same process with the lining fabric.

Now, with my first dress I included halter ties.  I had them with my Fourth of July dress, but ended up taking them off.

To make the straps cute a piece of fabric that is 6″ x  25″ and add angle the ends like shown.

Fold it in half, right sides together and sew up the side, and across the diagonal (leaving the bottom open so you can turn it out.

You will make two straps.  Take each strap and pin them to the curve of the front, right sides together.

Sew the straps on, by following the curve of the bodice.

Next up is to sew the lining. Place the lining and main fabric right sides together, sandwiching the straps between. Sew around the the entire top (where the pins are).  Leave the sides un-stitched.

Turn the bodice out, and edge stitch if you would like.

Now it’s time to add your skirt. I didn’t take any pictures of this, but I made my skirt using a circle skirt pattern I did a full skirt, which ended up being not such a great idea, since anytime a gust of wind blew, I almost had a Marilyn Monroe moment.  Next time I do this dress, I think I’ll make a 1/2 circle skirt.  I also made a small slit in the the back of the skirt to leave space for a zipper.

But however you make your skirt, you will still want to attach the bodice.  Line up the raw edges on the bottom of the bodice to the top of the skirt like shown.  Be sure that the un-sewen sides of the bodice are in the back, lined up with slit in your skirt, as that’s going to be where you attach a zipper.

Last up is to sew your zipper in. I totally thought I took pictures, but I guess I did not. It’s not different than sewing on any other zipper.  Since the side edges were unfinished, I ran a zig-zag stitch on them first.  I also sewed a clasp on the top.

**note: this is a picture after I decided to take off the straps.**

So there you have it.  I know this was a super lengthy post, but I hope that I included enough details for you to do it on your own.

Once again, here is a picture of the dress with the straps:

and without (a slightly better picture than the first, even if it is a selfie):

So, I hope you were able to follow all my directions, and that this gave you a good idea on how to draft your own bodice pattern.  I am not a seamstress by any means, so it might not be conventional, but it works. 🙂