Insta-Dress and Scrunchie

Creating a complicated dress with several pieces is the type of sewing project we want to do sometimes—other times we want something quick and easy. ZJ Humbach shows you how to sew a simple dress using a fabric that does most of the work for you in this insta-dress tutorial.

How to Sew a Simple Dress

For this quick and easy dress to sew, ZJ uses a fabric she found at her local fabric store called ‘Style in an Instant’. While there may be different brands and manufacturers of this fabric, depending on where you purchase it, it will have the same basic characteristics. This fabric often comes in fun, floral or other colorful prints and features shirring on one end.

Shirring is a technique that is done with evenly spaced rows of stitching done with elastic thread that gather in the fabric. The rest of the fabric below the shirring is then left to flow free. Generally two different widths of this fabric can be found, one that is meant for meant for young people and one that is meant for adults.

ZJ shows how to sew a simple dress using this fabric by simply cutting a length of it and seaming it together. She explains what body measurement is needed to ensure that the dress fits and then explains how to sew the main seam. Depending on the fabric, that may be the only stitching that is needed, as some of these types of fabrics already come with a finished edge, meaning that a hem is not required. She then shows how to add a few personal touches and finishes to the dress by adding straps and a button or bow to the front. For another quick and easy project, learn how to make a tutu.