Pinafore dress/top with giant pocket :) Pic obese. (WITH TUTE) (EXTRA PICS)

Ok so honestly BEST DRESS EVER.

Or top.

Cos it can be both. That's just how cool it is.

So here's the thing - I hate purple, baby blue and baby pink yet the last four things I've made have been these colours.

But in this case I just couldn't resist. This fabric is so soft, sits so nicely and was soo cheap.

So after lotsa planning, I made this - a cute wee pinafore dress! It has a super big pocket, and some little black buttons. This was my first attempt at buton holes and wow! It's so easy!

"

But I have to wear a top underneath, otherwise it's a bit low cut haha. Imagine it with some cute slouchy boots, stockings and a long sleeve top for winter.

It's a little short, but not TOO short

I had a lot of trouble capturing the true colour, but this one is probably the closest

Plus you get a close up on how cute the pockets are.

BUT WAIT. Theres more! All you have to do is undo the buttons, and cross it over at the back (don't critisise the next pic, we all know how hard it is to take pics of your back) and....

TA DA. It is now a top, that covers your boobies, and looks super cute with some jeans and heels. (I know it looks the same length as it was before but thats my shoddy camera skills, it's considerably shorter - the band that was around my hips before is now around my true waist. The top now finishes around the level of my crotch)

If I get enough requests for a tute, I'll probably make one, so don't be afraid to ask. Just as long as you don't start selling them or anything

Does anyone have any advice on things to change? My mum (my biggest critic) said the pocket is too slouchy, but I think I like it like that - I reckon itd look boring without the slouchiness. Anyone agree?

thanks for looking guys

Alexia.

EDIT.

Fooled around with some extra ways of wearing the dress, and after an extrememly busy weekend, I've finally got some time to sit down and show you guys

First of all... Whilst I was getting changed today, I realised it makes a funky skirt. I took a few of these pics in crappy light, If you REALLY want a better photo of anything (or just a close up or dif view that I haven't shown for the matter) just say so

And the straps just tie up on the side like so...

AND like I mentioned somewhere in the comments... As a dress (when I wore it out, I wore a black boobtube and leggings under it so It wasnt so revealing haha.

So heres the tute!

Warning = I’ve made this tutorial for people who already have a basic understanding of sewing, for example, how to sew two bits of material together. Therefore, so it’s easier for me to explain – I will draw pictures like this…

Rather then

Assume I mean sew right side to right side unless I say otherwise

If you get confused, just ask.

Key.

Now cut out these bits.

Remember to add a few extra centimeters for seam allowances  If there are numbers in brackets, it was what my measurements were,before adding seam allowances). I’m about a size NZ 10.

I’ve put the numbers on a picture of the dress too, so you can see what bit is what.

(photo)

1.Hip/Thigh band
A – Measure across the widest part of your thighs from seam to seam. (50cm)
B – 16 centimetres

2. Waist/Hip Band
C – Measure from lower waist/hips from seam to seam (41cm)
D – 10 centimetres

3. Skirt
E – E = C
F - How ever long you’d like the skirt (35cm)
G – G = A

4. Pocket (for the pocket, I traced around 3 (the skirt) and then added about 6cm to each side and bottom, to add some slouchiness. I then traced around a large bowl for the pockets and cut them out. It’s up to you to decide how big you want the pocket holes etc, so I’ll just give my measurements)
H – 26cm
I - 15cm
J – C + 6cm each side
K – F = 6cm to the bottom

5 Boob tray (for lack of a better word)
L – L = A
M – I’ve got pretty big boobs, so what I did was measure from how high I wanted the top to go on my chest, to under my boobs. For me this was 30cm, which I doubled so I could fold it in half before sewing it on, so that it gave the top a nice finish without having to hem it.

6 Straps
N – 53cm.
O – 9cm

We’ll start with making the back of the dress. Take one of 1, one of 2, one of 3 and one of 5.

1. First of all, fold 5 in half across the middle. Take the bottom - not the fold, but the two ends- , and sew them to 2.

2. Fold 1 in half, the same as you did for 5, and sew the wider end of 3 to the two edges of 1(not the fold).
Now sew 2 to the narrow end of 3.

But the back aside for now.

Again grab one of 1, one of 2, one of 3 and one of 5 but also get 4

This is very similar to the back..

3. So repeat step 1.

But now we have the pocket to deal with. To make things simpler for myself, I laid the pocket (4) on top of 3, and sewed them together, rather then sewing them together whilst sewing them to other stuff. I don’t know how to illustrate this bit, so I hope I can explain in words.

4. Lay 4 on top of 3. Ignore the holes you’ve cut out, and just make sure the top of the pocket -measurement H- is in the middle of measurement E and sew them together.

But remember how we cut 4 bigger then 3? To get around this, sew the sides up flat on top of each other (because there are the circles cut out, you don’t have to do any gathering or anything confusing. Just match up the corner of J and I with the corner of G and F and then match up the other corner as well.

But this is the tricky bit. J and G won’t match up, so what I did was put a few pleats in while I was sewing, to get rid of all the extra material.

Hopefully that worked out for you. Alternatively, you can have a non-slouchy pocket, and just cut out 3 and 4 the same size.

Now it gets simple again. Repeat step 2 – the only difference this time is that Piece 3 has a pocket attached.

5. Now, lay the back on top of the front, right sides together, and sew up the sides.

You should now have a pinafore dress minus the straps. Try it on. If it’s a little short( like mine haha) adding a band (the same size as 2) to the top of the dress, and this will add a little length.

6. Now for the straps. Grab one of 6 and fold it in half down the middle. Sew down the long part to make it a tube, and then sew one of the ends shut.

7.Turn it the right way round, and attach the open end of the strap to the back of the dress. Do the same for the other strap. If you don’t want to play around with the straps (ie uncross and cross them) ignore the next few steps, and sew the straps to the front of the dress as well.

HOWEVER, If you want to be able to change the length of the dress, make it into a skirt etc, you’re gonna have to do the next step.

Which is…

Making buttonholes! I thought this was extremely hard, but it really isn’t. Hopefully your machine will have a setting for buttonholes. If not, try a different method of closure, such as snaps.

8. Put the button holes in the closed end of the strap and put corresponding buttons on the dress.

And HOPEFULLY, you’ll have a brand new pinafore/dress/top/skirt.

If any of this tute makes no sense, or you need clearing up, I’ve made a mistake, or you have a better idea for something I’ve done PLEASE don’t hesitate to say.

If the pictures are hard to see tell me as well 

I hope it’s not too confusing, I’ve never made a tute for something so complex.

And if anyone makes one, show me! Please!

Thanks for looking, Alexia.