Memorial Day Tank Dress with Flounce

I had to make a "new" dress for Church for Memorial Day.  I am still on a tank dress kick so I just spiced it up a little.

I used my TNT tank dress pattern, cutting the length to 38".

I made a flounce for the bottom by measuring the width of the dress hem front and then the back.  Mine measured 17" on the fold.  I wanted to increase the flounce by 1-1/2 times, making that measurement 25".  I thought a 6" flounce sounded good.

Making a rectangle from pattern paper that measured 17" long and 6" high I cut up from the bottom to the top. leaving a hinge along the top side (long side).  I made about 6 cuts.  Taping onto a scrap piece of paper I fanned out the bottom to 25", spacing the rest of the cuts evenly.  My flounce resembled a half circle almost.

I've been practicing another technique for finishing the neck edge.  I think it's called the French binding.  I cut a 2" wide strip of fabric longer than the length of the neckline.  Having only one shoulder seam sewn. I left a tail about an inch or two I sew right sides together the whole length on the neckline.  I used a 1/2" seam allowance.  Turn the binding strip over the seam allowance snugly, I stitch in the ditch catching the binding on the back.  Once you've stitched in the ditch the whole length of the neckline I trimmed the excess from the wrong side of the neckline. The sew the open should seam.

Sew 2" strip to neck edge-right sided together

1/2" seam allowance

Pulling strip slightly along the neck edge

Fold up seam allowance towards 2"stip

Fold strip over seam allowance snugly

Stitch in the ditch, catching strip on backside

French binding neck seam

Trim excess fabric strip on wrong side close to stitch line

Finish sewing open shoulder seam

Same treatment done to armholes.  Just remember to leave one seam open (underarm).

Armhole finish

Tank dress with flounce.

You can adjust the width of the finished binding by trimming the seam allowances.  I always just a 2" width strip so that I have plenty to catch when I stitch in the ditch, but trimming the team allowance allows me to made narrower finished binding.

I sewed the flounce onto each front and back piece of the dress then sewed the side seams.  Everything matched up better this way.

Tank dress with flounce

Flounce

The flounce was a little hidden but you did notice it when I walked. I thought the flounce may make the dress look like grandmas' nightgown.  It just made the dress swoosh a little when I moved.

1.25 yards of fabric $4.50 Flounce Tank Dress

Lulu-My helper

I have a yard of this fabric leftover, maybe a McCall 6844 cardigan to go with it??????

Why not make a TNT?????

I've got to get out of this rut!



Until next time.................

Bonnie