Maternity or non maternity striped knit tapered dress

Sometimes I just get sick of settling for a black long maxi skirt after trying on ten dress/skirts every sunday. Nothing non-pregnant fits over my massive belly. Who knew I owned and refashioned so many dang pencil skirts. Anyway, thus this striped knit tapered dress was created...with the goal to fit my growing belly and my non-prego belly (though I may have to take it in a little). 

I'm a new contributor over at Megan Nielsen's DIY Maternity! For those of you ladies that want some awesome pregnancy ideas, fashion and tutorials...this is the place to go! Please check it out!!

A little warning...I didn't intend for this to be a tutorial, but I snapped a few shots anyway.

SUPPLIES:

2 yards knit fabric

knit top you like the fit off

elastic

scissors

sewing machine

thread

*optional - serger 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut out a rectangle for the bottom that measures at least twice the length of your waist (make sure this is the stretchier part of the fabric), and the width as long as you want.

2. Sew the to ends of the rectangle together with straight stitch (hamburger style). and the ends of the elastic.

3. Sew in the elastic to the top of the rectangle with zig zag or invisible hem stitch by marking the rectangle and elastic into fourths, and matching them up as you stretch the elastic as you sew.

4. Cut the bottom of the skirt into a taper if you like.

5. Cut the top of the dress from tracing a knit top you like the fit of, you only need to cut till your natural waist, plus an inch.

6. Sew up the sides and shoulders with straight stitch. Hem the sleeves if you like. I rolled and tacked them

7. Hem the neckline by folding it over 3/4 of an inch and sew. It will seem tight and that you are stretching a bit, but that is exactly what you want! If you make the hem too small (less then 3/4 or 1 inch) then it made flop out on you. And because knit doesn't really fray, you can just fold once. *Optional - I added a peter pan collar, but no need for it.

8. Pull the top into the dress with right sides of the dress and top touching. Pin by matching up the seams. I marked every fourth like I did earlier on the top and the bottom to make it perfectly even.

9. Sew on the elastic while stretching it to line up on the markings. I sewed from the  near center to off the edge of the skirt's elastic with an invisible hem stitch or zig zag stitch, so it will be hidden.