Scoop neck maxi dress tutorial (with pockets)

I call this the effortless attention-getter dress....show up to a causal or dressy event in it and people's heads will come turning your way. Make it casual by slapping on a belt, blazer, flats and a cute hat or dress it up with some heels and jewelry and you're good to go. So versatile and flattering. Oh and did I mention there are pockets!! I'm a sucker for pockets. This is a little more time consuming, but so worth the effort. 

I stole this fabric from my mother-in-law's garage...thank heavens for mother-in-laws.

Supplies:

2 - 3 yards of fabric (depends on your size)

Optional - 1-2 yards of lining (depends on your size)

elastic that fits around your waist stretched

flexible ruler

pins

sewing machine

scissors

Instructions:

1. Lay a loose cotton (or non-stretchy) top over the fabric and cut it out. Make sure it can fit snuggly, but still can slip over your chest. Add seam allowance of quarter to half inch on every side.

2. Sew up the side seams and shoulder seams with right sides together.

3. Cut out 4 pockets pieces 10"-12"  long and 5"-6" wide in a tear drop shape with a little lip that is as wide as you want the opening to be (mine was half the length of the pocket).

4. Pin and sew the lip of the of the pocket pieces right side together to the top corner of the skirt.

**Not shown - cut out two fabric maxi skirt pieces with the length being as long as you want it (I made mine to the floor plus 5 inches for heels) and the with to be at least twice your waist size unless you are using thicker or stiffer fabric then you won't want to double your waist size because it will be too bulky. Add half inch seam allowance.

5. Then once all the pockets are sewn onto the corners of the skirt pieces, pin the skirts and pockets right sides together and sew the pockets and skirt side seams together like picture shows. 

OPTIONAL lining - Skip to the bottom tutorial on if you want lining.

6. Gather the waist band to be wide enough to slip over you hips.

7. Slide the top into the skirt's gathered opening by pining and sewing right sides together the waist of the top half to the waist of the skirt.

8. Serge the edge (or just zig zag stitch the edge).

9. Take the elastic and sew the ends together. Then divide and mark the elastic band into fourths. Mark the excess serged part where the top and bottom are joined  into fourths too.

10. Then sew the elastic to the excess part with a zig zag stitch, lining up all the markings.

11. Cut and hem the neckline by folding under a quarter inch, then a quarter inch again.

12. Hem the bottom a quarter inch then a half inch under. (Do this to the lining as well if you are adding lining).

13. Hem the sleeves by folding under a quarter inch, then a quarter inch again.

**Right after step 4

HOW TO ADD LINING

1. Cut out lining pieces the same size as the skirt pieces, but an inch or so shorter. Sew up the side seams.

2. Add some darts to make waist line the same size as the opining of the gathered skirt part of the maxi dress. This is because you don't want to gather this waist line it will make the skirt too bulky. Cut open the to sides to be an inch longer then the length of the little flaps of the pockets. Hem under a quarter inch, then another quarter inch. I put my darts and hem and side seams (wrong side of the lining) toward my body because my main fabric is a little see through, so I didn't want the seams to be seen through the main part of the fabric. But if your fabric isn't see through then you can have the seams/darts/ hems face inwards toward the fabric.

3. Gather the skirt's opening to be wide enough to slip over you hips. Pin the skirt's opening and the lining's opening together (they should be about the same size now) right sides together with the pockets coming out of the side openings. Sew together and serge (or trim and zig zag stitch if you don't have a serger).

GO BACK TO STEP 7 TO FINISH THE TUTORIAL