DIY gathered natural waist dress with 3 options

Perfect Valentine's day date dress! Not just the color but the fit! Very flattering and feminine. I made this before I was pregnant and decided to take out the top to make it fit my belly. You can make this dress 3 ways too. Giving you some different options of look and different levels of easiness. Can't wait to wear this to our date, and to take it back in when I'm done with this pregnancy! Supplies: At least a yard and a half of fabric (flowy fabric like a rayon and polyester, nothing too stiff) dress to mimic (one with darts it will work for all options) measuring tape thread scissors sewing machines pins Instructions: 1. Make the top half of a dress and decide how you would like it to look choosing between 3 optionals.... OPTION 1: DARTS 1. Grab a dress that fits you well with that has darts. If you are pregnant, like me, you are going to have to have to measure your near the top of your belly (try not to make it empire) and create a square top that is at least as wide as the top of you belly. 2. Create the top to be square, which will be about much wider than the darted top. The sew up the side seams (one of the sides will be sewn in a basting stitch because it will become the zipper) and sew up the shoulder seams right sides together (the outside fabric touching). From the darted dress you already own, line up the top you are making with it, and mark the line (dart) onto the top half of the dress you're making. The bottom of the line will be the center of the dart, measure out an inch or so from both sides of the center of the bottom half of the dart. The top half will be the point on the chest, that will taper wide to the bottom a few inches like a triangle. The triangle sides will line up together to make the dart. Sew it up. If you are pregnant don't do this. Just mark the darts when you are wearing it, usually the top of your chest angled down a little to the side seam. It won't be so much like a triangle, it will be taken more between the bottom and the chest. like a diamond. 3. Hem the neckline and the sleeves by sewing it under an 1/8th or quarter inch twice making a little hem. Or you can add a neckline interface from this tutorial. OPTION 2: Very easy, but not as flattering 1. Grab the darted dress and trace around it, cut it out. If you are pregnant measure out your top half of your body and mimic it on the dress's top half. 2. Sew up the side seams (make one side a basting stitch for the zipper) and the shoulder seams. 3. Hem the neckline and the sleeves by sewing it under an 1/8th or quarter inch twice making a little hem. Or you can add a neckline interface from this tutorial.">this tutorial. OPTION 3: Easiest option, but not fitted on top 1. Make the top more square. 2. Sew up the side seams (make one side a basting stitch for the zipper) and the shoulder seams. Gather the bottom of the top half of the dress to make it bubble. 3. Hem the neckline and the sleeves by sewing it under an 1/8th or quarter inch twice making a little hem. Or you can add a neckline interface from this tutorial.">this tutorial. 2. Cut out a long piece of fabric that is at least 2 or 3 times the width of you waist. The longer the fabric the more gathered it will be. that is the length of the natural waist to the knee plus a few inches for hemming. 3. Gather the top of the skirt to be the width of your waist. Sew up the side of the skirt in basting stitch. 4. Line up the basting stitch side seams together and flip the top half into the skirt with the outside fabrics touching. sew the edge of the skirt and the top. 5. Hem the bottom by sewing it under an 1/8th or quarter inch twice making a little hem. Time to seam rip the basting stitch from the top to the 6 to 8 inches below the natural waist. Then install the zipper. Take the line where the basting stitch line once was and install the invisible zipper along that line. Here is a tutorial you can follow.