Neoprene One Shoulder Dress

I’ve had a dress like this one that I got from American Eagle maybe 4 or 5 years ago, and while I snagged a couple more in different colors on eBay earlier this year (it’s such a form flattering dress!)….I wanted one that was a little longer because my previous ones are a little light on fabric in the hem line, if you get my drift 🙂  So, with some gorgeous neoprene Theory fabric from Mood Fabrics, I got to work making one that was the perfect length. I tried my hand at creating my own pattern (Size XS) for the first time — it took a bit of figuring out, but I hope you enjoy.  Also, want to know how to make the studded clutch I have here too? Check it out here.
Supplies: Neoprene, pattern (which you can get, here), straight pins, scissors, and a sewing machine.
HOW-TO:
1. Print out pattern from here, cut it out, lay it on top of your doubled up fabric, and then pin it into place.
2. Cut out your two forms and pin up the sides.
3. Go ahead now and sew up the sides.
4.Now, there’s a little notch cut out under the arm, pinch that together, and pin it.
5. Also pin together the shoulder (the side nearest my pin dispenser with the 3 pins in it).
6. Sew the shoulder together.

HOW-TO CONT’D:
7. Now, fold your arm hole back about an 1.5 inches at the shoulder. I also began folding back the portion your body will fit through…go ahead and stick a pin it to hold your spot.
8. Put a few stitches in the arm hole to keep it folded back.
9. Okay…this parts a little tricky, but I tried to pull it back to show you that there were two layers.  Here, you fold the body hole back once, and then double it up on itself once more, and pin it.
10. Finally, I just stitched the length of the pins right at the shoulder (ultimately 1.5 inches on either side of the shoulder seam).

Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of the award winning blog, Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for over a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow; and has been a contributor for the Huffington Post, Yahoo Finance, Manilla, Good Housekeeping, and Newsday Westchester, to name a few. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.