In today’s post: Learn how to make a super easy maxi dress without a pattern!
***Five years ago I shared a tutorial for a SUPER EASY maxi dress. It’s the simplest way I could come up with to sew up a maxi dress that has sleeves. The original tutorial used my Easy Tee pattern as a base, but I decided to revisit it today and show you how to make this simple maxi dress without a pattern. I’ve included new photos and more detailed instructions. Enjoy!***
I got the idea for this easy to sew maxi dress when I saw the dress below (from The Gap years ago). It was so cute and looked perfectly comfortable and cool for summer. But it was $75, which is a little pricey, and I could tell from the photo that the gathered waistline would hit very low on me which just looks terrible. Plus in the reviews people complained that the fabric was very thin, which means it wouldn’t hide my muffin top very well.
So I figured out how to make my own. It takes 2 yards of knit fabric and one yard of elastic, so you’ll be able to make it for $50 or $60 less than the Gap version. You don’t need a sewing pattern, because you’ll make your own simple pattern using a t-shirt as a guide.
How to make a Maxi Dress pattern
This maxi dress just has two main pattern pieces: a front and a back. You’re basically going to draw around a t-shirt that fits you well to create your own pattern for these pieces.
You will need 2 yards of 60 inch wide knit (stretchy) fabric. You’ll also need a yard of 1/2 inch elastic. Wash and dry your fabric before you begin. Then lay the fabric out on a flat surface and smooth it out. Fold the fabric in from each side so that the selvedge edges meet in the middle (see photo below). Please note that this method of cutting out a maxi dress will not work with sizes above an XL.
NOTE: If you wear a womens size L (approx 38 in bust), you can print out my Easy Tee pattern and use it to make this dress. If you’re a different size, don’t worry! I’ll show you how to make this dress using a t-shirt you own. The illustration below shows how the pieces will be cut for this dress if you use the Easy Tee pattern.
To make this dress using a t-shirt instead of my pattern, find a tee that fits close to your body without being so tight it stretches when you put it on. If you use a t-shirt that has to stretch to fit you, your finished maxi dress will be tight. To get the loose fit you see here, you need to use a t-shirt that fits well without being tight. (Please note that this method of making a maxi dress will not work for sizes above an XL.)
Set up your fabric as described above. Fold your t-shirt in half and line it up along one of the folded edges of the fabric. Be sure to smooth the shirt out flat. Use pins to “trace” around the shirt, as shown below. You do not need to add seam allowance along the neckline, but you do need to add seam allowance everywhere else. You’ll notice that we aren’t treating the sleeves as a separate piece; just trace all the way around the shirt and sleeve together as you see below. Usually when tracing a pattern I add 1/2 an inch seam allowance; for this dress I added quite a bit more room (1-2 inches) to get a relaxed fit. Remember, you can always take something in, but once it’s cut you can’t take it out!
Curve in right below the sleeve, and then immediately angle out as shown below. You’ll trace/pin a straight side seam all the way down the side of the dress. The dress pieces should be about 60 inches long from the top of the shoulder to the hem (or a bit longer if you’re really tall – I’m 5’3″ and I cut at least 5 inches off the bottom before hemming).
Repeat on the other side with a mirror image. On this side, cut the neckline lower, tracing the front neckline of your t-shirt.
You’ll have some extra fabric left below the dress pieces. From this you’ll want to cut a neckbinding piece that’s approximately 1.75 inches high and 28 inches wide (stretch goes along the width). You’ll also want to cut a casing piece that’s approximately 1.25 inches high and 50 inches wide (stretch goes along the width).
How to sew a maxi dress
Take your two maxi dress pattern pieces and lay one on top of the other, with right sides together. Sew across the shoulder seams. Sew the sides seams, starting under the sleeve and continuing all the way to the bottom of the dress.
That completes the very basic dress construction! Now we need to add some elastic to define the waist. I prefer my dresses to have elastic right at my natural waist; however, depending on your body type, you may prefer a higher or a lower waistline. So put your dress on and grab your elastic. Standing in front of a mirror, tie the elastic around your waist, then move it up and down to see what sort of waistline looks best on you. Mark the place you’d like the elastic to hit with pins.
NOTE: If the dress feels too big even with elastic pulling it in at the waist, you can take it in along the side seams at this point.
We’re going to create a casing to thread elastic through. You should have cut a long strip of knit that’s 1.25 inches high and long enough to go all the way around the dress at the waistline.
Place one end of the casing strip in the middle front of your dress, right where you marked the waistline. Carefully pin the casing all the way around the dress and back to the middle front. Trim it when it meets itself. Fold each short end under and press. That will create about a 1/2 inch opening in between the casing ends.
Now you’ll sew the casing to your dress. First you’ll sew along the top of your casing, very close to the edge. Use a long straight stitch and stretch the fabric just slightly as you sew. Then you’ll sew along the bottom of your casing, again very close to the edge. Go slowly here so you can keep your stitch lines straight, but don’t get too stressed if they wobble a bit. No one will ever notice once the elastic is inserted.
You can see in the close-up photo that my stitching is a little wonky here, but when the elastic cinches it up you can’t tell. (Be sure to use a long stitch length when sewing on knits.) I cut 1/2 inch elastic just shorter than my waist measurement, then sewed ribbon to each end of the elastic, and threaded it through. That way all the elastic hides inside the casing, and I can use the ribbon to tie a bow in front.
Making a maxi dress: Finishing
At this point you just need to finish up the neckline, sleeve, and hem. If you aren’t familiar with binding a neckline, read my post on how to sew a t-shirt neckline.
For the sleeves, you can turn them up 1/2 an inch, press, and sew with a zig zag, double needle, or stretch stitch. For this dress, I actually finished the sleeves with a band so they would match the neckline.
Finally, you’ll hem the dress to your desired length, and you’re done! An easy to sew maxi dress that doesn’t require a pattern.
Wanna see the version from 5 years ago just for fun? Here you go:
Camille says
YES!!! A dress for the ‘rest of us’! Thank you so much! I’m going to start looking for some knit.
autumn says
No kidding! Why do stores think we all look like the gals they have modeling their clothes? I’m kinda hating how everything I try on this season looks on me. Oh well 🙂
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Kathleen says
Now I know what to do with the stash of knit fabric I couldn’t figure out what to do with and was afraid to sew with it.
Helen McCallum says
I love this dress….I am 5″3-1/2 (used to be 5″4-3/4!) ……and I have huge ‘bat wings’. I am going to try this pattern but I think I may try to do a dolman-type sleeve – to cover my arms. I love the simplicity – I love how comfy it looks – and I love that the pattern could easily be adjusted/adapted for lounge-wear or evening wear. Thank you so much!
Gretchen says
Very cute! I might have to pull out the old sewing machine for this!
Cyndi says
I love this! I also have an aversion to shorts, and prefer knee length dresses and skirts in the summer. If I wasn’t having a baby this summer, I would absolutely make this dress very soon, but it is definitely on my sewing list for next year, along with the other easy tee versions!
autumn says
You know, if you made the waistline high this would probably work pretty well as a maternity dress! Congrats on the upcoming baby and good luck!
JM says
Brilliant! Thanks for posting.
Sara says
Love this dress!!!
autumn says
Thank you!
Tami says
I like having the sleeve, and the muffin top eraser. Looks comfy!
Crystal says
Super cute! I love how easy this is. Thanks for the tutorial, Autumn!
autumn says
Thanks so much, Crystal! It was fun to go from start to finish in just a few hours.
Carole says
Gorgeous! Beautiful! Brilliant! can you tell I love this dress? just what I need and sleeves as well. Thank You so very much for posting
autumn says
Thank you so much! 🙂
Beth Howard says
Thank you! Yes! Sheesh, why no sleeves? Ever? I mean, I have cardigans, but it’s not as easy as it could be. Very excited to give this a shot!
autumn says
I hate always having to wear something over or under sleeveless dresses – what a hassle!
Sharlyn says
I have a pile of knit just waiting for this! Thanks!
Natalie says
Finally, a maxi dress with sleeves! I love the idea of creating it to fit your own body style. Thanks for sharing! I’m definitely adding this to my list of things to make. And I love the fabric you chose!
Tina says
Thanks! You’ve inspired me!!!
Jenni mitchell says
I’m so anxious to make this dress! I am 5’2 and dislike my upper arms showing so basically I can’t wear ANY dress that’s popular right now and also have a momma muffin top to hide, so this sounds perfect! Thank you 🙂
autumn says
Sounds like we’re twins except I’ve got a whole inch on you! 🙂 I hope it works out for you!
Danielle says
Oh my heck! I love everything about this dress! It is on my sewing list now! I’d love for you to link up to my Feature Friday Linky Party! This post would be a hit! http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com
Judy Kirkpatrick says
I really like this pattern, as I don’t like shorts, either. I’m 74 and short. I need patterns like this!
autumn says
I hope it works out for you!
Debbie says
Love the dress idea. I love your site because you are a “normal” size girl as most of us are. Thanks for offer the great T pattern and showing us so many options to use it.
autumn says
Thanks, Debbie!
samantha says
Wow I just love this. I am seeing it in a French terry…think swim suit cover up nice enough to wear out for lunch. I am definitely going to have to make more than one…I go out to lunch a lot! Thank you so much for something beautiful and yet doable without spending a lot of cash or all weekend creating. I love this dress.
autumn says
Making one in terry is a great idea! Maybe knee length?
Julie says
Such a cute dress! I have the perfect knit just waiting for a project like this. And the ribbon sewn to the ends of the elastic – genius!!! So much better than just ribbon threaded through. I hate having to constantly adjust it and may go back to update some things I’ve made in the past .
autumn says
Thanks, Julie! I hope your dress turns out great – send me a picture of it once you make it!
Corinne Sridhar says
Thanks for the pattern and its even more easy as I teach and do alot of sewing.
It is very comfortable.
jamie says
Could you make this dress out of lightweight cotton maybe ?
autumn says
I think you could – I’ve actually been meaning to try it. The only thing you’d have to be careful about is that if you use a material that doesn’t stretch you’ll need it to be loose enough to take on and off over your head. I think mine is roomy enough on me that it would work even without stretch – but I haven’t actually tried it yet so I can’t say for sure!
Hailee says
I love this! I am going to try to make it but I’m nervous about the neckline as I”m a beginner and I’ve never sewn a neckline before. Do you have any tips for doing that part? I checked out the easy tee tutorial but don’t understand how to make it stand up like that.
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vivian says
Thanks for sharing your maxi dress post. Your dress looks great! And I have the exact sentiment as you, why are most of the maxi dresses out there with spaghetti straps! I have bought a long maxi dress which I need to cut a few inches off the hem and have actually make wider straps for the dress. Now if only I could find one long enough to cut at the hem to make decent sleeves with…haha.
bree says
Hi! This may sound like a silly question, but I’m new to sewing apparel….When I sew the shoulder and sides together, the dress is inside out correct? But when I sew the casing on, is the dress turned right side out? Sorry…just a little confused! Thank you!!
autumn says
Not a silly question – and you’re absolutely right! Most seams are sewn with the garment inside out, but we add the casing on the outside of the dress, so yes, it’s right side out then.
Stef says
This dress is cute! Have you considered to do a version of a Sonnet James dress?
RacHael says
I love this! With some modifications, I made it into a maternity dress to wear for a wedding I’m in this month. The cut of the sleeves and the collar are beautifully modest, which is something I have trouble finding in maternity clothes. Thank you for sharing your patterns!
Jennifer says
Hi there, thank you so much for posting this dress. I’ve done a lot of sewing, but always with a pattern, and I hesitate to mess with a pre-made pattern to size it to me, don’t know why I have that hang-up! I also wear sleeves & clothes to my knee, so thank you for drafting your pattern to have a higher neckline than most! I have a question though, I wear a M or L, depending on the manufacturer, would you be willing to share the finished measurements on your dress? (bust, shoulders, etc.) That way I’ll know if your size L might also be my size L! :O) I’m 5’2″ and about 140 lbs (no secrets here!) for reference. Thanks so much!!
connie katz says
I live the look of this dress. I hope I can make this. I have the muffin top also. Thanks for sharing.
Bev M. says
I know I’m late to the party, but this pattern is AWESOME! I live out in the boonies, so maxi dresses are just hitting big where I live. 🙂 I love this and plan to use the pattern, though I might make some changes to suit my style/tastes. Or I might not put in the casing, because I’m lazy like that.
Calee says
Wow thank you for this!! I am excited to try it. I love maxi dresses and this looks so good!
Cynths says
Thank you!
Emily Farrer says
Oh my heck! I haven’t looked at crafty blogs forever, but this is too much fun. I need to go to bed!
Holly Ket says
Since this is an older post, the fabric link no longer works. I am new to buying this type of fabric. How do I find fabric like this? Thanks!
haifeng says
Absolutely beautiful.black printed maxi dress
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Bailey says
Nursing Mama here. I’m having the hardest time finding dresses to to wear to church that I can nurse in. Would it totally ruin the dress if I sewed a Henley placket into the front to make it breastfeeding friendly? do I need to adjust the size of the neckline? Thanks!
HJ says
Thanks so much for this tutorial! Very helpful. I made a pretty aqua maxi dress for my kid sister and she loves it!
Rhonda Erb says
I was going on a cruise and needed to find a few maxi dresses for day and evening. I was so disappointed that all I found was sleeveless frumpy monstrosities that made me look shorter and well, wider than I am. I would also have to have at least 12 inches removed from the bottom before the necessary
a 2-inch hem. I am 5 foot exactly. Use to be 5.1 but nature has seen fit to make me closer to the ground. When I saw this on Pinterest I was a little skeptical but excited that something could be this easy. Well, I made four dresses for the ten-day cruise using knit fabric like the ones you chose to use. And I made two using a stretch satin and two using stretch poplin. I used lightweight stretch cotton for the original 4 dresses in small prints and used a contrasting color for the elastic casing and to “hem” the neck and sleeves. I also added things like a pom-pom edging, a stretch cotton lace edging and sequined edging for effects. I even used lace covering the full bottom of the dress, attached at the waist and open at the front. Then added a sequined pin at the middle of the waist casing. The lace moved when I walked and in the wind on the deck. I had so many compliments and directed passengers to your site. Your original idea inspired me to think outside the box to create a fantastic wardrobe for a wonderful 10-day cruise without worry as to what I would wear. Thank you, Autumn!
MaryLou Barnett says
I’m going to make this dress leaving off the casing for the ribbon at the waistline. By adding my own narrow belt I can pull the dress material up and bunch it over the belt, making a shorter dress but with a blousey over hang. I’d add a drawing here if I could