X Out DIY Challenge ~ Pretty n Punk Dress Redo

Hi lovelies!  I was asked to DIY an American Apparel tank dress, inspired by X Out, a new product from Proactiv.  Above is the inspiration from X Out, and what stood out to me is a one step, quick and easy, all in one product.  Armed with the dress, and a $200 AmEx card for supplies, I set about my mission.  I wanted to make a dress so fabulous that nothing else would be needed.  Any woman wearing it would stand out in a crowd, and shine like none other in such a spectacular piece.  And so I began.... {More after the break}

The first thing I wanted to do was give the skirt portion some volume.  So I cut about 20 pieces of tulle measuring about 16" in length and 50-60" wide.  I sewed them together, about four pieces together.  I then trimmed excess fabric above the stitches.

Then I tackled the dress.  I wanted to start the skirt portion higher than usual, so I tried on the dress and marked with tailors chalk where my belly button was.  I extended the line, and cut the dress in half there.

In true Smart n Snazzy fashion, I wanted the front top of the dress to be something knockout, so leather was the choice!  I used the back of a thrifted leather jacket.  I layed the top of the dress on the inside of the jacket, and lightly traced its outline.  I cut out several inches beyond the outline, because remember that jersey knit is stretchy whereas leather is not.

When working with leather, it's best to not pin the fabric because the holes remain intact.  I used binder clips to hem the exposed seams.

Now back to the tulle underskirt.  I cut enough elastic to fashion a waistband, and then cut 2.5 times that in satin ribbon to make a casing for the elastic.

Sew the one half of the satin ribbon into a circle, and begin sewing the tulle to the edge of the ribbon, in a winding, circular fashion.

When one piece of tulle ends, overlap the next and continue working around until all the tulle is sewn on.  Then sew the other piece of ribbon over it, and leave a space to thread the elastic through.  When done, sew the elastic ends together and sew the opening in the ribbon closed.

I cut the long skirt in half, and used the top portion as the base of the skirt.  I cut it into equal rectangular pieces, and then cut the discarded half into several (12) triangular pieces.

Pin each triangular piece to each rectangular piece, and sew them together.  Then sew these pieces together to re-form the skirt.

Hem the skirt, and sew the top of the dress to the skirt.  Add the tulle underskirt and the elastic safety pin belt, and....

The best part is that the underskirt is removable, so there's two options for wearing the dress!

So here you have it!  And now, best of all, the dress is going up for auction on eBay!  The proceeds are to benefit an anti-bullying campaign, which is an issue near and dear to my heart.  Please check it out and bid if you'd love to have this dress as your own!

xxxooo
Lia