How long will it take to make a dress from a pattern?

Question

I want to make a dress for the Young Marine social. Nothing really advanced, and its about a month away. I want a formal dress, Im just not sure how long it will take to do it. How long will it take? How long did it take you if you have done one?

Answer 1

You can make a basic dress in a weekend if you devote the entire weekend to it. You can do it in two weekends if you don't devote the entire time. Broken down, it looks like this:

Cutting out the pattern - 30 min to 1 hour depending on complexity
Laying out Fabric and Pattern - 30 min to an hour depending on how many pieces/fabric print chosen
Cutting out patten pieces - 30 min
Putting it together - figure an hour to 2 hours for the skirt and another hour or two for the top, let's say 5 hours total.
Fitting - An hour adjusting, considering you chose the proper size, 2 hours for the sake of argument
Finishing - Hems, zippers, buttons, etc - 2 hours

Total Estimate: 10 to 12 hours

My mother is a seamstress. She makes wedding gowns, formal gowns, regular clothes, baby clothes, curtains, does upholstery, etc. I make my own dresses, skirts, tops, shorts, etc. so I have some experience. You have plenty of time to make the dress provided you get the pattern and material and get started soon!

Good luck!

Answer 2

My mother used to be a seamstress, a very good one too, but I cannot tell you exactly how long it will take you to make the dress unless I knew some details. Such as if you have ever sewn a dress or anything else before, what do you intend for this dress to look like will you need to add beads. lace, etc. Also, how much time do you have to devote to working on this dress each day. My mom made flower girl dresses for my sister, other flowers girls and I and it took her about a week to make each dress. But that is because sewing aside from day care were her jobs which she conducted at home and me and my sister helped her out by threading needles for things she sewed by hand and cutting out patterns for the dresses, easy jobs because we were young and not allowed to use the sewing machine until I got a little older but my sister much older (she is 5 years my junior).

I think a month is definitely enough time if you have all your materials already or can retrieve them within the next couple of days. Don't wait until the last minute or else you will be staying up until early in the morning on the day of the event. My mom stopped sewing because she can't find any decent looking material anymore in our area and people don't want to pay her what she deserves for all the time and effort that she puts into her work. I wish you the best of luck though.

Answer 3

There are several variables, like the complexity of the pattern, type of fabric used (the shiny ones tend to slip if you're not careful), and your sewing skills.
I know that isn't really an answer, but those are all aspects that need to be recognized.
If you go for something like a simple straight or A- line, you should be OK.
Good luck with your project - and I hope you have a great time at the social!!

Answer 4

the length of time it takes to make a dress from a pre-cut pattern will be based mainly upon the amount of sewing experience you have.
for me, cutting, pinning, draping, sewing, and top stitching non-stop takes about 3 1/2- 5 hours when i draft up my own pattern.
depending upon the difficulty of the pattern and design, combined with your prior sewing knowledge and skill, will determine the amount of time.
of course, that doesn't include any road bumps that you may encounter with the process.
personally, i prefer to draft my own patterns, and have never used a store bought pattern.
but i have heard complaints about store bought pattern flaws, incorrect sizing notes, and it is all around harder to have the dress fit your body perfectly without altering the pattern at some point during the construction.
if i were you, i would start now, to make time for any last minute alterations, and so you wont have to worry about having it done at the last minute.

sewing is a hobby of mine, so if you have any questions, or need any tips, you can feel free to e-mail me through my profile!!
good luck!!

Answer 5

i'm with MrsD in this one. maximum types have a extend/shorten line (and that's often interior the direction of the trend). you may get some present tissue paper (much less costly at greenback shops!). decrease the line the place it says extend. Tape the acceptable piece to the tissue paper and, utilising a ruler, mark the form of inches/cm you opt for on the tissue paper. try this at the two ends and the middle. Draw a line on the markings, and tape the backside of the skirt trend to that line. one ingredient to recollect ... make useful the circumference of the skirt is extensive adequate.If it rather is narrow, take a tape degree and function a buddy carry it close to the place your hem would be. Take some steps. you may continually upload a slit!

Answer 6

depends how much time they spend making it....