Color Block Dress Tutorial (with ruching)

A couple weeks ago I asked for your opinions (here and facebook) on which dress inspiration you liked best. The winner, hands down, was this peach, olive, and black option. So, today I'm excited to show you the finished color block dress and a tutorial!

I think it translated well from paper to reality, don't you? There were some bumps in the road, like not adding enough seam allowance on the width, making it a little tighter than I prefer. Don't worry, I made the proper adjustments for the tutorial below! 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. My mistakes make it that much better for you.

The ruching was a great addition, especially with my blunder of making it a bit tight, because it created some texture around my waist making it not seem as tight. Then, because it just seemed proper, I topped it off with similar ruching at the v-neck. In this case, the project kind of morph into what it wanted to be as I went along and I guess that's just how inspiration works.

On one quick outfit related note, I'm a huge fan of wearing it with boots like these ones from Old Navy! The boots truly turned it into a fall outfit, and kept my toesies cozy!

Now let's get to the nitty-gritty!

Materials:

• 1 yard of each color of knit fabric (I used this, this, and this)
• 1/4 inch wide elastic for ruching (I used about 5" for each side and about 2" for the neck)
• Roll of paper (for a quick pattern)
• Coordinating thread.

Tutorial:

Step 1: Make a pattern

• I started by making a quick pattern on a roll of freezer paper. Using you're own measurements, draw out a pattern similar to this below:
• *I say 5 or more inches in length, because if you want more ruching, you'll want to increase that.

Step 2: Cut your pattern where you would like the color blocking to be (shown above).

Step 3: Using your pattern pieces, cut 2 of each piece out of the desired fabric. 

• Add a 1/2 inch seam allowance where the color blocking will be sewn together.

• This will be your front and back, so make sure the back sides of the fabric are facing each other when cutting.

Step 4: Sew the front color block pieces together. Then do the same for the back color block pieces. You should have now have 2 large pieces that are the two sides of the dress.

Step 5: Sew on the sleeves to both sides of the dress. 

• It should look like this when you're finished with this step (this tutorial also has sleeves like this).

Step 6: Sew up the side and arm in one long seam, then do the other side and arm!

Step 7: Cut the neckline. Add the side and front ruching.

• There is no front or back at this point, so choose what side will be you front and cut out your neck. I cut out a v-neck and a little bit of a scoop in the back, but get creative and do what you prefer!

• To add ruching, you will need a piece of elastic that stretches to the length that you want the ruching to occur.

• Pin it to the starting place then stretch it as you sew.

• Make sure you use your elastic stitch, which looks like a zigzag with multiple stitches on each zig and zag.

• The elastic will retract as you finish sewing it, leaving the ruching details.

• Do this for both sides and your neck front if you want.

Step 8: Add the neck band.

• Measure the neck circumference, and create a band about an 2 inches wide with that circumference + 1 inch seam allowance for the length.

• Sew the ends of the neck band in a v-shape like image below, then when you fold it out and in half, it will look like the v shape for the neck line.

• Line up the v-necks of the dress and band, and sew the neck band onto the dress (this tutorial shows this step a little better in step 5).

I didn't get the v's lined up quite right. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Okay, I'm better now.

Step 9: Hem the dress and sleeves to your desired length.

• I used a blind hem for my sleeves. Because I don't have a serger, this is one of the more professional looking finishes that you can achieve with a regular sewing machine. Check out your sewing machine manual for some details on how to sew a blind hem. 

• Here's a piture of how you fold the hem to do the blind stitch. See how the raw edge is out just a smidge. 

• You will sew along that raw edge and every few stitches your machine will do one zigzag that will just barely catch the folded part. This will give you tiny stitches that are nearly invisible every 1/2 inch or so.

And now you know the rest of the story to this little color block dress (AKA: the LCBD)! I hope this tutorial was helpful and inspires your creative minds! Hit me up with questions right here or on my new Facebook Page. Don't forget to like my page so you can follow along anytime!

---Elizabeth