How to make a cheap & cute summer dress out of an old singlet

I am the first to admit that I am a complete novice when it comes to sewing. My fiance bought me a sewing machine last Christmas. I really wanted a sewing machine and I was delighted. At the time, all I wanted to do was make some giant cushions for my Balinese day bed.

Anyone who knows me, probably knew that, once I got started on sewing, cushions would never satisfy me. I instantly wanted to be able to sew a lot more.

One little problem though....I am terribly impatient! I don't want to waste time in sewing classes making things that I will never use, never want and probably can't even fob off onto other people as gifts (not anyone I'd like to keep as a friend anyway).

So, instead, I started some trial and error sewing projects. Some are completely made up in my own head and others I base on really useful blogs and tutorials that can be found on the web.

I've made about 5 dresses now, all different styles. This is my most recent. I'll post some others and how to make them in later blogs.

This one is based on fantastic instructions posted here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-An-Easy-Dress-For-Cheap/

My singlet cost nothing. It's an old one that I accidentally splashed bleach on the bottom and couldn't wear anymore. I cut off the bleached bit so you wouldn't even know.

The material I used cost just AU$3.95 per metre. I just looked for cheap fabric in a little store near work that had similar colours to the singlet. I think it's a cotton/polyester mix. I put the dress through the washing machine quite a few times and it's come out well.

When I was sewing it, I made a few changes that I'll explain below.

Roses Decor
I made roses or the top of the dress so it might look less like a sports singlet attached to a skirt.
I used the piece of the singlet that I cut off the bottom. Cut it into 1 inch strips and rolled the strips.
Once secured with a bit of thread, they were simple to sew on and they've stayed on through a few washing machine cycles now.

Elasticated Waist
A few people made comments on the tutorial that it was difficult for a bigger busted girl to pull the dress on over their head as the waist did not allow for any stretch.

To avoid this, I cut a piece of 1 inch thick elastic to about the same circumference of my waist, allowing for a little stretch.
Before I sewed the skirt to the top, I bunched the skirt  waist along the elastic, pinned it and sewed it in a straight line with a zig zag stitch.
Then I sewed the top to both the skirt and the elastic.
It worked perfectly.

But of course, after successfully making a really cheap dress, I realised I had to buy some shoes to match it....if only i knew how to make shoes!