The Convertible “Infinity” Dress: How it almost defeated me, and what you need to make one

by Kristina on 06/06/2010 · View Comments · in Craft Tutorials, Crafts, To Wear

I made this thing. It’s pretty cool. It’s a convertible dress that’s basically a circle and two straps, so it’s really easy, inexpensive, and crazy versatile. It’s been around forever and everyone seems to love it (in fact, part of the reason I’m posting this is to answer some questions for people I’ve run into), and I can hardly believe how close I came to not making it at all.

I first found the instructions at a blog called rostitchery, and then I came across a second set at Cut Out + Keep. It sounded so easy. Cut out a circle with a hole in it, sew on two straps, and voila, a dress you can wear a hundred different ways. Sign me up! I have a sewing machine! Sure I can sew a straight line! Let’s get this done!

So I bought some material, spread it out in the living room, cut out my pieces, and…

…stopped.

I didn’t understand the next step.

Turn the skirt inside out? But it’s just a circle. I can turn it… upside-down I guess. That doesn’t seem right. Why would I want to sew the straps straps to the back of the skirt instead of with the right sides facing? If I do sew them to the back, should I pin them flush with the waistband, or should they overlap the waistband and hang the other way?

And what’s this about making them overlap each other? By how much? Why?

There’s, like, a band of fabric involved? It goes around your waist somehow? And its only purpose is to create a finished edge around the back of the dress? So it’s supposed to go behind the straps instead of below them? And you’re supposed to pin it and sew it all together at once? Even the overlapping straps? With one seam?

What?

I figured I was just being thick. Other people had figured this dress out from the very same instructions. So I googled every blog and article I could find and looked at every available photo of the dress, but there wasn’t much in the way of diagrams or clear photos of the process. I read about 15 pages into the 140-page forum thread on Craftster. I saw people who seemed confused like me. Unfortunately, the craftsters clever enough to figure it out were posting photo after photo of their successes, and didn’t go into much detail. The photos showed the dresses in action with the straps wrapped all around the area I needed to get a look at. There just wasn’t much to grab on to, for someone as dumb at sewing instructions as I am.

So I folded up my circle and my straps and I put it all back in the bag it came in. Cheerfully, I declared, “This isn’t fun anymore,” though I felt heavy with disappointment. “I quit.”

And I went upstairs to watch TV.

A couple of hours later, some of the concepts had settled in a bit, and I thought I might finally be able to make some sense of things if I stopped worrying about the words and tried to put the dress together the way it seemed like it should go. I decided to go back and give it a shot.

I was wearing my new dress after about half an hour. I’ll be honest… I still don’t understand the part about turning the skirt inside out, but I do know that even without understanding everything, I was finally able to conquer the project and ended up with something lovely. There was a whole lot of research involved on the way, though. And a lot of frustration because I hadn’t really ever sewn anything without a pattern. So here are the things I wished someone could’ve told me before I started (and a few answers that I was able to find, but didn’t realize the importance of until later). Start by reading the original instructions at rostitchery and/or Cut Out + Keep, and then use the information below to hopefully help clarify anything that might’ve gone over your head.

Select a stretchy knit with spandex in it. The straps have to be super stretchy to form and twist around your body. And choose a fabric that doesn’t have a distinguishable reverse side, because you’re going to see the back of the straps.
The fabric-choosing rules don’t really apply to the skirt. If you want to use a material that doesn’t fit the bill, you can use it for the skirt as long as you can find a complementary samey-sided stretchy knit for the straps and waistband.
Here’s how you figure out how much material you need.
- A square for the skirt (so if you’re using 60″-wide material, you need 60″ length), plus
- 1.5 times your height (if you’re five feet tall, that’s seven and a half feet, or two and a half yards… but you can round down if you’re five and a half feet, no problem), plus
- about 20″ for the waistband.
So for me, using a 60″-wide knit and being 5’5″, my dress takes almost five yards.
You’ll have a bunch of leftovers, because the straps have to be cut along the length, which leaves a big rectangle of material. Want to be clever? You should have plenty left to cut out a second set of straps/band. You can then pair it with a square of any coordinating material for a second skirt and make another dress. Thrifty!
It’s going to be a pain in the butt to cut your straps. That’s not a tip… I just don’t want you to be surprised.
Subtract about three inches from your waist/underbust measurement and cut the waistband to that new number instead of your actual measurements. It’s stretchy!
Although this calls for a single seam, it’s tough to pin four (and in some places, five) layers of fabric all correctly at once. If you, like me, have a geometrically-clumsy brain, you can sew your straps to the front of the dress first, and then do the waistband separately with a second seam over your first.
The straps have to overlap one another in the middle, but it’s hard to tell how much. Plan on about five inches of overlap at the seam, but angle them slightly so that there’s only a 5″–7″ triangle of overlap above the skirt. This part isn’t an exact science, but if you overlap too little, you’ll have to wear something under the dress because it won’t cover anything.
Oh, and if you use a jersey material that’s likely to curl up at the edges, take that into consideration when determining your overlap.The width of your straps might end up smaller than what you cut. (Typically, cutting the straps along the length should keep them from curling in that direction, though.)
You’ll end up pinning your overlapping straps to your circle skirt with the right sides facing and the cut edges aligned. See diagram below.
On the finished dress, the band will hug your middle and be visible above the top of the skirt, but only in the back. In the front, it’ll be hidden behind the straps. The top edge of the dress, therefore, will be the folded-over edge of the band, and below that will be the nice finished seam that’s created when you sew it to the skirt. Make the band wide enough so that when you turn the dress backwards, it will cover your bust.
Then you’ll pin your band, folded in half (with the “right” side out—although of course there should be barely any difference between the right and wrong sides), over the seam where you just sewed the straps. The cut edges will again line up with the cut edges of the straps and the circle-opening.
Even if it’s three inches smaller than your true waist measurement, the inner circle cut to the new measurement will be too big. It’ll probably fall right off your hips. But the waistband, cut to the same measurement, should fit nicely. So you have two choices: either cut your circle-hole even smaller in the first place, or gather the circle evenly around the waistband when you pin it together. I like the second option, because it makes the skirt fuller.
You’re going to sew the waistband into a ring. Plan for its seam to land behind one of the straps, but just barely. Try to get it as close to the side of the dress as you can. It should be under your arm, but slightly forward so it’s hidden by the strap.
I think this diagram might help:

Mind you, in spite of all my whining, the original directions from rostitchery and Cut Out + Keep are extremely helpful, and I would never have known where to begin if it hadn’t been for both of those posts. I’m pretty sure it’s my impatience and lack of experience that made the project so tough for me to figure out. However, if my diagram and the links I’ve collected below can save at least one person from the frustration I experienced, then it’s all been worth it. It really is a simple project that anyone can make.

Even me.

And once you’ve finished yours, bully for you! Check out all the ways you can wrap it. And these are just the basic ones! It’s fun to stand in front of the mirror and make up new styles. You can twist the straps or not twist them, wear them in the front or turn the whole dress around backwards, and choose between keeping the waistband at your waist, hiking it up above your bust to make a minidress, or pulling it down just above your hips to wear as a skirt. Cross the straps? Knot them? So. Many. Options!

The design itself has dubious beginnings. Some call it a classic, other cite a designer. This blog talks about that a bit, and one designer who’s been credited with first designing the dress (for “Butter by Nadia,” as pictured, left) chimes in to explain her role in the story. The fact is, lovely and simple as this dress is, a lot of people have probably designed it independently from one another. It brilliantly sort of strips the idea of a dress down to its most basic concepts. Surely by now it belongs in the crafty version of the public domain, at least for sewing-types (and the rest of us) to make their own.

Since you’re not using an actual pattern, I guess it’s even okay to sell your own version of this dress, and many people certainly do. I’ve posted a couple of links below as examples. As for me, I’ll continue making them for myself and friends until everyone I know is sick of it and doesn’t ever want to see a dress again as long as they live.

Good luck!

Collected links:
Rostitchery blog instructions
Cut Out + Keep project page
Craftster thread
Origin story
$895 somewhat-comparable version of this dress from Donna Karan
List of infinity dresses for sale on Etsy, from $30–$200

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Kat

That is really cool. I appreciate hearing that I'm not the only one that reads directions and thinks, huh? Great job, it looks fantastic.
Laura

Thanks a ton! Found this via Craftgawker. I've always wanted to do this but stopped reading after the second or third step of the directions. The layout drawing looks like it will be a huge help. now if I can figure out how to wrap it in all those different variations!

Have a lovely day!
laura
http://www.currykaydesigns.etsy.com
Kristina

I really hope it helps. Once I finally figured out how simple it was and let go of trying to make perfect sense of the directions, I thought this dress was an absolute snap. And I don't even sew. Good luck to both of you, Kat and Laura!
Kevin S C

how did you fixed the search bar on your blog? i'm having trouble with my site and i hope you would help me.
Kristina

Kevin, that was no problem. I based my Blogger template on the Mahusay theme, which had been translated to Blogger from a WordPress theme. When the Blogger theme was taken offline, I simply googled "Mahusay," found a demo of the original WordPress theme, and saved all the CSS images from that theme to my own server. Once I edited my CSS to reflect the new URL of each image, everything looked just as it did before. Very easy.

Best of luck!
Kevin S C

how do you get the link of the search bar image?
Kevin S C

ah, nevermind, i got it. thanks for the tips :)
Sydney

Where did you get the bottom picture showing the version of the dress in red and all the ways it could be worn? I opened it in another tab and it's not that much bigger than it already appears, but I'd love to be able to see the options up close!
Kristina

I'm not proud to say that I borrowed it, without permission, from Butter by Nadia. They have a nice big version of the graphic in a PDF download here:

http://www.butterbynadia.com/WARPit.pdf.zip

You also can see the beautiful variations of the dress that they offer here:

http://www.butterbynadia.com/wrap.html
k8et.com

I marked the instructions on one of the crafty sites but didn't get around to it, then found out Avon has it for $30. Bought that one :D

I may make more, but was thrilled to have it for a cheaper price. I have seen a bridesmaid version that was over $200, and yes – the quality is better than the Avon's, but I didn't need it for a formal occasion.
Kristina

You are absolutely right! I just found it for $24.99 on Avon's website!

http://shop.avon.com/shop/product.aspx?pf_id=38818

Kinda looks like it only comes in cyan, though, so fabric choice is still a motivator for the crafty types. Still, I'm tempted to buy it just because I know what a good price that is…
Veronica

that’s pretty awesome! i’m heading to the fabric store to make me one of them dresses :D thanks for the post!
http://www.dantelsandigi.com/cok-amacli-elbise-modeli.html Çok amaçlı elbise modeli | Dantel Örnekleri

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PersuasionX

Good post
http://www.danaisawesome.com Dana M.

Wow, I stumbled across this and I am so glad I did! I think this dress would suit one of my friends perfectly! I hope she will like one! Thanks for sharing!
texas cinyd

You wrote and excellent tutorial and great graphics. The dress is gorgeous on you. I’m going to try and make me one. Hope it turns out as good as yours. Thanks so much…..texas cindy
http://lawinjury.com/ Robert

Wow, really great! stumbled…
Sheri Johnson

Your post is extremely informative and encouraging. I just bought 2 different colors of fabric yesterday in hopes of making a few of these dresses though I think I am going to attempt full length dresses and now looking for more information about “how to” cut the lower portion to make it look best.
http://likeahouseonfire.com Kristina

Hooray! If you post any photos of any dresses you’ve made, I’d love to see them!
Sheri Johnson

I stayed up late last night working on dress #1. I kept thinking of your dress and instructions as I was working. I did end up sewing the straps to the skirt before the band because my band was quite thin. I didn’t know till I got home that the lady who cut my fabric didn’t give me what I thought I was getting, so I ended up with a lot less fabric. Of course because of this, I feel that I may need to go and start all over again with this, but the great part is that I can at least play around with this “test dress” before deciding what I would change on the next one I make. I already know that I messed up the skirt a little bit because it just didn’t work the way I thought it was going to, but I will still be able to wear it.
Sheri Johnson

I made another dress, this one for my daughter, did it a little differently than the one I made last night. I think hers turned out great. I took a few pictures http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=245707&id=66205022463&l=ec2646db57#!/pages/Sheri-Johnson-Photography/66205022463

Let me know if the link doesn’t work.
http://likeahouseonfire.com Kristina

Sheri, I think that looks fantastic. Great work! Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer

Thanks so much for this tutorial! I found the rostichery and other infinity dress posts to be extremely confusing, yours cleared up a lot of questions I had about making this dress!
Rach

Thank you for that i was thinking the same as you i’m so happy i found this page now i can get my sew on and have a lovely dress today.
http://tallerthanthou.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/convertible-dress/ By george I did it! I made myself a convertible dress. | Taller Than Thou

[...] also found this very useful tutorial for a different take on the infinity/convertible with a wider waistband and a [...]
Suzie

Wow, that looks very nice! And nice job with the choice of wedges. Adds a lovely summery feel. Great job!
http://likeahouseonfire.com Kristina

Awesome! Thanks, and I’m glad it’s becoming useful for so many of you guys!
http://fitness-blog-site.info?p=15129 Lanie Barabas

agree with you more! People are bound to find this really important. Wow is all I can say. Thanks again.
Scarlettb

Your is gorgeous, and I’m incredibly jealous, but I have to ask: what is the situation with bras? I’m a K, so clearly going braless is not an option, but I don’t really see ANY configurations where my bra isn’t going to be sticking out at the sides. What do you suggest?
http://knucklesalad.com Kristina

Good question, Scarlett. I’ve been able to accommodate a convertible bra pretty easily, in both the criss-cross and halter configurations. I just wrap the dress’s straps to cover the straps, with the waistband at bra-level. It can be tricky getting the waistband to stay up so that it covers the back of the bra, but since that’s the plan, try making your waistband an inch or two wider (which means cutting your material two to four inches larger, since that piece will be folded in half). That should be enough to help it stay up, and if it isn’t, you can always pin or tape it to the back of your bra if the occasion warrants.

Also—and I wouldn’t do it with the dress pictured—my first attempt at this dress, using a casual jersey print, looks terrific with a matching solid-color tank top underneath. Part of the reason it works so well is because I mistakenly attached the straps too far apart and then the edges of the material curled, so it almost looks more like a jumper than a dress. It’s super cute, though, and I imagine you could do something similar in an evening style if you chose a material that would look nice with, say, a sequin tank, and deliberately sewed the straps about 1/2″–1″ farther apart than recommended.

Hope this helps!
Christine

How do you make the circle skirt? Or where do I buy a giant circle of fabric? Or is that a stupid question haha
http://likeahouseonfire.com Kristina

Not a stupid question, Christine! I omitted a lot about the specific method of making the dress because they’re well documented on the other sites I linked to, but that’s a really important detail. It’s tough to make a circle. First, you have to start with a really big square, the whole width of your fabric.

In looking for a complete circle skirt tutorial for you online, I found a whole lot that didn’t seem right, but eventually I came across this: http://www.ehow.com/how_7848371_tutorial-circle-skirt.html. Steps 3 through 6 in that tutorial describe precisely how I cut out my circle skirt. Disregard the rest of it for this dress, because it doesn’t apply, but 3–6 are where it’s at, my friend. Does that help?
wendy

wow.
http://mcrawford678.posterous.com Geraldo Jennison

What i find troublesome is to find a blog that may seize me for a minute however your weblog is different. Bravo.
Monica

I was wondering if anyone has made the blouse version. I saw one that I really liked in Avon and want to attempt it. Has anyone tried? How did it go? Thanks I was really confused until this site, I have been looking for the “infinity dress” pattern and this is tops, by far!!
http://168xuexi.co.cc/2011/03/01/infinity-convertible/ 168xuexi

[...] The Convertible "Infinity" Dress: How it almost defeated me, andIt’s a convertible dress that’s basically a circle and two straps, so it’s really easy, inexpensive, and crazy versatile. … I found the rostichery and other infinity dress posts to be extremely confusing, yours cleared up a lot of questions I had about making this dress! [...]
Jessica Deck

My friend is getting married this summer and we came across this kind of dress and really like the idea for the bridesmaid dresses. We ordered one online and when we got it in the mail, we were a little disappointed. It was not exactly what we had imagined. My friend noticed how easy it looked though to make and so I decided to search the web for directions. I came across your site first and read all about how you were able to do it. I then looked at the real directions and decided I would give it a try.

Using some scrap fabric my friend’s mom had we made a sample dress. We made some modifications on it to make it more the way we wanted it and it WORKED! We were so excited. Then we decided to try it out with the more expensive fabric for the wedding. It took us a few hours and we love the outcome! Now we only have 4 more dresses to go :-) Thank you for your great blog, not sure I would have had the confidence to do it without your help.
http://dollardressfriday.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/week-twenty-six/ Week Twenty Six « Dollardressfriday's Blog

[...] http://knucklesalad.com/convertible-infinity-dress-how-it-almost-defeated-me-and-what-you-need-to-ma... [...]
http://www.dollardressfriday.wordpress.com Kirsten

I can’t believe I wasn’t the only one defeated by the infinity dress. Just knowing that you finished it (not to mention your tips) helped me suck it up and muddle through it. I wore mine to work and got a fair amount of compliments on it. Thanks!
http://withlovebyrach.blogspot.com Rachel

Thank you!

I discovered the craftster thread last night and suddenly had a desire to make this dress. Like you I didn’t get the directions though. I can’t wait to try it out.
http://juanitashandmade.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/2-am-blog-post-why-not/ 2 AM Blog Post? Why Not!? | juanitashandmade

[...] my ‘new to me’ hand me down serger!) homeschooling montessori homeschooling biking this wrap/infinity dress baking these delicious looking cheddar crackers (immitation gold fish crackers, YUM!) And [...]
Jessica

Wow, I loved your explanation thanks so much, and the ways you tied your dress are the best I’ve seen. I was wondering how you were able to tie it to be strapless cuz I noticed that all other tutorials have the strapless like a sweet heart, but yours is straight, I know this is probably obvious to everyone but I’m confused lol.
Sarah

What kind of thread/stitch did you use?
I was using the Rostitchery pattern (I agree. inside out? That makes no sense for this pattern), and I don’t know if it’s just that the band I made was a tad too tight, but the stitches popped pulling it over my chest/shoulders. My waist it very tiny compared to my bust and hips, so that might be part of it.
Any advice would be great!
I might try a bigger waistband, and then putting elastic in it if I find it’s falling down.
Also.
The band you did. Does it cover your bust under the straps, or do you scrunch it down underneath? I feel like wearing it as a “tube” style, then the straps over that would eliminate the nice v neck shape. I’ll have to see.
http://likeahouseonfire.com Kristina

Hi, Jessica! Don’t worry, it’s probably not that obvious: I sewed my waistband wide enough that I can turn the dress around backwards and the waistband will become a tube top, turning the dress into a sort of babydoll. Then I just twist and secure the straps around the waist a few times.
http://likeahouseonfire.com Kristina

Hi, Sarah! I used all-purpose thread (if there is such a thing, but that’s how it’s sold—as thread-for-people-who-don’t-know-one-thread-from-another thread) and the most medium-length straight stitch my machine could do, which I think—not that it’s relevant—is a #4. I didn’t have anything to go on, so I figured staying in the middle on everything was the next best thing to not making any decisions. In your case, elastic sounds like the right choice. But if your fabric is otherwise stretchy enough, would a zigzag stitch give the seam enough stretch? I’m just guessing, and you may have tried that already.

(Also, I usually scrunch the waistband down, for exactly the reason you mentioned. Sometimes I leave it up for sort of a preppy layered look, but it’s definitely less graceful.)
http://tcnguye3.blog.usf.edu/?p=648 Infinity Dress at reconstrucTHREAD

[...] amount of fabric required…and a few confusing details. Luckily, I stumbled upon yet another tutorial that gave extra tips and tricks to making this dress. Although I wanted to have all my projects be [...]
Leigh

I have been wanting to make this dress for years! However I like yourself thought, bugger this after reading the 3rd or 4th step! I like to sew..with patterns but am rather scared about doing it pattern free.
But with your help and that of many others I don’t feel so dumb and will attempt making this dress in the weekend… fingers crossed eh^^
http://www.facebook.com/pages/cecilias-crafty-mom/178090585564962 Cecilia’s Crafty Mom

I honestly don’t know how I stumbled on this site Kristina, but thank you.
I bought this dress from myself to learn how to make it. :)
As both an Etsyian and an Avon Lady, I just wanted to note:
Avon has carried several versions of this dress, lately they have been in outlet not the regular brochures. Please select a local representative to order from, not just the website. Avon lady’s work hard, and although we love our corporate support system (it is one of the most charitable and has true integrity), the little fish could use the money more.

As an Etsy shop owner we make things with alot of love and effort, everything is handmade or vintage. There are so many amazing people in the etsy community who could use your support if you are ever looking to buy, well just about anything…someone will have it, or can do it.

If any one wants help navigating either site I am on Facebook as: Cecilia’s Crafty Mom
Rebekah

Thank you so much for this tutorial! I am very excited to sew my own convertible dress. I would love to make this with an elastic-ruched skirt like this Victoria’s Secret version, but of much better quality fabric! I am new to sewing, so does anybody know how to make a pattern for an elastic-ruched skirt? Thank you so much!

Link for the Victoria’s Secret Ruched Convertible Dress:

http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265435975241&c=Page&cid=1300105512409&pagename=vsdWrapper
Andi Roth

Thank you so much for this! I made this dress last night and wore it today. I got DOZENS of compliments! I absolutely would not have been able to do it without your awesome directions and the diagram! This is my new favorite dress, and I can’t wait to make about a million more!
Anonymous

That graphic belongs to Butter by Nadia, who make a designer version of the dress. They have a nice big version of the graphic in a PDF download here:

http://www.butterbynadia.com/W...

You also can see the beautiful variations of the dress that they offer here:

http://www.butterbynadia.com/w...
Anonymous

Hi, CCM! Avon’s version of this convertible dress (when it can be found) is around $25–$30, isn’t it? For those who (a) can’t be bothered to try to sew it and/or (b) like the material that Avon offers and don’t need any custom options, that is a freakin’ unbeatable price.

What’s your Etsy shop called?
http://twitter.com/prettycanhurt Debra Wilson

I also read the directions, was horribly confused, and decided not to make it at all before I had even begun. Then, in a bag on hand-me-downs, I got (in my size) a black infinity dress… lol. I still do want one in a fun print or maybe just a red one.
Clarebear885

hi i love this dress and have got fabric to make it but was wondering how u finnished the edegs on the straps and hem of the skirt ?
Anonymous

It all depends on your fabric. I chose a stretchy jersey fabric specifically because I wasn’t planning to finish the edges, and unfinished jersey edges simply roll or hang.
http://www.facebook.com/kandicetheriot Kandice Theriot

I wish I had seen this before I sewed my dress. I made mine to measurement instead of making it smaller like you said and it came out to big in the waist. When I wear it the skirt looks uneven because of the sagging from the waist being to big. I must have made my straps to narrow also because they barely cover “the ladies.” I might need to take it apart and make new straps out of the left over and put a little of a gather in the skirt to make it fit better. I think I will eventually make another dress like this and use your tips. Also I just used my serger to make my stitches. I felt like they would give a little more than a straight stitch.
Clarebear885

thanks have my dress finnished now and love it :)
Stevievanb

My grandmother made one in the seventies, it now belongs to me. this is s homebrew heritage invention. It looks awesome.
Jill McFee

Hey, thanks for the deconstructed instructions! It helped me a lot. If you want to see what I came up with I wrote about it here:

http://favorthebrave.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-made-it-infinity-dress.html

I even figured out how to do the whole thing in 2 yards of 60in fabric!
elise M

I’ve spent all day looking at tutorials etc. and was about to throw in the towel . Tried one more time and , yippee Skippy got your blog ! I don’t even know what I put into the search the last time, lol.
Of all the versions I’ve seen , I really have to say I like yours the very best so,I’m extremely happy you continued on heroically ! You look stunning in this dress and the using of two different fabrics, brilliant !

Best,
Elise
Hannah ♥

Thanks soo much! This was very helpful! Another blog I found very useful is: http://sewlikemymom.com/little-red-infinity-dress-tutorial/
Thanks soo mcuh! :)
Barbara Lamar

Very instructive diagram and beautiful choice of fabrics! I have some striped silk jersey I wanted to use for this dress, but the stripes would have looked weird for the straps. That’s a great idea to do the skirt and bodice from different fabrics. Thanks!
Anonymous

Striped silk jersey sounds beautiful as a skirt. Good luck!
Anonymous

Thank you, Elise, you’re too sweet! I hope your dress goes smoothly, too!
Anonymous

Awesome! I’d love to know how you fare!
Anonymous

Rotary cutter is the way to go, for sure! I have a serger now, but I haven’t gotten up the nerve to take it out of the box yet. It’s too scary. I mean, have you SEEN how many spools of thread go on one of those things?
Anonymous

Hooray hooray hooray! I’m so excited for you.
Anonymous

I’m not sure exactly what the skirt should look like (VS changed the link) but elastic ruching is pretty easy (hand-wind a bobbin with elastic thread, then put regular thread on the needle and sew with the longest stitch on the machine; afterward, gently push the fabric up the bobbin-thread to gather, and secure both threads by hand). If you’re looking to ruche the sides of the skirt, your pattern will depend on what shape you ultimately want, but since it’s a stretchy fabric already, I imagine that sewing a tube-skirt would work.
Anonymous

Nice! That’s awesome. Congratulations on pushing through.
Anonymous

Thank you, Jessica, that’s the best story ever. Your friend’s wedding is going to be so crafty and cool! I bet everyone will be talking about those dresses. (Wait, but don’t tell the bride I said that. I mean, obviously they’ll be talking about her, too. Hey, have you thought about doing a long white one for her to change into at the reception? It’d be much comfier to wear to a party than a fancy wedding dress that she can’t spill drinks on!)
http://www.loupandlouve.fr/blog/?p=144 Infinity dress (robe infinie): une robe, une dizaine de possibilités! (tutoriel) | Loup & Louve….

[...] un dernier tutoriel, avec un schéma très bien fait, que j’ai essayé de reprendre avec mes explications (voir [...]
http://fenchurch.blog.siol.net/2011/06/26/neskoncnostna-obleka-neskoncno-energije/ » Neskončnostna obleka, neskončno energije Bober

[...] meli materiala v trgovini.). Če vas zanima kako si jo zašiti je ogromo napisano tukaj, tukaj in tukaj. In pa precej uporaben video [...]
http://vintageorigin.3dcartstores.com Runway Diaries

Love this. Thanks! I also write for a blog, The Runway Diaries. While researching for a post, I came across a great Interactive How-To-Style photo tutorial on styling the infinity dress.

Go to http://www.VintageOrigin.com and click on “how to style” in the upper left hand corner, in the menu bar. You can’t miss it. Anyway, it has front and back photos on a mannequin, so you can’t get lost mid-step!

They also have gorgeous infinity dresses for sale in the VO BOUTIQUE (click here: vintageorigin.3dcartstores.com | or click on “BOUTIQUE” from http://www.VintageOrigin.com). These infinite dresses work for pretty much every single occasion you can think of.. casual, cocktail, formal… spring, summer, fall, winter… every color & every size! And they are MUCH less expensive than every other company I’ve researched. I’m pretty much obsessed! Can’t you tell!?

Hope this adds to your blog!

Happy Posting,

The Runway Diaries
Brood

Too bad it’s ugly
Em

I just completed my first infinity dress, thanks to you! The diagram on step 15 was REALLY helpful. Thank you for posting this!
Jebug5

I really want to make this dress but I have an ancient sewing machine (literally, its from the early 1900s I think) and it doesn’t do zig-zag stitch like most people say to use. any hints? =/
Anonymous

Oh, you can definitely get this done with straight stitch! The zigzag stitch is recommended because it helps the knit material retain some of its stretch. But stretch isn’t everything. At worst, I think that without the benefit of stretch, you might lose out on some of the strapless options, because you may have to make the waistband of the dress a little looser in order to get in and out of it. There are plenty of strap/halter options, so that’s not a humongous loss.

At the end of the day, the project is so simple that there isn’t really a very big risk involved. I hope you decide to give it a shot!
Jebug5

oh I’ve actually got the fabric already and have it all cut out and ready! I just got stuck on the sewing part. but thanks for the advice, I’ll probably be up late tonight sewing it because I’m really excited about the finished product =]
Anonymous

So am I! I will keep my fingers crossed for you!
Anonymous

Awesome, I am so glad to know that! Congratulations on your dress, Em!
Jackie F

This is a great project. I will be going on a cruise in September and this would be such an easy thing to take and so fashionable. I was thinking, though, that you could recycle a circular skirt you already have and add the stripes for the straps. I look so forward to trying this and taking it on my trip. Thank you for your work and making this easier for the rest of us.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Blank-Slate/100002259563806 Blank Slate

-_-
Anonymous

Que?
kirsten

After making my first infinity dress I recently made another out of old tee shirts! http://dollardressfriday.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/project-thirty-six/
Anonymous

Awesome idea! I’ve been heavy into refashions lately, and I’ve been going to town on a bunch of old t-shirts myself, so I love to see new ideas for ways to use them. Great job. :)
Mac

Hi there,
First thank you for the great help! I do have a question. I do not sew my sister does and I was hoping to have her make these for my bridesmaids. If I wanted the dress to be full length do you know what I need to change?
Thanks again!
Anonymous

Hi, Mac! Yes, I do: the skirt length! That can be accomplished by making the diameter of your outer circle GIGANTIC (twice the length you want the skirt to be), which is only possible if you have amazingly wide fabric, unless you actually cut two half-circles and sew them together at the edges (right sides facing of course) to make one very, very large circle skirt.

You can also replace the skirt with any other skirt you like if a full-length circle skirt is too voluminous for you. Skirts are fairly simple to make up as you go along, and anything will work (even a tube made out of one or two rectangles of fabric), as long as your bridesmaids can slip in and out of it (otherwise you’ll have to add a zipper) and the waist measurement matches up with what you’ve got for your waistband.

This tutorial looks like it might give you a skirt in the appropriate style, and the design even includes a waistband similar to the style used in this dress:
http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/03/womens-skirt-with-yoga-style-waist-band.html

Good luck!
Deehinds

Just finished mine within 2 hours….changed the skirt pattern thou’ mines a straight mini and it looks great….thanks so much for the diagram it really helps. Dee
Anonymous

Hooray! Good for you!!
http://www.militarysos.com/forum/hobby-lobby/484156-seamstresses-help-me.html#post8238732 Seamstresses help me! – Hobby Lobby – MilitarySOS.com

[...] this The Convertible “Infinity” Dress: How it almost defeated me, and what you need to make o… __________________ JasonsGirl is my [...]
Ecschulte86

I tried the other two sites you mentioned, but in my opinion, your instructions were, by far, the most clear and easiest to read and understand! I went into this project thinking, “great, another project that I’m going to start, get halfway through, and quit because it’s too tedious or hard” and it totally WASN’T!!! I finished my dress, following your instructions, in about an hur, start to finish. I can’t wait to wear it and show it off at work tomorrow! Thank you so much!
http://www.facebook.com/chandra.rogers Chandra Rogers

I’m really glad to read this as I had a heckuva time figuring out how to make an infinity dress, too. Mine’s still sitting by its lonely little self on a shelf in the sewing room. Maybe I’ll be able to finish it tomorrow!
http://www.pearltrees.com/ludovi/sewing-things/id2451070 Sewing things by ludovi – Pearltrees

[...] The Convertible “Infinity” Dress: How it almost defeated me, and what you need to make one [...]
Stephanie Cooper

THANK YOU!!

I’m so glad I’m not alone in thinking this is not as simple as it sounds. I did figure it out eventually, but the dress was way too short because apparently I can’t do basic math. Next time I will do 2 half circles so the dress is longer and sew side seams in the skirt that will be hidden in the folds.
http://www.tiecoon.com/howtotieatie How to Tie a Tie

Nice, our how to tie a tie videos are pretty informative too. Not quite as fun as a black patent platforms, though.
Ben

Anybody know where I can get these at wholesale prices, would like to sell them on our site http://www.discreettiger.com.au/ Thanks