Make a Hippie Apron Dress
A hippie apron dress is cool, comfortable and stylish. It is a long dress that ties in the back like an apron. Because the back is completely open, you’ll want to wear something else underneath it, such as another skirt or bloomers. An open hippie dress has two main panels — one that covers your chest and another that covers the rest of the body. When you make a hippie apron dress, you can customize it to your exact specifications so it will fit you perfectly and express your personality.
1: Measure your body. Using measuring tape, write down your chest measurement across the widest part of your chest. Measure the height that you want the top panel to be, which is the area that covers your chest. Women who have larger breasts will want a wider rectangle. Finally, measure the length that you want the dress to be, starting from just under your breasts to the desired length. Add one extra inch for hemming.
2: Decide on a design. Choose the fabrics for your hippie-style dress. You can make a simple dress by choosing just two fabrics–one for the top panel and one for the bottom. You can make a more elaborate dress by using patchwork. Consider using a quilt pattern to create the top and bottom panels
3: Cut the fabric to fit your body. Using your measurements, cut out the fabric. Remember that the back should be a bit open–for the length of the top panel, subtract two inches from your chest measurement. If you’re going for the more elaborate design, cut the fabric into smaller pieces and sew them together so that the finished product is the correct size.
4: Sew the top and bottom parts together. With right sides facing together, sew the top and bottom panels. You’ll now have one large rectangle.
5: Hem all of the edges. Roll the fabric in twice and hem around the rectangle.
6: Add straps to the body of the apron dress. Cut out four long, thin rectangles of fabric and use this for straps. Fold it so that the right sides are facing and sew along the edge. Turn it inside out and iron it flat. Place the straps that tie in the back at the top of your rectangle. Hold the apron dress around you to decide where to place the halter ties, which will tie around your neck.
