Sewing a stylish shift dress is surprisingly simple with this how-to from Summer Phoenix and Ruby Canner, owners of the Some Odd Rubies vintage store.

Tools and Materials

• Long secondhand skirt with elastic waist
• Ruler
• Disappearing fabric marker or pencil
• Scissors or rotary cutter
• Seam ripper or small, sharp scissors
• Sewing machine threaded with coordinating thread
• 3-4 yards of coordinating ribbon
• Safety pin

DIY Shift Dress How-To
1. Cut elastic waist from skirt. Lay skirt flat, and cut top edge with scissors or a rotary cutter to make even.

2. Measure 1 1/2 inches from top raw edge and draw a line across skirt.

3. With a seam ripper or small pair of sharp scissors, open side seams 10 inches down from drawn line (this will create a 9-inch armhole).

4. Finish opened seam edges with a machine-sewn baby hem.

5. On one side of skirt, fold top raw edge down one half inch, then another half inch. Pin in place. Machine-sew across skirt, along bottom edge of folded "tunnel." Repeat on other side of skirt.

6. Attach a safety pin to lengths of ribbon and thread through the tunnels you have created on both sides of top of dress.

7. If desired, tie a length of the same ribbon around middle of dress to create a belt.

Resources
Singer 4423 Heavy Duty sewing machines are available at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores or Amazon.