Adding Straps to the Dress
Purchase fabric that matches your dress. Once you've chosen a strapless dress to alter, buy at least 1 yard (0.91 m) of fabric that matches the dress. If you're making other adjustments to the dress, such as making a shorter hemline, you might be able to use excess fabric from the dress itself. If you can't find fabric that matches the dress, choose a fabric that complements the style of your dress. For example, if you have a floral print dress, pick a fabric that's the same color as one of the flowers. Alternatively take fabric from the bottom of the dress to create the strap.
Ask someone to measure the length of the straps for you. Put on the dress and stand up straight. Have a friend hold a measuring tape from the front of the dress over your shoulder to the top of the dress in the back. Then, write down how long the strap should be. Ensure that they're measuring exactly where you want the strap to fall on the dress.
Select a sleeve style. Decide how much coverage you want the sleeves to give your arms. If you want a lot of coverage or will be wearing the dress to a very formal event, consider adding full-length or three-quarter sleeves. If your dress is casual or loose, you might want a capped sleeve or off-the-shoulder sleeve. If you're unsure what style sleeve to use, check fashion magazines for dresses that are a similar style to yours and see what sleeves they have.
Decide how wide you'd like the straps to be. Once you know the style of sleeves you want, you can figure out how wide to make the strap. For example, if you want to make a delicate cap sleeve, you probably want a thin strap that doesn't cover a lot of your shoulder. If you're making an off-the-shoulder sleeve, you'll want a very thin strap, such as a spaghetti strap. If you're attaching a full sleeve, it's alright to make the straps as wide as you like. Keep in mind that if your straps are over 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide, they'll completely alter the shape of the neckline.
Add 4 inches (10 cm) to the length and cut 2 strips of fabric. It's a good idea to add extra fabric to the length of your straps. This will give you seam allowance and you can always cut off excess fabric. Use sharp scissors to cut out 2 long strips of fabric according to your measurements. For example, if your original strap measurement was 14 inches (36 cm), add 4 to get 18 inches (46 cm) for the length.
Turn the dress inside out and pin the shoulder straps in place. To make it easier to pin, put the dress on while it's inside out. Arrange a shoulder strap so the outer edge of the strap lines up with the side seam of your dress. Then, take the dress off and use sewing pins to attach each strap to the front and back of the neckline.
Straight stitch each strap to the front and back of the neckline. Take the inside-out dress to your sewing machine and straight stitch across the front of the straps where they meet the neckline. Then, straight stitch the straps to the back of the neckline. It's important to use thread that matches the color of your fabric so the seam doesn't stand out.Tip: Turn the dress right side out once you've sewn on the straps and try it on. If the straps don't feel comfortable, adjust them. For example, if the straps are too tight, remove the stitches and let more of the fabric out before straight stitching them again. Remove the pins as you sew. If you don't have a sewing machine, you could hand stitch the straps in place.
Sewing the Sleeves to the Straps
Select 2 sleeves to add to the dress. You can remove sleeves from a different dress if you think they'll work with the dress you're altering or you can cut and sew sleeves with the same fabric as your dress.Tip: Although capped sleeves are the easiest sleeves to add if you're new to sewing, you could make full-length sleeves and attach them to your dress. If you're unsure what size sleeve to add, start with a long sleeve. Then, you can shorten the length as you like.
Pin the sleeve to the outer edge of one of the straps. Place a strip of double-sided sewing tape along the longest opening line for your sleeve and press it down firmly. Then, turn your dress right-side out and place the adhesive-lined sleeve about ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) under the strap. The sleeve opening and strap should line up. You can pin the sleeve in place so it's extra secure. Attach the tape to the right side of the sleeve piece. If you don't have double-sided sewing tape, you can simply pin the sleeve in place. It just might not be as secure. If you can, place your dress on a form or you might need to ask a friend to help you pin the sleeves while you're wearing the dress.
Straight stitch the sleeve to the strap. Take the dress to your sewing machine and use a straight stitch to sew the sleeve to the strap at the front of the neckline. Remember to use a thread color that matches the fabric. Keep sewing along the sleeve and strap until you reach the back of the neckline. Repeat this for the other sleeve. If you're attaching a capped sleeve, you won't need to sew the bottom of the sleeve closed.
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