My daughter Laci, is needing a new slip for some of her Sunday dresses. It is *very* hard to find her size slip at an affordable price. I am not a seamstress. I’ve sewn a lined vest in high school, a jumper for Lauren when she was two, and a few aprons. That’s about it. I’ve done a lot mending with my sewing machine and made some curtains, things like that. However, I break out in a cold sweat and feel quite nervous whenever I get out my sewing machine. It just isn’t my forte.

I think it’s been over a year since I bought this material to make a slip, which originally was for my oldest daughter. She grew tall enough to be able to wear an adult ladies’ slip, so I didn’t need to make her one. Phew. But, I have two other daughters! I dug out of storage one slip that fits my 7 year old, but we still needed one for the 5 year old. What should a girl with minimal sewing skills, without a pattern, do? Well, if you’re like me, you risk it. My mother used to say “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” I ventured, and I gained! 🙂 I was so shocked! I photographed the process “by faith”. After all, if it was a failure, I could just delete the photos. 😉

Okay, I guess  I did sort of have a pattern. I cut up her old slip along the seams and used that as a guideline. It still fit her on the width, so I didn’t need to add anything that way, we just needed some length. I have no idea what this fabric is. Broadcloth? Is there such a thing? This is some kind of white fabric. Not stretchy or silky, just plain. I wasn’t sure if I could sew very well on slick fabric.

Here are the steps I used to do this. You might call this “slip making by a dummy” (It’s not for dummies, you people are NOT dumb!) I’m sure there are dozens (perhaps scores?) of my readers who could do better, but, just in case someone out there would like an easy way to sew a slip, here ya go.

• Cut apart an old slip on the side seams.
• Line up the straps along the fold of the fabric. 
• Using a tape measure, find the length and/or width that you want the new slip to be.
• Cut along your markings, making the front of the slip neckline a bit lower than the back.
• Slide the slip over your girl’s head, to be sure the neck and arm holes do fit her, checking also that the sides will meet.
• Sew side seams.
• I didn’t have any pretty lace or bias tape to put on the edges, but that would make it really cute. Maybe even a little pink bow on the front? I didn’t have that, either. I also didn’t make a ruffle or even a hem! After all, no one will see it. I could have hemmed it, but I wanted to have all the length from it possible. If it needed to be shorter, I would have hemmed it.
• Stitch unfinished edges using a zig-zag stitch (or hem).