Preparation

• 1). Get an idea of the type of dress you’d like by looking at magazines, watching television or even while out in public. Order patterns online, but buy the fabric from a store where you can see and feel the quality and color of the fabric firsthand.
  
  
• 2). Measure your hips, waist and chest. Add 1 inch for seams and so the dress has room to give, especially if you use a stiffer fabric. Decide on the length you’d like the dress. Even though any pattern can be shortened to make a mini dress, a tailored fit is most suitable for the mini dress.
  
  
• 3). Purchase a pattern and the leopard print fabric. Choose a lighter-weight fabric if it is going to be a summer dress.
  
  

Sew the Dress

• 1). Cut out the pattern pieces and lay them out. Iron them flat so they are easier to handle. Press the wrinkles out of the fabric. This also helps preshrink natural fibers like cotton and linen.
  
  
• 2). Fold over part of the fabric and place doubled pattern pieces where the fabric is folded over. Pin the pattern pieces to the fabric and cut them out, paying close attention to notches, darts or other markings.
  
  
• 3). Pin the fabric pieces right or print sides together. Line up the notches so the pattern pieces fit together properly. Sew the pattern pieces according to the pattern’s directions.
  
  
• 4). Press the seams open to help give your new dress a crisp, perfect fit.