After drafting this blue dress based on a highly modified bodice, I decided to make a version with a curved neckline. I used 3 meters of this polka dotted cotton broadcloth from minerva. it is a medium weight 100% cotton. It comes in many colors and I think the green version would be dreamy too.
Here it is worn layered with a cotton batiste Garibaldi blouse or worn alone for hot summer days.
Construction
Before I got to this version of my pattern, I did make an intermediate mockup with some denim scraps I had. I learned 3 things from my mockup:
- Don’t curve the neckline too much. It won’t stand up on its own and feels like there is too much fabric around the face area. Here I sewed a piece of elastic along the top of the bust to make it stand up.
- The ruffle proportion is important. Here it’s a bit too large and not gathered enough. They should also stop just before the side seam unless sweaty chest ruffles are your thing.
- If made into a dress bodice, the straps must be detachable, otherwise it will be difficult to get on and off.
With that in mind, I altered my front bodice piece to look like this.
There really isn’t much curve at all along the top.
For the skirt, instead of using any specific dimensions, I cut 2 rectangles using almost all of the fabric I had left. The leftover went into the bottom ruffle. Since I didn’t have any leftover fabric, I was worried the final ruffle wouldn’t be gathered enough, but it worked out perfectly!
Finishings
The bodice is lined with scrap cotton batiste to keep it as light and breathable as possible. To hide the gathering on the waist inside, I machine stitched pre-made bias tape over all the raw edges.
The bodice is lined with scrap cotton batiste to keep it as light and breathable as possible. To hide the gathering on the waist inside, I machine stitched pre-made bias tape over all the raw edges.
The straps are attached with a button sewn on the inside of the bodice with hand stitches in the “ditch” between bodice and ruffles.
I like the idea, but the downfall is that the buttonholes can be visible while wearing. I feel like the buttonholes have gotten a bit stretched out and will need to be reinforced in time.
I have not altered the back bodice since the version I used for my blue dress.
The straps are sandwiched between the lining and outer fabric. The ruffles end just before the seam allowance.
Although not visible in the photo, the closure is a lapped zipper on the left side of the bodice.
And for the bottom ruffle I used this rich green seam tape to hide raw edges. Since the tape wasn’t very wide, I attached one side with machine stitching, trimmed the raw edges, then whip stitched it down by hand. I love doing easy hand sewing while listening to an audiobook or podcast.
The last touch is the belt. I had the buckle on hand and after a bit of research and tutorials such as this one, I needed some double sided tape in order to smoothly attach the fabric to the metal.
For the actual belt, I used stiff iron-on interfacing on my fabric, which is just 2 long rectangles. There is a belt loop secured with hand stitches so it can’t slide, and a series of machine-stitched eyelet holes pierced afterwards with an awl.
Overall I’m really happy with my dress and still haven’t seen any PDF patterns comes out with this type of bodice. That’s the great thing about hacking your sewing patterns once you get the fit right, you can slowly start to experiment and make your dream garments ✨
conniya 