sewing: a bess dress
This post was written by Monica of Adirondack Inspired.
Hi Gnats readers! First, did you all check out April’s dress in the last post. Love! Also, jealous. Partly because I want the dress, and partly because I wish I could draft my own patterns. You know, without it being a total nightmare. You see, I also have a favorite dress I wanted to replicate. Lucky for me I tend to have a few patterns tucked away that are easily transformable.
One such dress being the Bess Top (and tunic…and dress). Simple, a-line shape. Woven pattern, but no darts. Perfect to transform into a little somethin’ like this…
Quite the different look, right? I mean, okay maybe not allll that different, but this was exactly the shape I was trying to copy and I am so happy to have this baby hanging in my closet. I love cinching a dress with a belt, but sometimes, I just want a dress I can throw on and call it a day. This is that dress. It is a staple. Throw it on and instantly look ‘dressed’ or dress it up with belts, cardigans, tights, and boots. Options galore.
Here’s a run-down of what I did to change it up from the original:
- Sew up the Bess Dress pattern, perhaps going up a size (I did, but you don’t have to).
- Stand in front of the mirror in the dress and mark where you want the elastic to be. I wanted a blousy look so I just pinched in the sides and lifted up to find where I liked how it looked the most. I can also wear this dress un-bloused, it’s equally as cute, just longer. Mark your spot on one seam with a pin.
- Take off the dress and turn it inside out. Fold it in half lengthwise and mark the other side seam where your elastic will be.
- Use a ruler and connect the two side points in a line on the front and back sides of the dress.
- Cut a long piece (or pieces) of knit strips (this is how you finish the neckline and sleeves in the pattern anyway, so just cut a bunch extra. Or measure your dress and figure out exactly how much you’ll need to go around it, I guess. If you’re all specific like that.)
- Sew along the top of the knit, overlapping at the end. Sew along the bottom, leaving a gap to thread in the elastic.
- Take some 1/4″ or 1/2″ elastic and hold it snugly around your waist to measure your size. Thread this through the knit casing you just made, overlapping the ends by 1/2″ and zigzag to secure.
- Sew closed the gap in the knit and voila, you’re done!
If you are unfamiliar with the Bess Top, I need to share this simple little pleated detail in the sleeve. I love that bit! Also, the sleeves are accomplished using a bit of pattern magic, so there are no separate sleeves to set in and sew on. Major win. Oh, and I should mention I used rayon fabric, which gives this version a nice drapey and flowey look.
I love a pattern that gives me a basic silhouette that I can change up. I may not be at pattern-drafting level yet, but I love playing around with existing patterns. It takes all that guess work, like ‘will this fit over my head!?’ Here is my official garment-inspector making sure everything is top notch…
Annnd, one last gratuitous baby shot! Thanks, as always, for stopping in to check us out. And I’d love to know how you roll with sewing? Total from patterns only? Total pattern drafting maniacs? Or somewhere in-between?
The post sewing: a bess dress appeared first on imagine gnats.
