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Welcome to another DIY shift dress post! I used Metric Pattern Cutting for Womenswear by Winifred Aldrich and Art Gallery Fabrics “Ice Creams” Cotton poplin for the perfect summer dress.
I developed a bodice sloper from the book way back in 2014. Luckily it has quite a bit of ease in it. When I picked it up to do get back into pattern drafting, I found the fit was ok.
This is one of those projects that was driven by the fabric. I loved the ice creams print when I first sewed a jersey dress using the knit substrate. This particular AGF print is available in cotton poplin and knit fabric. The knit fabric has a white background while the poplin has a navy background. The ice creams are also larger on the poplin fabric compared to the knit.
I opted to sew a very simple dress that would highlight the quirky ice cream cones prints. Falling for the cones meant that I wanted to keep the it as clean as possible.
The Sloper
Here is a list of what I did to make the pattern for the garment.
- added a further 1/4″ ease to make it less fitted (I envisioned this dress as something I could wear while on holiday in Italy – with the hot weather I prefer a looser fit)
- Removed the front waist shaping darts – I didn’t want to interrupt the print plus I wanted a slightly less fitted look.
- Raised the armhole by 1/2″ and blended at crossfront/back to make a sleeveless armhole that has full range of movement.
- Lowered the front neckline by 3/4″
Sewing Construction
The dress, being simplistic in style was a quick sewing project. I used pink bias binding for the armholes and the neckline. I used an invisible zip for the back.
DIY Shift Dress – Video Tutorial
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Verdict – Love! I am happy with how this turned out given that it was a first attempt at using this bodice sloper. I have more tweaks to make in the future but it feels like a great starting point. I have a garment that is comfortable to wear and has a gorgeous print that I (and my kids adore).
*Some fabric was gifted by Minerva. Opinion100% my own.
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