The Boardwalk Dress

This post is part of a month long series called 'Pattern Makeover Month.' I took a simple pattern (The Sweet Dress by Leila and Ben) and 'made-it-over' into many different styles. For more information, go here.

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If you have never visited Crafterhours, you are really missing out!

It is a blog that is shared by two crafty friends (I am jealous-- I need a real life crafty friend!) with so many fun tips and ideas.

And guess what?

Adrianna, from Crafterhours, agreed to be our guest blogger today! Yay! Thanks for sharing!

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Hi there Brown Paper Packages readers! Adrianna from Crafterhours here. I'm super excited to be over here today to show you another variation on your basic peasant dress. This kind of sewing is right up my alley, since I tend to get stuck on a certain pattern and recreate it over and over to see how different fabrics, embellishments, etc can change up the look. If you want to see more of my projects, or what my very crafty co-blogger, Susan, is up to, just pop on over to Crafterhours and say hi, why don't you? We heart comments and meeting new bloggy friends, like Leisel!

(Isn't she the best? And I love her blog name. I can't help humming the whole song in my head whenever I see it. The Sound Of Music rocks. And now that I'm typing this, I wonder if the whole name "Leisel" and the title "Brown Paper Packages" are connected. Huh. I'm slow.)

Ok, my delinquency aside, and on with the show!

I'm here to show you a few simple steps that will turn a basic peasant dress, or really any a-line dress, into a drop-waisted, full skirted dress. Ok, that was a weird description, refer to the picture above for clarity.

The way I put this dress together may seem a little odd, but I did it this way so when you finish the inside seams, you are always sewing a straight line. I prefer it this way when using a serger.

Step 1:
Pull out your original front and back dress pattern pieces. You will need to reshape them so they go straight down, instead of angling out into an a-line. Measure your dress-wearer from neckline to dropped waist (about where their pants usually sit), and crop the dress off at that length, making sure to add seam allowances. In this illustration, the dotted line shows how you will be cutting your new front and back pattern pieces:

Step 2:
Using your new front and back bodice pieces as a guide, cut a strip of fabric that is 3 inches long and equal in width to the bottom hem of your new bodice, like so:

Step 3:
Sew those two strips together on a short end, forming one long strip. Now, depending on how full you want your skirt, cut a rectangle of fabric for your skirt. For the length, measure your dress-wearer from 2 inches below the dropped waist to wherever you want the skirt hem to fall. Add 2 inches for the seam allowance and hem. (Or use fabric like I used in the example, which is already hemmed for you!) The width is entirely up to you, but I suggest making it 1.5 to 2 times the width of your long strip for a nice gather. First, if necessary, hem the bottom of your skirt rectangle by turning it up a half inch, and then turning it up another inch and edge stitching. Then gather the top using a basting stitch and pulling the bobbin threads until the top of the rectangle is the same width as your long strip, like so:

Step 4:
Right sides together, sew the skirt to the strip. Finish the inside seam by serging, zig-zag stitching, or pinking.

Step 5:

Attach the sleeves to your bodice following pattern directions. Then, right sides together, sew from one sleeve hem down to the end of the bodice, and finish the seam. Do this for one side only.

Step 6:
Open up your bodice so it lays flat, and sew the long strip to the edge of the bodice. Finish the inside seam.

Step 7:
Now that the skirt is attached, flip the garment inside out and sew the other side, from sleeve hem to skirt hem, making sure to line up your seams as you go. Finish this seam.

Step 8:

Finish the neckline and sleeve hems as the pattern dictates, and you're done!

I named this dress the "Boardwalk Dress" because it reminds me of a little girl from the 1920's era skipping around a boardwalk with her cotton candy and balloons.

Susan and I agree that it would also make a terrific base pattern for an Alice in Wonderland dress. Just add a little apron and a tea party!

Enjoy!