The Annapolis 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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Dress up a knit dress with a little shirring and some ruffles!

Cut the two dress pieces as directed in your Sweet Dress pattern. Cut the sleeves pieces with a contrasting knit fabric. For the ruffle, cut two strips that measure approximately 4 inches by 40 inches.

Take one of the dress pieces and begin shirring. I found it best to start at the bottom of the armhole (see picture) and go straight across.


Make the next line about 1/2 inch down from the first. Make two more lines below that. Then go above your first shirring line until you are about 2 to 2 1/2 inches below the middle of the neckline. Repeat for the other dress piece.




Sew the dress and sleeve pieces together as directed in the pattern.




To shir the neckline, start at the back sleeve seam 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch below the neckline. Follow the neckline around, then make a second and third shirring line below the first, each a 1/2 inch apart.

You may want to fill in the space left between the neck shirring line and the bodice shirring (see picture). You can do partial lines towards the middle.

Shir two lines around the bottom of the sleeves, 1/2 inch from the bottom of the sleeve and 1/2 inch apart.

Sew the ruffle strips together in a circle. Gather or shir the top of the ruffle, 1/2 inch from the top. Attach the ruffle to the bottom of the dress, ON TOP of the dress.

Just lovely!

(Top picture by Brooke Reeves Photography)