Today I am so excited to show you the second sundress tutorial and pattern I did this month, using some more gorgeous NearSea Naturals medium jersey – this time in Wild Berry.
I think I’m in love – this is already one of my favorite dresses ever – the perfect combination of stylish and comfortable.
And it has pockets!
Want to make your own? You’ll need:
- 2 yards of knit fabric
- 3/8″ elastic that is 2 inches less than your underbust measurement.
- The pattern, see below
How to Get the Pattern
The pattern is in a women’s size S, 34″ bust. If you need to make the pattern bigger or smaller, check out this post. To get this pattern, click your preferred option from the buttons below as a newsletter subscriber or gallery access pass purchaser. Note that the free version of the pattern does not have printable instructions.
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Please note that all my free patterns are licensed for personal use only (no selling items made from this unless you purchase it) and by downloading you are agreeing to this license.
On the pattern you’ll find a diagram for the skirt pieces that looks like this, use it to cut your two skirt pieces. Remember – I’m only 5’3″ – my skirt actually only measured 22″ before hemming, but if you want yours a little longer you might want to add a couple inches to the 23″ I’ve suggested.
Use the pattern to cut your bodice pieces. I used a scrap from an old t-shirt for the contrast piece, and the NearSea Naturals jersey for the rest of the dress.
Sew your side front pieces to the front, matching the notches and using 1/4″ (6mm) seams. New to sewing knits? Read this post.
Your bodice front should look like this.
Sew the bodice front to back at the shoulders, right sides together. Do the same for the front lining and the other bodice back piece.
Lay your bodice and bodice lining out flat, right sides together. Pin around the neckline edge, matching shoulder seams. Stitch around neckline. Turn right side out.
The next step is hard to show in pictures. What you’ll do is, with right side out, fold the front bodice and lining armhole edges in toward each other and hold with your hand. Turn the rest of the bodice so that you can pin the armhole edge, right sides together, just to the shoulder seam. Sew.
Repeat for the other front side, then for the two back sides, so you have finished armhole edges.
Now pin the bodice front to bodice back at the side seams, and the bodice front lining to bodice back lining at the side seams. Match the underarm seams, and sew each side seam in one line.
When you turn right side out, your bodice should have all edges finished now except the bottom edge.
Pin the pockets to the skirt as shown below, right sides together. Stitch the pockets to the skirt at side seams only. Repeat with other two pocket pieces and skirt back.
Pull the pockets out to the sides, and lay the two skirt/pocket combos right sides together. Stitch around the curved edge of the pocket, stop with needle down, pivot fabric, and sew down skirt side seam. Repeat on other side.
With skirt right side out, fold the pockets in and baste to the skirt front at the upper edge.
Pin the bodice to the skirt as shown below, right sides together, matching side seams. If you have to slightly stretch the top or skirt in order to sew without puckering, that’s OK. Sew the waistline with a 3/4″ (18mm) seam.
Trim the seam allowance from the bodice piece down to 1/4″ (6mm). Fold the skirt piece up and stitch in place to form a casing for the waistband. Insert elastic through the casing with a safety pine, then
Fold the skirt piece up and stitch in place to form a casing for the waistband. Leave an opening to insert elastic. Insert elastic through the casing with a safety pin, then sew elastic in a loop (being careful not to twist) and sew casing closed.
And rock that new dress!
Don’t forget to enter the NearSea Naturals giveaway going on this week – maybe you’ll win and can get your own jersey to make one of these dresses. And in case you missed any of the sundresses so far this month, click on any picture to go to the post.
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Teresa
Really cute! I love me a knit summer dress!
Kristie
Love that dress. So cute! Thank you for sharing it!
Cari
Thanks for the reminder/tip that you’re only 5’3″, and to lengthen for a taller person! I am 5’11” so a couple more inches is definitely necessary. This is super cute, can’t wait to make one of my own!
Rachel
You had me at pockets! I don’t think I missed it, about what range bust measurement do you think the small pattern would work for?
Melissa Mora
30-35″ bust would probably be fine since this is a knit. My bust is 34″.
Nichole
Super cute tutorial… too bad all of us aren’t a size small.
Melissa Mora
Thanks! I realize people are all different sizes, but that’s why this pattern is free. If I graded it out it would take a lot more time and then be in my pattern shop, not here for free. However if you’re interested in grading yourself, there are a lot of tutorials on that you can find online.
marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings
oooh I love it! I can’t wait to make myself one!
Marigold
I love it! It’s so flattering, but looks really comfy, too. My kind of dress!
Rebecca
Do you think it would be possible to add sleeves to this dress? It is really cute, but I’m not a sleeveless-type person.
Meg
I love this! I am definitely going to be making my own!
Nay
Thanks for sharing! Looks like a super comfy summer must!
louise
Love it! I love the color blocking in the V. Looks great!
Autumn
I love this Melly! Awesome color combination and the V is genius.
Jenny - Seamingly Smitten
Awesome tutorial!! LOVE LOVE that color combination!!
Jenny
Seamingly Smitten sewing patterns
Jessica E
This is super cute! I’m definitely going to try to make one. For reference, what dress size would you say you typically wear that you’d compare this to? Thank you for the free pattern! 🙂
Melissa
This is a cute dress. I didn’t use your pattern, but the armhole explanation helped me out greatly on another project. I was so stuck (and desperate). I read the explanation and it just didn’t make sense. The light went on when I took up some fabric and and followed the instructions word by word. Now I get it! Thank you.
Sheila
Great pattern, thank you. I’m thinking to make it, with even more gathering in the skirt part, for my 7 month pregnant daughter. (We’ll get over the sleeves problem, as it’s winter here, by her wearing a close fitting sleeved top underneath it (i.e. treat it like a pinafore dress). I think I can do something with the slanting seams of the V neck to make openings for breast-feeding too. (Have a lot more material either side of the slanting seam.) Just depends whether the weight of the skirt would keep the opening pulled open rather than closed.
Sheila
And luckily, she’s your size, too! Or at least was before baby bump.