I have told the story of when I was a young girl, my mom decided to sew me a variety of dresses with a single pattern.
All the dresses were exactly the same pattern, and the variety was in the different fabrics.
Well, I tried that out this summer for my daughter. I bought one pattern and sewed 4 dresses with that one pattern.
I didn't have the time to find a bunch of new patterns and test each one and then sew several dresses for real.
I had to keep it simple. I'll show you what I did.
This is the pattern in it's original form. From there I changed the pattern a little here and a little there to get a variety of dresses.
There is a midriff, an eleven piece skirt, gathers on the bodice at the neck and at the waist, a little stand up collar and fitted sleeves. One thing I added was belt loops on the midriff so that she could wear a belt with it for something different. The fabric is dark enough and busy enough that it doesn't matter if she decides not to wear a belt with it.
This was the second dress I did. This time I did a neckband cut on the bias, instead of the collar.
I eliminated the gathers at the waist, and made a front and back skirt instead of all the pieces.
When I ordered this fabric I wasn't thinking of closures so I did not order a zipper to go with it. But I happened to have just the right buttons for down the back! She needs a bit of help to button and unbutton but is still happy with the dress. 😊
Since this fabric had such a beautiful border, I decided to make that into a ruffle.
This dress was really fun! Once again I did the bias neckband. On the sleeves I added a little keyhole with ties. The gathers are back in the waist but the skirt is still plain. All those pieces was just too many seams!
On the midriff I added a couple belt loops and put in a spaghetti belt, attaching it at the zipper seam in the back.
And since my daughter really likes pockets I decided to add a patch pocket! (she was really searching for her lost pocket knife when she wore this dress for the first time 😃)
And the first time this lovely daughter of mine wore this dress, she ripped a big chunk out of the skirt! (sigh) I added the ruffle on the bottom with the extra fabric that was left over. I was so thankful I had bought lots of fabric!
Last but not least! This one is out of rayon I think. Not very fun to work with! 🤦♀️
Again this one has the bias neckband. Instead of the gathers at the neckline I did pleats. And instead of the gathers at the waist, I did darts. And for something different, a gathered skirt.
It was rather difficult to get the bottom of the skirt straight for some reason. 🤔
And the funny thing was that I thought I needed to sew one more dress so that she would have enough, I counted again and realized this one wouldn't have needed to be sewn right now! O well. I had already started on it, so I finished.
So there is a selection of dresses using one pattern. Are you ready for a challenge like this? Sew a variety of dresses with a single pattern! It's quite fun!
What kind of pattern do you use when you are limited on time? Let me know in the comments below!
FREE Dress Pattern
Where should we send the pattern?
Get on the waitlist
Cutting out a pattern from fabric is the first, most important step of the sewing project. It’s so important because it’s where everything starts and determines the end result. Before cutting out a sewing project you first need to prepare your pattern and fabric, then lay out the pattern to ensure the pieces fit and
Read MoreMorning routines are such a great way to get the day started. But what if it just doesn’t feel like the routine you have is working? It worked when you started but for some reason it’s not working now. It doesn’t bring satisfaction, it doesn’t accomplish what it used to, and it just feels like
Read MoreHow can I save time when sewing? How can I get sewing done but not take so much time with it? To save time in sewing begin by pre-washing fabric, collecting all supplies together ahead of time, and removing distractions. This prepares you for the best sewing experience, besides other successful strategies for sewing efficiently.
Read MoreWhen it comes to sewing your own clothes, some of the benefits seem like a no-brainer while other benefits require some digging to find them. I had to dig a bit to find some of the benefits because I have been sewing my own dresses and other things for most of my life. Sewing your
Read MoreSewing a dress is so much easier with the right tools. And the right tools aren’t necessarily so fancy or complicated. The most used sewing tools in sewing dresses are basically, but not limited to, a pair of scissors, stick pins, and a tape measure. These tools ensure an efficient sewing experience as well as
Read MoreIt’s an hour before mealtime and you don’t know what you are going to cook. A half hour goes by and your mind is still a blank. Now panic starts to set it. WHAT to cook? Make a plan. It’s that simple. Truly. A menu plan for the week. The simplest way to create a
Read MoreSewing Your Dress
6 important steps to get started
Where should we send your FREE checklist?