Everyday Runway: How to Sew a Ruffle Bodice Maxi Dress

Don’t pack away your summer attire just because fall is around the corner! It’s a staggering 90 degrees in NY today, which means maxi dress season is still upon us.

Maxis should  be a staple in everyone’s wardrobe; you can wear them from spring into summer, and if you choose the right color and style, they can even transition into the autumn months.

I took a bit of inspiration from Ainea for this dress. I loved the layering and ruffles, so I decided to pull just a bit of it for a small ruffle on the bodice. I also fell in love with the vibrant reds and chose to take the deeper red of the left-most dress for a more late-summer/early-fall feel.

Items used:

• 2 yards Lollipop Red Stretch Viscose Jersey
• 3 yards Italian Red Stretch Foldover Elastic

Making this dress is both quick and easy. Between making the pattern, cutting my fabric, and sewing it together, I had mine done in under 2 hours.

If you’ll be following along, measure your bust and waist. The best fabric for this specific maxi is knit jersey, so I took a couple inches off the measurements to make it a little more contouring. This is where you can play around with your own pattern. If you have a super stretchy knit, you could potentially take off more. Or, if you’d like your waist to be gathered, you could easily add a few inches there. I made the bottom of each dress panel the full width of the fabric.

The front and back panels are exactly the same, so I cut two on the fold.

The ruffles on the bodice are a lot like basic triangles, however a flat top edge would mean flat layers. By curving the top, it ensures that the fabric overlaps slightly when pulled straight to create the perfect ruffle, like you see below.

After sewing straight down the sides of the dress, the ruffles can be attached to the front neckline. Both the front and back necklines are then trimmed in foldover elastic, which is as easy as it sounds. All it took was a few pins and a walking foot, andthe dress edges looked clean and finished.

The straps were created exactly the same way, but this time they went along the sleeve curve, meeting at the seam under the arm. 10 second straps!

Voilà! A versatile maxi dress. It can easily be dress up with some heels and jewelry, or it would be just as appropriate at a poolside party.

So what colors will you be using for this project? Tell us in the comments!