Mood’s newest free sewing pattern pulls from both the maxi and ruffle trends we saw at fashion week last month. With a cinched waist and a double layer of ruffles, this silhouette creates a bold shoulder and a plethora of fabric options! Try contrasting cotton prints like our sample or go full retro with some lace. This dress is also easily altered; simply skip the bottom ruffle for an adorable day dress length that can transition through the seasons with ease!
Purchase Materials Used Below:
- 4 yards Mood Exclusive Apollo’s Disguise Burgundy Stretch Cotton Sateen
- 3 yards Mood Exclusive Apollo’s Disguise Beige Cotton Voile
- 1 868 Rich Brown 24″ Invisible Zipper
- MDF190 – The Heather Dress Sewing Pattern (free download below!)
All seam allowances are 1/2″ unless otherwise stated. See chart below for sizing specifications. Note, this specific pattern is available up to a size 30.
First, sew the center front and center back panels together at the shoulder seams, like you see below. Repeat with the side front and side back pieces, matching up the respective sides. Since the bodice portion of this dress is lined, you can use regular seams here and press them open.
Next, fold your ruffle pieces in half along the length and press. Take each princess seam ruffle and evenly gather it onto your center front and back side seams, like you see below. This can be done by basting and gathering, but I personally prefer to evenly pin ruffles into place. Place the side front and back pieces over the top of your ruffle so the center and side faces are together with the ruffle in between and stitch. Press your seam allowances toward the center of your bodice so the ruffles lay outward.
Repeat the with your sleeve ruffles, gathering them in between the points marked on your pattern. Sew up the side seams to finish forming your main bodice.
Sew the lining of your bodice similarly, this time skipping the ruffles. Press all seams open and then set your bodice and lining to the side for the time being.
Attach the front and back panels of your upper skirt at the sides, this time using French seams. Repeat with the lower skirt ruffle.
Attach your bodice to the upper skirt, gathering the skirt into the waistline. Insert your invisible zipper at the center back seam and then sew down the remainder of your center back skirt.
Evenly gather your lower ruffle into your upper skirt and bind the seam allowance with bias tape.
Attach your lining at the neckline, clip your seam allowance and then press toward the inside of your garment. Sew at the armholes from the inside of the lining using your machine, or slip-stitch each armsyce closed.
Slip-stitch the remainder of your lining along the zipper and waistline, tucking in your seam allowances. Hem the skirt to your desired length and your dress is ready to wear!
22 comments
I’m recreating a frilly white dress my mom made for me whe I was 4 years old, and this pattern looks like a great place to start. Add some sleeves under the shoulder ruffle, making it shorter add eyelet ruffle all around, and I’m there!
Hi! I’m SOO excited to start this dress. I printed the pattern and notice there are no sizes are the line- is there something I should reference for the lines? Like, is it ordered by the size chart (2/4 is first line, 6/7 is second, etc)? Thanks for your help!
Hi, Inanna! There’s a chart on each pattern piece showing which line corresponds to each size. 🙂
Ahhh I see it! Thank you!!!
For the French seams is it a full inch of seam allowance left for half inch French seams or is it something different?
Hi, Amory! The seam allowance as a whole is 1/2″, so I’d recommend 1/4″ French seams.
I do an 1/8 inch on the right side of the fabric, and 3/8 inch when you turn it wrong side out, that way the French seams don’t show the fuzzy parts of the raw edge when you turn it right side out again.
Does the main fabric need to be a stretch woven or can it be a regular woven?
I can’t wait to make this!! Thanks for offering so many amazing free patterns 🙂
Stretch is not a requirement for this pattern, so a regular woven would work too! 🙂
Wonderful! Thank you so much! 🙂
I’m just about to cut the pieces for the upper skirt. It says cut 2 on center back cut line for the back (and cut 1 on fold line for the front). The first back upper skirt piece that I cut will follow the pattern exactly, but do I need to reverse the fabric on the 2nd back upper piece to mirror it? There’s that diagonal line on the left part which makes me think that it would be asymmetrical if I don’t cut the fabric to mirror the first cut. It sounds confusing, but I hope I made myself clear enough. Thanks in advance!
Hi, LaTara! Yes, the two back upper skirt pieces should mirror each other. 🙂
Phew thank you! That could have been a disaster.
When cutting the bottom skirt pieces out of the contrast fabric, should the pieces be cut on the fold so the are longer horizontally or vertically?
Thanks!
Hi, April! The pieces should be longer horizontally. 🙂
Can’t wait to get this started!!
Hi. I’m making this for my daughters wedding. Just wondering if you have any thoughts on using linen as the main fabric – it seems to me that it would work well, but I notice that the recommended fabrics are a bit lighter.
Hi, Marg! You absolutely can use linen for this dress – I’ve personally made one with a medium-weight linen and it’s one of my favorite makes!
Hi! What is the solution for when the skirt pieces are wider than the fabric? Turn it 90 degrees, or cut two pieces? So excited to make this! I actually have a wideback cotton sateen for now but next time I will try a border cotton!
Hi, Fran! You can turn it 90 to cut it on the cross-grain, or if you have a directional print you can definitely cut 2 instead – just be sure to add seam allowance. 🙂
Hi. I am still making this dress out of emerald green linen with anitque velvet ruffles for my daughters wedding.
Am I right that the folded edge of the ruffle is the outer part (ie not sewn into the bodice seam) and at the waiste, is the frill caught into the waist seam and sewn down, or should it be separately hemmed and left free? Thankyou for your help.
Hi Marg! Yes, the folded edge of the ruffle is the outer part. You can choose to sew the frill into the waist seam or leave it free. 😀