I don’t wear a whole lot of dresses, but sometimes I find a fabric so stunning and comfortable that I just know it’s going to be something involving a skirt. Mood recently received this embossed velour and the second I felt it, I wanted a skater dress. One of my favorite things about the skater silhouette is that it looks great on nearly everyone. Plus, you can easily customize it to suit your needs; add some sleeves, change the skirt length, switch out the neckline. For this pattern, I chose a high neck to show off the embossed design in its entirety, and an open back because I’m choosing to ignore the upcoming snow storm and get ready for summer!
Fabrics & materials used:
- 3 yards Emerald Green Damask Embossed Velour
- Italian Black and Gunmetal Snap Closure
- MDF034 – The Kelseya Dress Sewing Pattern (free download below!)
All seam allowances are 1/2โณ unless otherwise stated.
I love that this dress is really only made up of a handful of seams. True to form, I’ve used French seams in this tutorial because for some reason, I am still serger-less. Luckily, a zig-zag stitch is perfectly fine!
I began by sewing the back panels to the front at the shoulders and sides, wrong sides of the fabric facing each other, like you see above.
Next, I turned the bodice inside out and went over those seams with the fabric faces together.
Both of the armholes, as well as the two center back edges of the dress bodice, were finished with simple rolled hems. None of these parts need to stretch too much, so you can do a straight stitch or a zig-zag stitch.
The collar is created by layering both panels face to face and sewing along the top and both sides. After it’s flipped right side out again, it can be attached to the neckline of the dress with a French seam.
The center fold of the collar goes toward the front of the dress, like below.
Toward the back of the dress, the collar will need a closure. I was debating simple snaps, hook & eyes, or even some loops and buttons. Then, I saw this new snap closure and needed one immediately. All it needed was to be top-stitched into place!
Lastly, the skirt was created by sewing up the center back seam, and then attached to the bodice with yet another French seam. Be sure to check the notches on your pattern to see how far apart your back panels should fall.
Since it’s velour and doesn’t typically fray, I left the hem raw. It lets the skirt drape much more naturally. Plus, it’s more fun for twirling, and I feel like that’s an important thing to consider when designing a garment.
I’m very excited to wear this out, especially for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s such a beautiful emerald shade! What color are you considering for yours? I’d love to hear what fabrics you’re thinking about in the comments!
5 comments
That’s gorgeous! I think I may raid my stash of stuff I got when my gramma passed, lots of vintage stuff in there.
Just BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!
Love the dress! How many yards of fabric does it take?
Thanks! I used 3 yards of the velour ๐
I might try this with a stretch velvet. Not sure how that will work, but the look should be similar.