
Statement sleeves began to make their way into the current atmosphere of popular fashion back in 2018, and I think we can all agree that they’ve stayed around much longer than we all anticipated – and I am certainly not complaining. Giant sleeves look instantly elegant while having the added benefit of actually being super comfy (another trend we all jumped on this year). The Lobelia Dress gives us oversized batwing sleeves, a cinched waist, and the result is the cutest mini dress for your spring wardrobe!


Purchase Materials Used Below:
- 3 yards Mood Exclusive Navy Divine Dream Printed Stretch Floral Jacquard
- 1 yard Mood Exclusive Navy Blossoming Embellishments Printed Stretch Floral Jacquard
- For Neckband & Belt
- 1 571 Bone 24″ Invisible Zipper
- MDF242 – The Lobelia Dress Sewing Pattern (free download below!)
Alternative Recommended Fabrics:
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.

Step 1
First, pin and staystitch the pleat at the waist of your front panels. Similarly, sew the darts into the back panels and press toward the sides.


Step 2
Matching up the notches along the curve, attach one layer of your front neckbands along the front pieces, like below. Repeat with the back neckband.


Step 3
Pin your front pieces face to face and sew along the center front seam where your neckbands meet. Stitch from the waist up to the lower notch on the band.
Step 4
Attach the front and back of your dress so far at the shoulders and sides/sleeve inseam using French seams.


Step 5
Create your neckband facings and attach them at the center front below the lower notch, similarly to your bodice.
Step 6
Pin the facing face-to-face along the neckline of your bodice and sew. Clip the seam allowances, turn the facing toward the inside of your garment, and press. The raw edges of the facing inside your bodice can be folded inward and slip-stitched or you can stitch-in-the-ditch to secure.


Step 7
Create each of your sleeve bands and evenly gather the lower edge of each sleeve into one edge of each band. Fold the raw edge of the band inward 1/2″ and then fold the band in half. Slip-stitch inside the band to finish.



Step 8
Create your skirt by attaching the back panels to the front at the sides using French seams. Evenly gather your skirt into the bodice of your dress, matching up the center front, side seams, and center back. To avoid bulk, I recommend a regular seam bound with bias tape for a clean finish.

Step 9
Insert your invisible zipper at the center back before finishing up the remainder of the center back seam with a French seam.
Step 10
Lastly, hem the bottom of your skirt with a 1/4″ double rolled hem.

Step 11
To create the belt, sew the two pieces face-to-face along one short edge. Press the seam open, fold the belt in half face-to-face along the length and sew around the raw edges. Leave about 2″ open, pull right side out, and press. Slip-stitch or edge-stitch the opening closed.
Thx for this new pattern, just like I’d hoped… I will try immediately to enjoy speedy ^^
Thank you for this pattern .It’s amazing but i am confused for something..What about sleeves.They ate not included.Where can i found them?
Thank you.
Hello, the sleeves for this pattern are included as part of the bodice pattern pieces, so it is not it’s own separate pattern.
I just made this with a gorgeous red batiste. It is such a beautiful pattern, and I will be making more for sure.
Thanks <3
Thinking of making this with the Mood Exclusive Lavender Delicate Indulgence Crinkled Cotton Voile. I think it will be perfect for the summer!
That’ll be gorgeous!! 🙂
Can I ask what height the pattern is roughly based on?
Just stuck the PDF pattern together ready to cut out
Hi, Sally! The HPS to hem measurement on this is about 36″ – I hope that helps! 🙂
I sewed them from deadstock viscose fabric with tiger stripes i only changed the belt – I ve got knot on the back ;). So pretty and totally zerowaste.
I made this dress in a really drapey viscose and it is so so lovely. Photos on IG @cakeymcdoodle
Hi! Quick question about the patterns. They ask for both main and lining fabrics to be cut, but I don’t see a lining fabric used here. Is that optional/for lighter, gauzier fabrics? Thanks!
Yes, a lining is optional!
Thank you so much! I’m new to sewing so I’m going to try this with muslin first and maybe whip up a version with some pretty Jacquard for a wedding I have to go to in SC this fall! 🙂
I love this dress but it is so short on me. I had to ask a boarder around the bottom just to make it long enough!
Everything else. Perfect.
Any advice on how to line this dress? My main fabric is slightly sheer, so I’d like to line the bodice and skirt. Would I just construct the lining in the same way?
Hi, Emily! Yes, I’d construct it the same way as the outer portion of the dress and then attach them at the neckline and wrists of the sleeves.
I just finished it and I really like it overall ! Thank you for this free pattern. Its a unique style, and I love the opportunity to make clean finishes like French seams and slip-stitches. I do wish the instructions were more detailed, with more pictures : some parts were confusing, and the neckbands were a struggle. The busy print of the model dress does not show much… For these reasons, I would not recommend it for beginners. Also, many people who made it said it was too short, so be careful ! I’m only 154cm and I still added 2cm to the bottom while cutting.
I agree – I actually found this pattern confusing. I don’t feel the instructions were easy to follow, particularly neckline.
However, after ditching the instructions and working intuitively it all came together nicely.
I will be using the pattern again but adapting to bring underarm of sleeve slightly higher up.
I will also make it about 3 inches longer. I’m 5”7 and needed to add another panel, which I gathered slightly.
I would have enjoyed a good tutorial on this dress – I may just record one myself on the next dress.
Hello!
Thank you for your feedback. Most of the instructions on our 350+ patterns, especially these older ones, do reflect their no-cost nature. But we understand your frustration!
Unfortunately we can’t update the instructions on every pattern in our archive, especially if they are over 2 years old, however, if there are errors we will correct them! We encourage you to take a look at the improved in newer patterns, offering more thorough guidance! We appreciate your engagement and invite you to explore these updated options for a better sewing experience!
hii i dont understand what you do with the second pair of the frot neckline
Hello there!
Thanks for visiting the Mood Sewciety Blog! We’re proud to have released over 350 free sewing patterns, and we hope you’re enjoying them.
Behind the scenes we’re a dedicated team of three, and we want to be able to offer top notch support. We have exciting plans for our patterns on the horizon, and as we continue to grow, we’ve decided to focus our sewist support on patterns from the last 2 years. If this pattern hasn’t been recently reduxed or updated, we won’t be able to respond to technical questions on these older posts.
If you come across any pattern errors, rest assured our team is on it – just let us know!
Don’t miss out on our Mood Sewciety Facebook Group – a fantastic space for fellow sewists to connect, share wins, and tackle challenges together.
Thank you for your understanding and happy sewing!
Can you make this longer
Hi Enola, we’re sorry for the delay in responding to your question! We get dozens of comments and questions each day, and so many questions get buried and, unfortunately, unanswered. We are now focusing user support on patterns 2 years and newer. We hope this will prevent questions on our more current patterns from going unanswered. Although this is late, we wanted to respond in case anyone else has the same question: you can make this dress longer by adding an additional panel at the bottom.
merciencore un petit modèle fort sympa pour la rentrée et le début de l’automne
is this dress wide enough to wear as a maternity dress if i put the belt higher?
Hi Sophie, we’re sorry for the delay in responding to your question! We get dozens of comments and questions each day, and so many questions get buried and, unfortunately, unanswered. We are now focusing user support on patterns 2 years and newer. We hope this will prevent questions on our more current patterns from going unanswered. Although this is late, we wanted to respond in case anyone else has the same question: You could make this dress for a maternity dress. We do however recommend lengthening the dress to account for the baby bump. As always, we recommend making a muslin first to ensure proper fit!
Im try
Saya akan coba menjahit lengan baju ini
Is it possible to make the dress without putting in a zipper and still get it on? or are it a tight fit?
im thinking of making this as a nightgown in satin with pants maybe and i dont want a zipper to disturb when sleeping 🙂
Hello, you should have no problem in making this without the zipper. You can also make it a size bigger to be secure that it is no too tight.
hello, when i downlowa the link there is no pdf with can you telle me what’s wrong please?
Hello, Please email info@moodfabrics.com for any issues with pattern downloads.
thank’s a lot !!
Hi,
The link in the email to download the pdf does not work : it does not lead to the pdf file.
Can you check ?
Thank you !
Vanessa
Please reach out to us at patterns@moodfabrics.com and we’ll make sure you get your free download. ✨