It may be a cliche that fashion is cyclical, but that doesn’t make it any less true. This spring and summer, we’ve seen a resurgence in the layered and tiered skirts we associate with the boho vibes of the Seventies and we’re bound to see this transition into the fall. Our new Water Lily Dress free sewing pattern highlights this trend with delicately layered ruffles and a simple silhouette. Make yours light and breathable with a stunning voile print, or let it flow more fluidly in a crepe de chine of your choosing!
Purchase Materials Used Below:
- 3 yards Mood Exclusive Le Muse Cotton Voile
- 2 yards Mood Exclusive Primavera Cotton Voile
- 1.5 yards Dusty Peach Japanese Pima Cotton Lawn
- 24″ Invisible Zipper
- MDF209 – The Water Lily 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.
First, create each of your skirt ruffles by attaching two half circles at the sides with French seams. Press each seam and hem the outer edge of each ruffle layer.
Create two separate skirt extensions, attaching the front and back pieces at the sides. The front portion should point up while the back points down. Since the skirt is unlined, I recommend using French seams here as well.
Attach one of your skirt ruffles along the bottom edge of one of your skirt extensions. This will be your middle ruffle, so if you’re doing contrasting layers, be sure to attach accordingly. Since this part can get tricky, I recommend using regular face-to-face seams and binding them with bias tape when your dress is complete.
Attach the top edge of your second skirt extension to the bottom edge of your first. They should be pinned face to face with the skirt ruffle sandwiched in between.
Pin and sew your lowest ruffle to the bottom of your second skirt extension.
Following the guides on your pattern, sew the darts on the front and back panels of the main layer and lining layer of your dress. Attach the front and backs and the sides using regular seams.
Create each of your straps by folding them in half face-to-face and sewing along the length. Pull right side out with a loop turner and press.
Sew a few inches at the bottom of your center back seam and attach the first ruffle along the bottom edge.
Attach the lower portion of the skirt to the bottom edge of your dress, similarly to how you sewed the skirt extensions to each other.
Pin and stay-stitch your straps into place at the front bodice and back princess lines, line you see below.
Pin your lining face-to-face along the top of your dress and stitch where the dotted line indicates below. Clip your seam allowance at the corners, turn right side out and press.
Lastly, insert your invisible zipper at the center back seam to your main dress layer only. Finish sewing up the center back seam and then pin your lining along the zipper and lower edge of your dress, tucking in any raw edges. Slip-stitch the lining to your dress to complete.
Will you be giving this dress a try? Let me know what kind of prints you’re considering in the comments below!
43 comments
What fun!!!
I can’t wait to try it! It’s beautiful! I still, for years have trouble downloading the patterns (all of them) & have been emailing here , tech & the regular contact email for help. I can’t get help but I have been musing around the fabrics anyway cause I love the dress so much!
Hi Margaret! Sorry, we’ve been hoping to redo our download system for a while now so we can stop these glitches for good. Email me a list of the patterns you’d like at courtney@moodfabrics.com and I’ll send them over! 🙂
This is beyond beautiful! I would totally try to do this for myself to go out on a date with my husband. Any women will feel beautiful in this dress. Breath taking! Ahh I’m so in love, I saw it on instagram and I saved it on my instagram.
I love the easy to read instructions
This is the perfect dress for summer! I’m pregnant right now but hopefully by next summer I’ll have my body back and I can wear this
It has to do with the time, if you want to download in a short time you will not receive an email, wait about 45 minutes then you can do it again. good luck!
Such a beautiful dress. Any woman would feel like an angel wearing this. Thank you.
This is beyond gorgeous! I’m gonna need someone to get married soon so I can wear this
Wear what you want to wear! It’ll look beautiful with or without a spouse!
I think she wants to wear it to someone elses wedding….
Gorgeous dress. I haven’t worked with voile before so a little intimidating
Thank you! 🙂 I actually find voile to be one of the easiest fabrics to work with – it’s lightweight, but still pretty sturdy and usually has no stretch. If you use lots of pins and a microtex or sharp needle, you’re good to go!
Love it!
What a gorgeous dress! I’d love to sew it out of chiffon.
So cute! I’ve never worn a dress this shape before because I’m scared of people knowing I have a butt. Nobody must know. Maybe I should try something new, though.
Love the fabric with the faces on it!
This dress looks so pretty can’t wait to try it!
This dress pattern would look amazing in Mood’s #MD0615 — the Brush with Danger Stretch Cotton Sateen. All those layers in that tiered skirt would be so lovely with the drape factor of the sateen and that print’s brushstroke pattern would give more movement and drama to the whole ensemble. Fantastic pattern!
That would be soooo gorgeous!!
I would love to make this in the Mood Exclusive Enigmatic Flora Antiqued Navy Cotton Lawn – lightweight and fabulous!
This would be beautiful in raw silk and georgette.
Hello! I was curious if this pattern required a zipper and if so how long? I tried to find it in the pattern instructions but maybe I’m just overseeing it. Thank you!
Hi, Tatiana! I used a 24″ invisible zipper for this dress. 🙂
Can I use Satin for this dress?
Yes, satin would work well for this! 🙂
Hi, this was the first dress i’ve ever made and I love it so much. Thanks for sharing this amazing pattern.
Currently making this dress right now with some old bed sheets! Wish me luck!
Good luck! Let us know how it turns out. 🙂
Hi, if I wanted to use satin for the dress what should/ could I use to replace the cotton lawn fabric?
Hi Annika! A light to medium weight satin would be fine for this garment. 😀
I love this dress, how would you take it and make it with only one ruffle at the bottom?
Hi, Celeste! You can definitely tape the skirt extensions to the bottom of the main dress pieces and skip the first two ruffles – just be sure to overlap the pattern pieces 1″ to account for the 1/2″ seam allowance. 🙂
It would be great if your patterns could also be printed on a large format printer so they would not need to be taped together.
Hi Charlotte, in order to keep our sewing patterns free, we currently cannot provide copy shop formatted patterns. But we know this is a popular request and we are listening! 🙂
Thank you, Elisabeth, for providing the free patterns! I have made a couple of garments from the mood patterns, and what I do after I’ve altering them a bit (big boobs & tummy) is to make a more permanent pattern from the grid printed non-fabric you can find in the interfacing sections of fabric stores. With the cost of patterns being so high at the stores these days, your free patterns are priceless!
You’re welcome, Paula! We are so happy to hear that! Our free patterns are such a great resource. It’s a fantastic way to learn how to alter and adapt patterns, without spending a lot of money. We’re thrilled that you’re using them! 🙂
I’m trying to make this dress for someone with a larger waist. How could I adapt this?
hi, may you please explain how you created the extension piece, i can’t seem to understand
nvm, i got it
I keep trying to download the pattern but it isn’t working
Hi there! Email info@moodfabrics.com and they’ll send the pattern over. 🙂
our daughter is working on this dress, she is 11 years old and has been sewing for a year. this is her first “challenge myself” project. We are really excited to see how she does. She doing a cotton dress with satin ruffles.
With love from FL!