Maple Dress hack tutorial by Linzi
Hi everyone!
And welcome back to the blog and to the first post of 2023. This time I am sharing this space with the amazing sewist Linzi, who made a very festive hacked version of the Maple Dress for the holidays. She has kindly shared her experience and she will be taking you through the process of making her Maple Dress. Keep reading to know more :)
Tutorial festive Maple Dress
"The inspiration behind this project was an old vintage dress I bought many years ago. I loved the bodice shape and the ruffle on it. The closest pattern match was the Maple dress. I have wanted to make the original version for a while and I hoped that with a few small changes on the bodice, I could recreate my vintage dress.
Things I didn't change from the original pattern:
-back bodice piece
-back facing
-skirt pieces including pockets
Things I omitted from the original:
-collar pieces
-buttons
Things I amended from the original:
- Sleeves: I used the slash and spread method to make puff sleeves.
- Front bodice: the original pattern has one pattern piece for the bodice which you cut 2 of to create the crossover front. I used this as a template, keeping the side seams, shoulder and hemline the same, but I used my vintage dress as a guide to change the necklines (pretty much by eye). I also made two separate pattern pieces, so that one was wider than the other and so that they could overlap.
If I do this dress again, I will make the smaller piece a few inches wider. Originally, I had planned to use buttons rather than snaps to fasten, but the crossover was too narrow to do so.
Things I added:
- I made a ruffle which goes along the neckline and front bodice (simple long and thin rectangular strip gathered to create a ruffle).
- I made my own front bodice facings to match bodice pattern pieces.
- I used snap fastenings along the bodice opening.
- Last, I made a simple long rectangular belt from the same fabric for the waist.
I made this dress two sizes down from what was recommended on the size chart and I am very happy with the fit, as I prefer dresses to be a bit closer fitting on me to suit my shape.
Because the bodice was hacked i didnt follow the pattern instructions, but I did follow them for the skirt and found them very easy to follow. Overall a really satisfying sew and im already planning another version!".
Thank you so much Linzi for sharing your experience hacking the Maple Dress pattern :) For those who want to know more about the fabric, she used a lovely cotton poplin from UK basedSew Me Sunshine fabric shop.
Thank you so much for reading and see you soon!
Ana
xxx