Gathers, bows, gingham! Three ticks for this delightful dress made by HQ team member Steph. She used the beginner-friendly Willow Dress pattern from Yorkshire-based Cinnamon Daisy. Read on for more, plus details of her pattern customisations!
Steph opted for the midi length Willow and used 3m of our Micro Gingham Cotton Shirting – Black for this make. She usually wears a New Zealand size 10/12, and matched the size H for this pattern to her measurements. Steph's an advanced sewist, and was able make a bunch of custom hacks to this pattern including adding our Make by TFS Ivy Dress sleeve onto the bodice of the Willow pattern, giving a simplified sleeve shape and she slightly raised the back neckline too. She also chose to cut the back bodice on the fold (rather than as a pair) and used French seams and interior binding throughout. Additional adjustments such as cutting the ties on the bias and adding extra volume to the skirt pieces made for a unique finish. We love how this looks on Steph, she chose a perfect cotton fabric for summertime wear and we can this this working well in linen too!
This pattern from Cinnamon Daisy is pretty special for a first release! We'd recommend trying it out using a nice easy cotton like the one Steph used here. Shop easy-sew cottons online and in store today. Don't forget to share your projects and pattern hacks with us via Instagram and TikTok!