Choosing the pattern
I’ve wanted to sew a more square neckline dress for ages and was looking for a pattern that I could use and suddenly released that I could hack my The Rhea Dress sewing pattern! I really love the look of dreamy, floaty dresses that have thick tie straps and a gathered waist so I wanted to have a play and see what I could create!
Choosing the fabric
So I was gifted this beautiful Liberty cotton by Minerva Fabrics and I knew instantly that it would be perfect for this type of dress that I had in mind. The fabric is super soft and the floral print feels very autumnal because of the shades of brown, blue and orange. I personally love sewing these types of gathered dresses in cotton because it holds the gathers beautifully and feels really lightweight without being see through.
Hacking the pattern
Below there’s a little illustration I’ve put together of how I hacked the front bodice, adjusted the skirt and straps to create the dress. All you need to do for the front bodice is trace the existing pattern and follow the steps to create a new front and back bodice. You’ll want to cut this out of your lining fabric too and follow the instructions as per the pattern. The straps can be inserted as you sew the lining to the bodice neckline and should have the closed end on the outside. I also wanted the dress to be slightly longer so I extended the ruffle height to be double the original pattern and I really love how that has turned out.
