I have felt sooo much FOMO seeing everyone make their version of this dress so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and try this pattern myself! I’ve always loved the idea of sewing a corset style top or dress that feels fitted and looks really crafted and elegant, and now I feel more comfortable in my skills I decided to take the plunge and make something I’ve never tried before.

Choosing the pattern

So this is the Rose Cafe Bustier Dress pattern by Daria patternmaking which you can find on her etsy shop. I was instantly drawn to this pattern as there is no need for any boning or underwire in the construction, which is much more digestable for beginners. The top is a fitted corset style that has easy to sew cups for a more structured look, along with a A-line style skirt and an invisible zip in the centre back.

Choosing the fabric

I was gifted this beautiful Jacquard fabric from Minerva which you can find here. I was immediately drawn to the interesting texture and pattern that is so bright and bold in person, I’m not sure I do it amazing justice in my photography! It’s a vibrant red/burgundy shade that has a good level of weight and structure that holds the bodice perfectly, without it feeling stiff or uncomfortable. I’m honestly in love with this fabric and this is the first Jacquard I’ve used that didn’t fray like crazy, so I’m pretty chuffed with my fabric choice for this one!

Construction

Recently I’ve been really unsure on what sizes to sew when I make something new because generally a size small fits me pretty well across the board. I decided to sew a size small for this dress and the top fits so beautifully however, the skirt was too small and my waist didn’t fit! So more on the top, I love the seam details of the bust and waist section, it makes the piece look super expensive and when I showed my mum, aunty and nan over FaceTime they were all very impressed haha! I did somehow misalign one of the cups centre seam with the bodice seam, but I think i must have pressed the seam allowance to the wrong side when stitching the details. But I’m pretty impressed with how quickly the top half comes together.

The pattern comes with a video tutorial on youtube, which I did find super helpful as I found some of the written instructions a little hard to understand. I would say this is great for intermediate sewists, but I think if I was a complete beginner I might find certain areas of the construction quite hard but never say never! Onto the skirt, my god I did have a mini meltdown when I realised the skirt was definitely not going to fit, so I decided to draft my own gathered skirt and make the length to be just below my knees. I’m actually really happy with the outcome of the dress even though the insides are a little dire! The pattern shows you how to finish it beautifully inside but because I decided to draft a new skirt I didn’t actually line the new skirt which means only the top of the dress is lined… ah we live and learn! I know what to do for next time!