I just love seeing all the gorgeous variations you all make of the Banksia pattern – and two of my absolute favourites are these dresses by Andrea and Anna. A Banksia dress is SUCH a fantastic idea right?? I thought it might be fun to show you what the pattern might look like if you chose to make a dress, and the first step is to draft a Banksia dress!
The first thing I did was figure out how long I wanted the dress to be. Compare the length of the top (you can find the finished top measurements on the back of your pattern envelope or booklet), to the length of a favourite dress.
For me the difference was 9.5″ and i wanted a wide 3″ hem (with 1/2″ turned under). The current hem is 1/4″ wide with a 1/4″ turned under – so my end measurement I needed to add was 12.5″ (9.5 + 3 + .5 = 13 – .25 – .25 = 12.5) .
Start by slashing both the front and back pattern pieces at the ‘lengthen or shorten here’ lines.
Add some paper underneath your front pattern piece, and draw a straight line along the right side. Line up the centre front of your slashed pattern piece along this line.
Make sure the gap between your two slashed pieces is the measurement you need to add to your pattern (again, mine was 12.5”, not the 12” pictured). Tape in place.
Draw a straight line from the side seam (from the bottom of the dart on the front piece), squaring up with your hemline.
Note: I did it this way to make sure no width was eliminated from the hip. If you’re concerned about still having enough room there, just measure the pattern where your widest point would be, and compare it to your measurements (don’t forget about seam allowances). You want to make sure you have a good amount of ease or at least an amount you are happy with.
Do the same thing for the back piece, and you’re all set!
In the end, I’m going to have a dress that hits just below mid-thigh. I’m also going to add some pockets!
This isn’t the only way you could make a Banksia dress – but it’s definitely a fast and easy version. And super cute, too!
See how to put it together here.
LOOKING FOR MORE BANKSIA POSTS?
- Preparation
- Sewing: Darts & Seams
- Sewing: Basting & Placket prep
- Sewing: Collars
- Sewing: Collarless version
- Sewing: How to sew a placket
- Sewing: How to sew a placket the easier way
- Sewing: How to sew a faux placket
- Sewing: Leaving the placket off
- Sewing: Flat sleeve insertion
- Sewing: Sleeveless version
- Sewing: Long-sleeved version
- Sewing: Hemming
- Sewing: Dress version
- Sewing: Jersey version
Some other tutorials you might like to check out:
- Pattern Alterations: How to turn the pattern into a dress (this post!)
- Pattern Alterations: Altering bust dart height
- Pattern Alterations: Bust adjustments (FBA and SBA)
- Pattern Alterations: Lengthen the sleeves
- Pattern Alterations: Drafting different collars
- Pattern Alterations: Alter the pattern for stretch fabrics
DON’T HAVE THE PATTERN YET?
