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While it doesn’t include full-scale pattern sheets, it provides all the measurements you need to draft your own. The instructions are in Japanese, but hey, thank goodness for Google Lens—rough translations to the rescue! You can buy the book on Etsy right here. Feel free to explore other Japanese sewing books that I recommend here.

I was drawn to the waist ribbon dress because the pattern is essentially a folded rectangle with a cutout in the middle for the neckline! It doesn’t get any simpler than this.

Sewing the simple dress

For this dress, I used a navy cotton corduroy adorned with delicate white polka dots throughout. Sewing this was a breeze! I finished the neckline with a bias tape. And then I sewed the elastic casing, attached the ties to the elastics, and threaded it all through. I then sewed the sides and hemmed the sleeves. Finally, I hemmed the skirt to my desired length.

I opted for French seams on the sides to achieve a cleaner look, which required a bit of adjustment around the elastic channel so the elastic could still be threaded through smoothly.

The final verdict

This dress has a simple yet elegant minimalist design. The elasticated waist and neckline make this dress forgiving and perfect for eating out —hide that food belly haha! Although the dress has a loose fit, the drawstring allows you to define your waist for a flattering silhouette.

I found it so effortless to create this dress that I decided to sew a second one using beige linen fabric. For the second dress, I also embellished the bodice with small floral embroidery. I’ve been told that the beige dress embodies a peasantcore style, which I take as a compliment haha! I’ve worn these dresses during my adventures in Japan and on leisurely strolls through gardens.

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The post Make A Simple Waist Ribbon Dress (Basically Made Of A Rectangle With A Cutout) first appeared on Chelle's Happy Corner.

The Pattern Modifications

I raised the neckline and opted for a rounded shape. For a shorter look, I shortened the length of the top skirt panel (tier 1 skirt). For the pockets, I used a free pocket pattern from Soften Studio.

The Sewing Process

Sewing this dress is pretty straightforward! First, I sewed the bodice together and finished the neckline with a cute pastel gingham bias tape I snagged from Daiso a while ago. I then gathered the top sleeves and sewed them to the bodice. Once the sleeves were attached, I sewed a channel and threaded the elastic through. And for the last few steps, gathering the tiered skirt panels, stitching up the pockets, and attaching them to the bodice.

I followed Soften Studio’s helpful tutorial to attach in-seam pockets using French seams. It’s incredibly satisfying to see those neat French seams when you turn the dress inside out—pure sewing magic!

The Finishing Touch

I put those leftover fabric scraps to good use by sewing front bow ties for an extra dose of cuteness!

The modified dress has such a cottagecore vibe—adorably cute and made for spinning and twirling! If I use this pattern again, the one tweak I’ll make is to raise the neckline a tad more. I find it a bit too roomy. I’ve worn it out a few times on casual strolls in the park and brunch dates with friends. I think this is a lovely dress that you can wear all through summer, spring, and fall!

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The post Hack the Mal Dress by Mood Fabrics (Free Pattern) first appeared on Chelle's Happy Corner.

I came across the Nikko pattern by True Bias at a local creative reuse store and it looked completely new and unopened. The pattern has 4 views to make a knit top or dress out of it and sleeves are optional. The dress pattern has a semi-fitted silhouette, straight through the waist and hip, featuring a racerback detail, a mock neck, and a leg slit. I wanted to make a similar knit dress so I used this pattern as a base.

Hacking the Pattern and Sewing the Dress

I altered the pattern (view C) so it’s narrower at the waist, flairs at the bottom, no mock neck, and a midi length. Once I got the fit right on me, the entire sewing process was super quick and easy.

The fabric I used is gorgeous burnt orange, also thrifted from the same store. The fabric also has a 75% stretch, which was recommended by the pattern. To determine the stretch percentage, place 2 inches of fabric alongside a ruler, aligning one edge near the 0-inch mark. Gently pull the fabric to the right; it should reach the 3.5-inch mark without the top and bottom edges rolling too much.

I sewed my knit fabric using a narrow zigzag stitch. Since the knit fabric shouldn’t fray easily, I only hemmed the bottom, neckline, and leg slit, while leaving the remaining edges raw. Be mindful not to stretch the fabric while sewing to prevent it from becoming wavy or rippling. I accidentally stretched one of the sleeve facings and you can see that one side is kind of puckered.

This dress is so simple but chic! I thrifted a few knit fabrics recently and I am excited to sew more dresses using this pattern again!

Update: I’ve made a shorter dress version with a fun lettuce hem detail—swing by this blog post to check it out

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The post Easy Pattern Hack with the Nikko Dress by True Bias. first appeared on Chelle's Happy Corner.

Mood Sewciety is one of the best places to get free sewing patterns. I was so excited when I came across a free cottagecore inspired dress pattern on their site! The Anthea Milkmaid Dress by Mood Fabrics has a romantic, feminine silhouette featuring a gathered bust, a cinched waist, puff sleeves, and an optional leg slit.

The Pattern Modification

The pattern is pretty easy to follow but I made a couple of small alterations to the original pattern. I’m quite petite so I’ve adjusted the slit height to work a little better for me. I also used a very simple gathered rectangular piece for the sleeves instead (I was lazy and didn’t feel like making the extra steps to cut and sew the shoulder+sleeve pieces haha). One thing to note is that the bustline didn’t fit too well so if you have a larger bust (> B cup) you may need to adjust the height of the bust piece and reshape the underbust seam. Making a test piece is always a good idea!

Sewing the Dress

I made this dress using a lovely blue floral print fabric that I thrifted for about $3/yard! It took me a bit longer to finish this dress because I wanted the insides of the garment to look as nice as the outside. I don’t have a serger and I was folding every raw edge of the fabric towards the wrong side of the fabric twice and sewed over them. I haven’t learned how to French seam yet so I would use this technique if I make this dress again.

Overall, I think this is a great pattern to have in your collection if you like the cottagecore aesthetic or enjoy wearing cute dresses. This dress makes me want to go frolicking in a garden somewhere haha…I’ll definitely make more dresses using this pattern in the future!

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The post Make the Anthea Milkmaid Dress by Mood Fabrics (Free Pattern) first appeared on Chelle's Happy Corner.