In this tutorial we’re making an easy linen wrap dress with short, drop sleeves. Ours is a midi, but you can make yours any length you like. You will draft your own pattern and use it to sew your very own dress.

These instructions are meant for intermediate sewers. They include modifications that can be omitted to make it simpler.

This tutorial assumes you know the following:

• How to take measurements (or you should know what your measurements are)
• How to trace a sewing pattern onto fabric and cut the pieces
• What bias tape is (how trim an edge with it is explained)
• How to sew a running stitch and finish edges with a zigzag stitch

The ideal fabric for this dress is a lightweight linen (up to 140 gsm). You can use a medium linen (160 to 170 gsm), but the hotter the weather, the lighter the better. Whether you go for pure linen or a linen–cotton blend is up to you. Linen has more cooling power, but blends are softer and may be better if you have sensitive skin.
 

What to try another fabric? Choose one that breathes and has a bit of drape without being too flowy. This design works great for ramie, silk-linen blends, silk noil, and schappe silk. 

Of course, you can make this dress out of cotton too. A lightweight, plain weave or a double gauze could be pretty.

Just remember, this project is designed for woven fabrics, not knits.

Figuring out how much fabric to buy is fairly easy, assuming common bolt widths for linen. For this dress you’ll need two or three dress lengths, depending on what size you are. So decide how long you want the dress to be and then multiply by 2 or 3. Don’t forget to add an extra 4” (10 cm) for the hem and something for the ties. For ties 2” (5 cm) wide, add a foot (30 cm).

How do you know if you should by two or three lengths? Add 8” (20 cm) to your hip width. Is the result lower than the width of the fabric bolt? You need two lengths. If it’s more, you need three.

For a midi dress 43” (110 cm) long, if you need two lengths, that’s 102” (260 cm), so get 3 yds. If you need three lengths, it comes to 145” (370 cm), just over 4 yds. 

Note: When you put the dress on and tie it around the waist, the hem creeps up a bit. Remember this when you are deciding on length.

Start by taking your measurements:

• Around the bust
• Around the waist
• Around the hips
• Center back length
• Bust depth
• Across chest
• Across shoulder
• Shoulder length
• Around the upper arm

Add ease to the bust and hip measurements, 2 1/2” (6 cm) to the bust and at least 4” (10 cm) to the hips. Then divide by two (you can round your numbers up to make the math easier).
 

Draw a rectangle with a width equal to half the bust circumference (including ease) and a height equal to the overall length of the dress.

Sketch a line dividing the rectangle in half vertically. From the top line, measure and mark the chest depth and back length and draw horizontal lines across at these points. On the bust line, mark the bustpoint span (the distance between bust points). These lines and marks serve as guides for drafting the pattern.

The example shown is for a 92–74–106 cm figure (roughly a European size 40 from the waist up and a 44 from the waist down). Yours, of course, will be different.
 

Mark the shoulder width on the top line and then mark both shoulders. Shorten the shoulder length by 1/2” or 3/4” (1-2 cm) so that the dress does not come all the way to the neck. This gives you points R1 and R2. Draw your lines at a slight diagonal sloping down, not straight out like for a kimono. The dress will fit better this way.

The shoulder slope is derived from the other measurements when making a perfectly tailored bodice, but we’ll just use an angle of 12 degrees.

Draw an arc between points R1 and R2 for the back of the neckline. Use a depth of one inch (2.5 cm). You can adjust this when you try it on later.

The dress will have short kimono sleeves that are cut as part of the bodice. Dolman sleeves are cut in a similar fashion.

To sketch out the sleeves, just extend the shoulder line to the intended sleeve length. Keep the width of the fabric in mind so that you can fit the two panels side by side. You can always extend the sleeves by sewing on a cuff.

Curve the sleeve line slightly from the shoulder. If the curve is giving you trouble, go ahead and make it straight; this cut is pretty forgiving, especially in lightweight material, so it will look fine.

Draw the end of the sleeve perpendicular to the line. Adjust the sleeve width as you like. Mine is 1.7 times the upper arm circumference, but it could be narrower too. Just don’t go too wide, or everyone will be able to see into your armhole.
 

Turn a right angle and send a line back to the vertical side of the grid, curving it at the underarm as shown.
 

Now for the skirt of the dress. Start by drawing a line from the end of the waistline through the end of the hipline (centered on the grid) and extend it to the bottom hem of the skirt.

You will probably find you have an A-line skirt now. If not – maybe you have narrow hips – just widen the skirt into a gentle A-line without hitting the end of the hipline. The extra volume allows ease of movement and the ties will tighten the dress at the waist.

The darts on the back are optional, but they make this dress look more put together. It will fit better and the fabric won’t bunch up in the back after you tie it up.

Make two marks on the waistline at one third and two thirds across. From each of these marks, draw perpendicular lines reaching up 6” (15 cm) and down 5” (13 cm).

Make the darts each an inch (2-3 cm) wide, checking to make sure they'll fit on  your waistline. You see, without the darts, the waist of this dress is exactly as wide as the bust; the darts make it narrower. If your bust and waist measurements are about the same, the waist should still be large enough (because we added ease at the beginning) to have room for the darts. If you have a figure with a smaller bust than waistline, you can leave the darts out.

Sketch the dart on the waistline, centering the dart line for each one. In other words mark half the dart width on each side of the dart line and then connect these points with the tops of the dart line to make an elongated diamond. Round the angle at the waistline – it’s easier to sew and looks better.

The numbers given above are rule of thumb for an average figure and a height of 5’5” to 5’9” (165–175 cm). If you are taller or shorter, add or subtract 3/8” (1 cm) top and bottom. If your back is quite arched, shorten the lower part of the dart.

If you aren’t quite sure, just sketch the darts using guesswork and baste them loosely so they’re easy to adjust after you try on the dress. Fitting is an essential step in garment making, even when the pattern is as simple as this one.

A wrap dress has one back panel and two front panels that are mirror images of each other.

We’ll base the front panel on the back panel. Trace the back panel onto a fresh piece of pattern paper, leaving out the darts. Do the right panel, the one that wraps over.

Mark one belt width up from the waist (you’ll sew the tie on here later). If your ties will just be narrow drawstrings (up to 3/8” or 5 mm), there’s no need to do this.

The front panels are narrower than the back – this keeps them from wrapping over to the back. Move the edge in on the side where the tie will be attached, as shown below, by a tenth of the total width. The bottom corner should move in a bit too so that it hangs better.
 

Draw a gentle arc for the front bodice wrapover. The markings on the pattern show where the bust points will fall. The crossed front panels create a v-neck that comes to a point at the center line of the grid. By adjusting the diagonals, you can raise or deepen the neckline.
 

Before cutting anything out, lay the front and back panels together with a shoulder seams lined up. Make sure that the back neckline curve joins nicely with the front neckline. There should not be a sharp angle here, or the neckline will be difficult to turn under and finish.
 

Your pattern is ready.

We skipped two things. One of them is to round the hem of the skirt. Because the side seam is angled, it is actually a bit longer than the front of the skirt, so the hem should be adjusted accordingly. We’ll just leave this step until after you try on the dress.
 

The second thing is to move the shoulder seam forward. Dresses, especially loose-fitting ones, tend to hang back when worn. If we make the shoulder seam just a tad lower on the front and higher on the back, the seam will lie on the top of the shoulder where it belongs. I’ve omitted this adjustment for the sake of simplicity. If you’re curious, you can find more in tailoring handbooks.
 

Get your scissors ready. It’s time to cut into your fabric.

Add seam allowances around all pieces of 5/8” (1.5 cm); at the ends of the sleeves and bottom hem add 1 1/4” (3 cm) to allow for a fold over.

1. Back panel – Mark the waistline on the back panel piece and mark the belt width on the right side (up from the waistline). Mark darts.
2. Front panels (left and right) – The two pieces are mirrors of each other. Mark the waistline and on the side seam of the right (overlap) panel mark the belt width (up from the waistline).
3. Ties – You need two ties. One goes from the right side around the back to the left; the other wraps from the left side around the waist and all the way back to the left. Add 28” (70 cm) for the bow, so the length of the first tie is 28” (70 cm) plus half of the waist circumference (without ease); the length of the second tie is 28” (70 cm) plus the full waist circumference. The pieces for the ties are just a long rectangles with these lengths and a width based on your desired belt width; double the width plus two seam allowances. For a 2” (5 cm) belt, that will be 5 1/4” (13 cm).
4. Facing for the vertical edges of the skirt is something we’ll cut later, while sewing.

Rev up your sewing machine, it’s time for the fun part!

Always start with the darts. If you have back darts on your pattern, now’s the time to sew or baste them. 

Fold the dart on the center line and pin it. Make sure your lines match up.

Always sew darts off the edge. In other words, don’t lock the ends of the stitching line with a back stitch; rather, sew all the way to the end of the fabric and then tie the ends of the thread in a little knot.

For two-pointed darts like the ones we have here, start at one point and sew along the dart line all the way to the other point and off the fabric.

Press the darts towards the center of the piece.
 

Sew the shoulder seam from neck to end of sleeve. Finish the edges of the seam allowance and press. Shown below are two ways of finishing edges: either with a zigzag stitch or by folding the edge under and closing it with a running stitch. If the loose threads of the first method are scratchy or irritate you, use the second.
 

Sew the side seams from the end of the sleeve to the bottom hem.

On the righthand side, leave a gap at the waist as a pull-through hole for the tie. You have this marked, so just sew from the end of the sleeve to the mark at the upper edge of the waistband, lock the end and then sew from the lower waistband mark all the way to the hem. Lock your seams at the waist when sewing so the gap doesn’t pull open.

Finish the edges and press the seam. You can reinforce the gap by sewing around or hand sewing a few stitches at each end to hold it.

The front bodice wrapover is cut on the bias (diagonal), which makes it tricky to sew. To keep it from stretching we’ll use a little trick.

Set your machine for the longest possible running stitch (usually 5 mm) and put the upper thread tension at zero. Now sew along the diagonal edge of the front panel as shown below. Do not backstitch to lock the ends and do not trim away the long ends of thread.

Gently pull on one end of the thread and bring together the fabric as if you were going to gather it. But only pull very slightly. The result should be a holding line of stitches to keep the fabric from stretching. If you’ve done it right, the fabric will be flat, and the edge may be very slightly wavy. This light-handed, controlled reinforcement of the fabric is used not only when finishing necklines so they don't stand up, but also when inserting sleeves and sewing princess seams.

Lay the bias tape along the neckline of the front panel right sides together. The end of the tape should come all the way to the vertical edge of the panel, including seam allowance. Start sewing on the seam line about 1 1/4” (3 cm) from the end. Sew along the whole length of the neckline, working towards the shoulder, then around the back of the neck and back down the other side of the front neckline, stopping again about 1 1/4” (3 cm) from the end. The ends of the bias tape will be free.

Bias tape usually only has a very narrow seam allowance, but make sure you sew it on along the seam line of your garment (which is wider).

After sewing, trim back the seam allowance so that it is narrow enough to hide under the bias tape after ironing. Now fold the bias tape over to the inside of the garment and iron it in place. When pressing, pull the seam to the back by just a tiny fraction for a neat finished edge. Don’t sew yet.

It’s time to make two ties for the dress. Cut the strips of fabric, then fold in half lengthwise right sides in and sew along the whole length and one of the ends. You can shape the ends how you like: straight across, diagonal, or pointed.

Turn right side out and iron. To reinforce, you can stitch close to the edge all around.

Lay the unfinished end of the tie on the face side of the front panel. The white arrow below shows the chalk mark where the seam line will be on the vertical edge of the skirt (standard seam allowance).

We’ll finish the exposed vertical skirt edge with facing. We’ll need a strip of fabric that copies the vertical edge of the skirt. Using the pattern, trace the vertical edge and make a strip about 1 1/4” wide (3 cm) and add standard seam allowance of 5/8” (1.5 cm) on all four sides. Do this for both front panels.

Take the front panel with the tie placed on it and lay the facing on top, face to face. Pin in place.

Fold back the edge of the facing as shown (if you have followed the instructions, you will turn back 1 1/4” or 1.5 cm, but in the photo below I have a narrower allowance). Sew along the dotted line as shown. At the top you will sew along the already sewn bias tape, sewing right below this seam.

After sewing on the facing, trim back the corners as close to the stitching as you can get, so that the corners turn out nicely.

Turn everything right side out. The facing and bias tape are now on the inside. When you pull on the tie, the corner should straighten nicely. Tuck everything neatly under so that no rough edges are peeking out. You can trim away some of the bias tape (don’t trim away too much). Trim off the tip of the facing that’s poking out here and tuck it away under the facing strip. Pin or baste everything in place and press neatly.

The bias tape and the facing have to be stitched in place. It’s faster to do the whole thing on your machine, but if you have the patience, you can sew this part by hand with an invisible stitch.

Shape the bias tape around the curves, especially at the back of the neck, with your fingers and a steam iron.

Put on the dress, tie it around the waist, straighten it out, take a few steps, sit down, stand up, do a twirl. Now take look in the mirror. How’s the hem? If the skirt is visibly longer in the front or the back (it’s different for everyone) then mark it and shorten where it’s too long.

The right way to do this is to stand a tailor’s square on the ground and measure all around so that the hem of the skirt is the same height from the ground everywhere. The trick here is that you have to get someone to help you because you can’t do this part yourself.

For wrap skirts there is one more detail to look out for, and that is the lower corners of the wrapped panels. The photo below shows how the lower layer peeks out (the white line is the side seam of the dress).

You can make this adjustment yourself. Fold up the corner and pin it, then stand back up and check to make sure you've lined it up right. Then adjust the hem with a slight curve to the corner as shown below.

Do the same to both front panels.

The final step is hemming the skirt and sleeves. Fold the hem back and press in place. You can finish the rough edge with a zigzag stitch or fold it under.

Sew with your machine or hand sew from the inside using an invisible stitch.

After your length adjustments, the skirt will have a curved edge. Be sure to press well with a steam iron or through a damp cloth. This will help shape the hem and keep it from puckering up. The alternative, as for a circle skirt, is to finish the bottom hem with bias tape as you did the neckline.

Check for hanging threads, give it a quick iron, and you’re good to go!

How did it turn out?

Did you use linen or another fabric?

Share photos of your new dress!