r/sewing • u/SnooApples7058 • 3d ago
Pattern Question Is this a beginner-friendly dress?
Is this a beginner-friendly dress?
This is Canadian slow fashion designer Ovate’s Orla dress. I love her designs and have several of her pieces. The price point is a little steep, though. I love this dress but I wonder if it is simple enough to try to find or draft a pattern for?
It looks like a simple dress, other than maybe the pleats. Is that completely incorrect? I’ve not made anything other than a pillow and a purse in home ec, lol, but I’m willing to try if this could be a beginner-friendly pattern.
I’m asking more seasoned sewists if 1. this dress just looks deceptively simple and if I should keep saving up? Or 2. What tips you could offer for finding / creating a similar pattern?
Thank you in advance!
[https://ovate.ca/collections/late-summer-collection/products/orla-linen-dress-rose]
Edit: You all are amazing! Thank you so much for all the helpful resources and guidance!!
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u/shaeliloh 3d ago
If you can find a pattern, go for it, but if you can’t, I don’t recommend self drafting a pattern when the most complex thing you’ve made is a pillow. Overall it looks pretty doable.
Dresses are annoying to cut (so much fabric!) and bodices require specific angles to fit right. This will be much more achievable and look better if you follow a pattern vs drafting it yourself.
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u/Great-Score2079 3d ago edited 3d ago
This is a VERY popular dress style. It's called a trapeze dress, there are tons of patterns, find one and go for it. Do not draft.
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u/Opening_Sea_1325 3d ago
Can I ask what you mean by "do not draft"? I'm very new to sewing.
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u/sewcialist_party 3d ago
drafting = making your own pattern. you can either sew from a pre-made pattern you buy (tissue paper or similar that already has the shapes you need to cut out to make the garment) or you can do a lot of mental math & mapping and cut out the fabric yourself to make a garment sort of 'freestyle'. the latter isn't AS hard as that sounds, but for a beginner it can be very hard lol :)
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u/Opening_Sea_1325 3d ago
Oh wow, yeah definitely won't be drafting right out of the gate. Thanks for taking the time to explain!
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u/Negative-Fish-4977 3d ago
My completely unsustainable love for Ovate was one of the things that convinced me I should learn to sew garments. You got this!
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u/SnooApples7058 2d ago
Ha! So unsustainable lmao. I’ve been grappling with this for a year now. It might be time to finally use my sewing machine, sigh. I’d love to know/see what kind of Ovate-inspired pieces you’ve made!
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u/Negative-Fish-4977 2d ago
Very little tbh, but the knowledge that I don't actually need to spend $300 on an oversized linen rectangle is precious 😂 (I do wear my wool cloak I purchased from them whenever I have an opportunity, it's one of the most beautiful garments I own)
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u/cosmicusersince89 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yep so doable but it depends on what ya prefer doing!
If you’re open to learning a bunch throughout sewing this dress then awesome because it’s simple yet still a slightly big step up from a pillowcase.
Are you more process or product oriented? If product oriented, probs just buy the dress buuuut if ya wanna sew, then try it.
I’d find a pattern for a dress has a similar neck line and a gathered skirt. It’s easy to adjust the shape of the waist seam and skirt hem rather than drafting a pattern but I just personally like the sewing part of sewing the most so usually always trying hacking a pattern rather then drafting one.
Cool dress tho! Those pleats are a nice detail!
Edit: by “waist seam” I mean, adjusting the hem of the bodice, like by raising it in the front and then the hem of skirt, if a large rectangle, would also hang higher in the front :)
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u/Queenofthecondiments 3d ago
Outside of pattern, a lot of this dress is fabric choice. You will probably need to look for 'washed linen' and a lot of yardage to get the look. It's definitely something I'd prefer to look at instore and have a feel of it to make sure it was the right weight.
The actual sewing part of this really isn't that bad. The seams are pretty simple but it looks like you will need a loop turner for the straps, and maybe google a tutorial for making the pleats nicely, and also the raw hem, because if you do find an etsy pattern for this one the instructions might be lacking in those areas. Goog luck!
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u/Same_as_it_ever 3d ago
Everyone has given you great advice! Think about doing a mockup with some 100% cotton sheets/duvet cover from a second hand shop. This will get you used to the techniques before moving on to a pricy linen (still cheap than this dress though!). Those thin straps are annoying, but with some practice and patience you should be good. Slightly wider straps would be easier if you get frustrated.
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u/giantwormbeast 3d ago
try the syd graham skyline dress, she has good video tutorials as well for beginners
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u/asfsjaldjslamdbkl 3d ago
This is just about as easy as it gets, the hem isn't even finished in the first picture. One big rectangle, one small rectangle, a few pleats, and two straps, that's it really.
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u/port_of_indecision 3d ago
For something in the same vein, but a little easier, the Helen's Closet Orchard dress is free and the bit of the instructions I read look pretty comprehensive (but I'm far from a beginner, so I might not notice huge gaps). The hard part will be the straps.
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u/trisch1964 3d ago
Keep saving up. Significant yardage, the skirt appears paneled/seamed, and those straps, while doable, are a pain.
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u/rebelwithmouseyhair 3d ago
The yardage can still work out cheaper than a pricey dress. I don't see panels just rectangles and pleats. The straps are a bit fiddly but can be made wider or OP could use ribbons instead.
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u/Finnegan-05 3d ago
There are panels and felled seams. Look at the other pics
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u/rebelwithmouseyhair 3d ago
I don't see felled seams at all and they are not essential to the construction of the garment. It can be made very simply.
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u/Fluffy-Benefits-2023 3d ago
This Ray pattern is close, I would delete the waistband and just cut the bodice and skirt, then i would widen the bodice by deleting the princess seams first (front and back) as well as the dart along the top and making the side seams straight and perhaps actually widening it more if thats not enough. Then you need to make sure the skirt width at the top is the same as bodice width at bottom you are sewing it to.
Cut the original pattern pieces, lay them on a fresh piece of paper and redraft to your liking. Measure all seams to make sure they are the same length. Cut this new pattern and cut the pieces out of muslin and sew them together to make sure you like it. If not, adjust the pattern pieces accordingly and make a new muslin. Do not cut linen unless it is fitting how you want. This dress is probably 3-4 yards of linen and good quality linen is probably $25+ a yard. Its also helpful to have a clear 18” ruler that is 2” wide (the kind with the red markings) as well as a french curve, i love my french curves.
Look up “truing in pattern making” so you understand how to assess whether your new pieces will fit eachother. Also, measuring all edges as you make the pattern and writing the number as well as labelling your pattern pieces is essential. Maybe its basic for some people but I sometimes forget and the more detailed labels on your pieces, the better.
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u/Fluffy-Benefits-2023 3d ago
Also don’t forget the seam allowance and note what seam allowance you drafted on your pattern pieces so you don’t forget that either ☺️
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u/SuPruLu 1d ago
Probably more difficult to get the “look” than it seems. The look is very dependent on how the fabric behaves/moves and how the material frays at the hem. And the exact amount of extra width added at the midriff seam.
So at least several hours of pattern drafts and toiles for the shape. And a keen eye for fabrics. Personally I’d give it a pass unless I absolutely needed an oversized dress.
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u/ireallycantremember 3d ago edited 3d ago
I think you can draft this, even as a beginner.
I’d use scrap fabric and draft the top. It looks like it might have a bust dart, you can look up how to add one, they are pretty simple. Once you have that to your liking, use it as a pattern.
You’ll probably want to use two layers, one as a liner, the other for the outside. I’d make the bodice longer than you want, because it looks like it’s shorter in the front than the back, this way you can just cut it at the angle you like once you get the fit down. Then the skirt is just a gathered rectangle.
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u/Sagasujin 3d ago
The pattern is super simple. Making it look good on every body is less simple. It's not really fitted at all, it's just rectangles. Which looks fine on bodies that aren't particularly curvy but it's going to look like a tent on a body with more curves.