The A-Line Driftwood Dress has an easy, comfortable, slightly-flared silhouette. A nice feature of A-line dresses is that they tend to require less fabric than dresses with gathered skirts, so this might be a good option if you have a garment to upcycle or a smaller cut of special fabric.
The A-Line is a "hack" of the original Child's Driftwood Blouse & Dress.
Materials
- Driftwood Blouse sewing pattern
- Extra fabric yardage (see Extra Fabric Requirement chart below)
- Paper to extend pattern pieces
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Tape
Fabric Requirement
The following chart gives the fabric requirements for a short-sleeved, a-line Driftwood Dress. To make a long-sleeved version, or a neck ruffle, add on the fabric requirement noted in the Child's Driftwood pattern tutorial.
| 12-18 | 18-24 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | |
| 43"/110cm | 39.4" | 39.4" | 47.2" | 51.2" | 51.2" | 53.1" | 63" | 66.9" | 70.9" |
| 100cm | 100cm | 120cm | 130cm | 130cm | 135cm | 160cm | 170cm | 180cm | |
| 52"/132cm | 37.4" | 37.4" | 39.4" | 39.4" | 43.3" | 45.3" | 45.3" | 45.3" | 47.2" |
| 95cm | 95cm | 100cm | 100cm | 110cm | 115cm | 115cm | 115cm | 120cm |
Adjust pattern pieces
Print and assemble the Driftwood Blouse pattern pieces in your selected size.
Extend the Blouse Front and Back pattern pieces as follows:
1. Tape a large piece of paper behind the hem of the Blouse Front pattern piece.
2. Determine the length to add to the Front and Back pattern pieces from the chart below. These measurements are for an above-knee dress:
| 12-18m | 18-24m | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | ||
| Length to add at blouse hem | inches | 3" | 4" | 4.75" | 5.5" | 6.25" | 7" | 8.25" | 9.5" | 10.5" |
| cm | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 27 | |
| Pocket position from underarm | inches | 5.75" | 6.5" | 6.9" | 7.3" | 7.7" | 8" | 8.5" | 8.9" | 9.3" |
| cm | 14.5 | 16.5 | 17.5 | 18.5 | 19.5 | 20.5 | 21.5 | 22.5 | 23.5 |
3. Extend the centre fold line and side seams by the amount indicated in the measurement chart (or your own preference).
Draw in the hem line from the centre fold line to the side seam, maintaining the curve at the same distance from the original blouse hem.
Repeat for the back pattern piece.
4. If you choose to add in-seam pockets, use the measurement chart above as a guide for positioning them.
Continue sewing the dress as per the blouse instructions until completed. Voilà - a gorgeous A-Line Driftwood Dress!
Join us in the Twig + Tale Facebook group to ask questions, look for inspiration, and of course to share photos of your lovely T+T creations.
Read more about:
The Driftwood Necklines and Closures
The Driftwood Neck Ruffle
The Various Driftwood Dress Options
The Various Driftwood Sleeve Options
How to make a Ruffle sleeve Driftwood Blouse or Dress
How to make a Driftwood Maxi Dress
How to make a Driftwood Vintage Dress
~ Lovely cover image by Jocelyn Buggie ~
