DIY Summer Cottage dress | Step by step sewing tutorial

DIY Summer Cottage dress

Welcome or welcome back to my channel!

In today's tutorial, I'm going to share with you how I made a Summer Cottage dress. This is my perfect summer date dress this season. It's the cottage style dress with a little add of vintage. What I love the most from the dress is that you can control how tight it is to your body by the corset style at the back of the dress.

So let’s get started!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Main fabric: 2m of light weight soft cotton fabric

• Lining fabric: 2m of thin cotton fabric

• Pattern paper

• Sewing machine

• Pins

• Scissors

• Ruler

• Long stick

• Zipper

• Buttons

MAKING THE PATTERNS

Here’s the pattern for the project. To get a clear understanding of all the measurements needed for the pattern, watch the video from 0:41 to 5:05.

Remember, you can adjust these measurements to fit your own dimensions!

THE FRONT BODICE PATTERN

The back bodice pattern

1. To make the front bodice pattern, draw a rectangle with a 20 cm width (a quarter of bust size) and a 26 cm length (from above the breast to 2 cm above the belly button).

2. From the top width line, draw a horizontal line 12 cm below it, representing the width from above to below the breast.

3. From one end of the top width line, mark 14 cm inward, half the inside shoulder width.

4. At the other end of the top width line, mark 5 cm down on the lane line to indicate the under-armpit depth.

5. Connect these two marks with a slightly curved line to form the sleeve line.

6. On one end of the horizontal line, mark 3 cm up on the lane line, and at the other end, mark 1 cm down. Connect these two marks with a slightly curved line to form the underbust line.

7. From the top of the lane line, mark down 2 cm and connect this mark to the top of the sleeve line to form the top bust line.

8. At the end of the lane line, extend 4 cm and connect it to the other end of the lane line to create a slant at the end of the front bodice.

9. Mark the middle of the bottom width line and draw a straight line through it, intersecting the horizontal and slanted lines.

10. Mark 1 cm on either side of this middle mark, leaving the remaining bottom width line at 18 cm, which is a quarter of the waist size plus 1 cm.

11. Connect these marks to the intersection on the horizontal line.

12. After cutting, there will be two front bodice pieces. Add a 1 cm seam allowance.

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13. For the top part of the front bodice, cut in half and extend the width by 5 cm to create gathering fabric for the bust.

14. Redraw the pattern, completing the front bodice pattern.

THE BACK BODICE PATTERN

1. For the back bodice pattern, draw a rectangle with a 20 cm width (a quarter of bust size) and a 21 cm length (matching the front bodice sideline length).

2. Extend the slanted line from the front bodice to the back bodice's bottom piece.

3. On the other side of the bottom width line, mark 1 cm up and connect this mark to the slant's end.

4. Draw a line dividing the rectangle into two equal parts.

5. At the end of this line, make two marks, 1 cm on each side, and connect them to the top to form two pieces of the back bodice pattern.

6. Add a 1 cm seam allowance.

THE SKIRT PATTERN

The skirt pattern for this dress is simple and basic, providing front and back skirt pieces for the dress.

SEWING THE DRESS

THE FRONT BODICE

Started by making the front bodice first, connecting two side pieces to the middle part.

After the first seam, make one more seam outside to keep the end fabric on one side.

At the top part of the front bodice, create two loose seams at the under-bust line.

Then make gathering fabric there.

The final width of the gathering fabric should match the bottom part of the front bodice.

Then connect it to the bottom part of the front bodice.

At the top of the front bodice, make two loose seams, then gather the fabric.

The final width of the gathering fabric will be 14 cm, which is a half of the inside shoulder.

THE FRONT SKIRT

For the front skirt, make two loose seams at the top, and gather the fabric.

The final width of the gathering fabric will be the same the width at the ending line of the top bodice

Then connect them together.

Use the same method to make the lining for the front dress.

THE BACK BODICE

For a corset look at the back, make holes for the tie first by cutting a long rectangle 3 cm wide and 50 cm long.

Connect the two lane lines of the rectangle together.

Then turn it right side out, sew, and iron to keep the fold.

Then iron to keep the fold.

Cut it into 10 small pieces with 5 cm length each one.

On the middle piece of the back bodice, mark the tie hole positions.

Then attach the pieces, and sew to secure.

Connect the two side parts of the back bodice to the middle piece.

THE BACK SKIRT

At the top of the back skirt, make two loose seams, then gather the fabric.

The final width of the gathering fabric will be the same at the end of the back bodice.

Then connect them together.

Make the lining using the same method.

CONNECT THE FRONT AND THE BACK DRESS

Next, connect the front and back of the dress at the sideline, leaving the zipper side open.

Add a 30 cm invisible zipper on that side.

THE SHOULDER STRAPS

For the shoulder strap, cut a 16 cm wide rectangle, double the strap width, plus 2 cm seam allowance, with a 40 cm length for shoulder strap length plus 2 cm seam allowance.

Connect the two lane lines together.

Then turn it right side out, and iron.

On both ends, make two loose seams, and gather the fabric.

The final width of the gathering fabric will be around 2 cm.

For the front tie, cut a rectangle 4 cm wide (double the tie width, plus 2 cm seam allowance) and around 40 cm long. Connect the lane lines, turn it right side out, and iron.

Connect the lane lines.

Then turn it right side out, and iron.

CONNECT THE SHOULDER STRAPS AND THE FRONT TIES TO THE DRESS

Connect one end of the shoulder strap to the top of the front bodice, leaving 1 cm seam allowance.

Attach the other end of the shoulder strap to one side of the middle back bodice.

Attach the tie to both sides of the bust area, leaving 1 cm seam allowance.

Then sew to secure them onto the dress.

CONNECT THE LINING TO THE DRESS

Next, attach the lining to the dress at the top bodice line, making sure the right sides face each other, and sew.

After the first seam, make an understitching seam at the top of the lining to keep the end fabric on one side, then iron.

Continue attaching the lining to the zipper line and the rest of the sideline separately for the dress and the lining.

At the end of the dress, fold the fabric twice (1 cm each time) and sew to finish.

On the back bodice, make a seam next to the tie holes to secure the dress and lining together.

Create a long tie about 2m wide to thread through the tie holes, giving the corset look at the back of the dress.

This gives the corset look at the back of the dress.

DIY Summer Cottage dress

And that’s the finished dress!

Here’s the final result—a lovely cottage-style dress that’s perfect for a summer day.

I hope you found my step-by-step guide helpful and inspiring.

If you’re interested in making your own, give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Until then, happy sewing!