Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
A while back, I made a DIY overdyed cotton dress with a tie front. Not only did I sew it, but I also gave it a glow-up with dye!
Do you know that right after making it, someone marked on it? Yes, then I had to find a way to fix the stain, ugh!
McCall’s M5655 Dress Pattern
McCall’s M5655 is an easy-to-sew pattern. It’s out of print, but they might have similar ones out there.
It’s a loose-fitting pullover dress with princess seams. The shape is an A-line with inseam pockets and a front tie.
The elastic in the front panel gathers above the bust. It is sleeveless, which is perfect for summer!
Materials
Here are the fabric and notions I used to make this garment. I also used fabric dye, but I’ll explain that later.
Fabric: I found this wonderful woven fabric at the fashion school near me. They discounted this as deadstock, so I bought it.
The fabric actually has a soft hand, and the print is big, bold blue and turquoise flowers on a white background. The colors popped out at me.
The suggested fabrics for this pattern are lightweight cotton, cotton blends, linen, and denim.
Notions: I used 1/4-inch (0.25-inch) wide woven elastic for the front casing.
Sewing the Cotton Dress
The directions were pretty straightforward, but I made some construction changes that took up more time.
I didn’t make a mockup for this one because I was so convinced it would fit. And it did in the end.
But if I had made a muslin with this tie front, I could have made all my adjustments at that time.
Overall, this garment wasn’t too complicated, and it’s designed with long pieces.
The sleeveless bust and skirt are one piece. There is a center front that makes up the part that is gathered.
The back is all one piece. There is no seam down the center back.
So, you don’t have to worry about making a bodice for this one.
The inseam pockets are nice and big, and I love that.
The only part I fussed with is the front tie. I adjusted it by changing its placement.
The original pattern had it much higher. I didn’t want a bow tied around my bust.
Dropping it to my high waist would look better. So, I adjusted it on my dress form and basted it in place.
I ended up lowering the tie belt a couple of inches. It looks so much better on me this way, and the dress is still very loose around the waistline.
After doing all that work, I wore my dress one time before someone at work ran into me with a bold-tipped marker.
A big ol’ smudge on white. Great job, buddy.
I tried to remove it with every cure, but it wouldn’t budge. So, I overdyed the fabric.
I followed the directions on the bottle for a typical dye. In addition, I added salt and vinegar to the dye bath.
To achieve a shade of turquoise, I mixed a few Rit All-Purpose Dye colors: Aquamarine, Evening Blue, Gray, Yellow, and Blue.
See how the bold flowers faded into the new dress color? Overdyeing the dress in a similar color reduced the contrast on the floral print.
I’m not sure if I like it better before or after. Regardless, it got rid of the stain!
Notes
I’m telling you, cotton is a wonderful fabric to make summer dresses. It’s light and breathable.
It wrinkles compared to rayon or polyester, but that doesn’t bother me at all.
Although I didn’t add a lining to my dress, I like the half-slip option with this one.
I was happy with the dress when I first made it, and I like the overdye job. Plus, I was able to save it, which I’m happy about!
Read More
