DIY Cotton Dress: Sleeveless & Overdyed | McCall’s M5655

While looking through my stash, I found some fabric that I loved. I made a breezy, sleeveless, DIY cotton dress that I overdyed. 

Do you know that right after making it, someone ruined it? Yes, then I had to find a way to fix the stain.

Well, I’ll tell you all about it, the pattern I used, materials, my process, and share photos. You might end up making (or fixing) a similar one. 

McCall’s M5655 Dress Pattern

I made my dress using McCall’s M5655 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! 

I think sewing this pattern is at an early intermediate level. The bodice and sleeve facings might be tricky.

Materials

Here’s everything 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. I didn’t use knit elastic because I wanted more hold.

Needle

I used a size 80/12 universal needle to sew the cotton woven fabric. You might use the same needle if you use any of the suggested fabrics.

Thread

For my sewing machine, I used matching Coats & Clark all-purpose thread. It’s made of 100% polyester.

In my serger, I used Maxi-Lock spun thread. It’s also made of polyester.

Sewing My Dress

I followed the directions, and they were pretty straightforward. It didn’t take much time, but I did make some changes that made the process longer.

Prepping

I washed the fabric and dried it as usual. The material is pretty durable, so I put it in on high heat to preshrink it.

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. 

Construction

The directions were easy to follow. I like these kinds of sewing projects, as they’re not too complicated.

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.

I didn’t add a lining to this dress because I wore slips at this time. Plus, you can’t see through the cotton fabric anyway.

The inseam pockets are nice and big. Most all of my dresses and skirts have pockets.

The only part I fussed with is the front tie. If you look at the model on the sewing pattern envelope, you’ll see I changed it. 

Adjustments

Let’s talk about that 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. That way, I could use it as a tie belt.

And, it’d give this dress more shape around the waist. 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.

Finishing Details

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. 

I soaked my dress for about 40 minutes. Because of the cotton fabric, the dye absorbed well. 

Then I rinsed it in cold water and handwashed it a few times to remove the excess dye.

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!

Project Notes

I’m telling you, cotton is a wonderful fabric to make summer dresses. It’s light and breathable.

Although it wrinkles compared to rayon or polyester, that doesn’t bother me at all.

Although I didn’t add a lining to my dress, you may want to if you can see through your fabric or it’s lightweight. 

Another option is to make a half-slip. I’ve made some so I don’t always need to add a lining.

Final Thoughts

This dress was such a comfy make. The cotton fabric is soft, and the fit is relaxed.

With the tie front, the dress has some shape. Plus, I was able to save it with overdyeing, which I’m happy about.

More Sewing Projects

I have many other related sewing projects on my blog. You might want to check them out. 

• Would you like to learn more about the process of overdyeing clothes?

• I used fabric dye to color another DIY dress of mine.

• What about a semi-fitted button-up dress I made in chambray?

• Would you like to see an empire waist dress in tencel fabric? 

I’d love to hear about your sewing adventures!

Originally published: September 19, 2024