Sewing Zadie: Make the Back Dress

Making the Zadie dress? I’m going to show you how to put together the back of the dress. (Order your pattern and check out previous steps if you need to catch up!)

These steps are similar to how we made the front of the dress in the previous post – however, there are a few differences, so do pay attention! The good news is that it’s quite a bit easier than making the front dress as it doesn't have the pockets.



We’re going to start by attaching the back bodice to the back skirt – lay these pieces out on your sewing table, right sides up. If you’re not sure which is the neckline and which is the waistline on the back bodice, look for the centre notch that you snipped at the cutting stage – this edge is the waistline.

Sewing Zadie: Make the Front Dress

Making the Zadie dress? Today I’m going to show you how to put together the pieces to make the front of the dress.

Not started your dress yet? Order your Zadie sewing pattern and catch up on the sewalong!

I’m including lots of photos so you can see which pieces and seams I’m referring to, but if you’re still not sure which bit I’m asking you to pin or sew, have a look at the seam labels on the pattern sheets.

Our patterns include a 15mm (5/8in) seam allowance – so sew with the raw edges lined up with the 15 or 5/8 guide on your needle plate, unless the step says otherwise. And back tack at each end of the stitching to secure it in place.

Sewing Zadie: Stabilise Seams and Sew Pleats

Ready to start making your Zadie dress? Today I’m going to walk you through the first steps – exciting!

Getting started

First things first – take your measurements, choose your size and make any initial adjustments to the pattern. Go back a couple of posts to read up on sizing and fitting for the Zadie dress.

My Teal and Stripes Zadie Dress

The Zadie sewing pattern was a labour of love for us. The unusual style lines meant it was a complicated pattern to draft, fit and format, as any teensy change to one pattern piece had a knock-on effect on nearly every other piece. We took our time, and it was soooo worth it. Any time we got stressed about the amount of time and effort it was taking, I wore one of my Zadie dresses into the office and it all felt worthwhile. I reeeeally love this dress!

I've made four versions of the dress for myself so far - one solid red, one black and white, one in stripes, teal and pink (the same one demonstrated in the instructions), and this one - teal and striped ponte. It's such a great pattern for combining different colours and prints.

Sewing Zadie: Choosing Your Size and Fitting Your Dress

Making the Zadie dress? Vanessa here today to talk about how to choose your size and make any alterations you might need to get a beautiful fit.

Just to warn you, this is a loooong post - but you don't have to read it all! The good news is that knit fabrics stretch in places where they need to, so that takes away some of the fitting work for you. However, as our bodies all carry volume in different places and proportions, you may find that you need to make some tweaks to the pattern to get a personalised fit. In which case, skip to the section that you think you need in this post. Whatever you do, definitely read about choosing your size, making a toile and fitting as you sew - these are all essential!

We're going to cover:

• Choosing your size
• Making a toile
• Lengthening the bodice or skirt
• Shortening the bodice or skirt
• Shortening the back bodice for a sway back
• Lengthening the back bodice for a long back
• Combining pattern sizes - the quick n easy method and the more accurate method
• Adjusting for a full bust
• Adjusting for a small bust
• Making a second toile (after making changes to the paper pattern)
• Fitting as you sew

Five Tips for Making a Colour Blocked Dress

Combining different coloured fabrics – or colour blocking – is a great way of highlighting interesting style lines on a garment, such as the Zadie dress. Those panels are just screaming out for contrast colours!

Today I thought I’d share some thoughts on how to approach colour blocking a dress that you’re making – from planning, through sewing, to after care. I’d love to know your thoughts on this too!

Zadie Colouring Sheets... Free Download!

Planning to make a Zadie dress? I’ve created a colouring sheet to help you plan the design of your dress:

Download the Zadie colouring sheet for free!

Print off as many copies of the colouring sheet as you like on A4 or Letter size paper. Then grab some coloured pencils and start having some fun!

Meet the Zadie dress pattern!

Today’s a good day – a brand new sewing pattern is here, and it’s a beauty!

Zadie is my favourite kind of dress – one of those dream outfits that make it easy to get dressed in the morning. Designed for knit fabrics such as ponte and jersey, Zadie is stylish and comfortable at the same time. Throw it over your head at the weekend to curl up on the sofa, or dress it up a necklace and heels for a meeting or date.

Grab the sewing pattern – or get one of our limited edition kits with the fabric, thread and stabiliser included!

GET YOUR ZADIE PATTERN

or

BUY THE WHOLE KIT