Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: The Westcliff Dress

Hello friends.  Do you love a wrap dress? 

This is Byrd, your curvy sewist and I am back with my latest Fabricista make.  The re-release of DVF Diane von Furstenberg’s Wrap Dress has everyone pulling out their favorite wrap dress patterns.  The DVF was initially released in 1974 and re-issued earlier this year.  If you love a wrap dress, you will love the Friday Pattern Company Westcliff Dress.  It is a size-inclusive beginner-friendly faux wrap dress with a tie belt that runs from XS to 4X.  My Westcliff is sewn up in Fabric Mart’s cotton lycra painterly floral knit.  

Fabric Mart’s cotton lycra is perfect for a spring or summer wrap dress.  It’s lightweight and breathable with a soft drape and excellent recovery. The fabric has gorgeous light lime green, white and purple flowers set against a light gray backdrop.  

The fabric is easy to cut and sew.  To keep fabric from slipping, use pins or clips as you sew together layers of fabric.  You can use a serger/overlocker, stretch stitch or a narrow zig-zag stitch to sew up the Westcliff.  After washing and drying my fabric, I didn’t notice any shrinkage or fraying but recommend overlocking your raw edges. 


The Friday Pattern Company instruction booklet is detailed and easy to follow. I appreciate the detailed finished garment measurements chart which included measurements for your bust, waist, hips and biceps.  

My measurements are bust 42, waist 37 and hips 47.  I cut an XL at the bust and graded to XXL at the hips..  There are two bust cup sizes to choose from - B and D cups.  I graded between the two.  I like the tie belt and the way it cinches in the waistline; however, I widened the belt and added interfacing for a more stable and structured look.  I like the tiny gathers at the front bodice and the clean binding finishings.  There is an optional bottom ruffle and a faux wrap top version.


A good fit is so important.  Before closing and sewing the front bodice at the waistline, try it on several times and make necessary adjustments. This is also a good time to shorten the waist if needed.  The fit for me was spot on and no modifications were needed.  

I styled my Westcliff with a pair of light gray platform sandals.  The dress is easy to make and super cute - two of my favorite things.  Right after sewing this up, I dropped my new dress in my luggage for my 20th wedding anniversary getaway.  

Thank you for reading!  

Until next time, happy sewing,

BYRD  @yogabyrdsews


You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: COTTON & KNITS.

Comments

  1. You look lovely in the dress. Love your shoes. Happy anniversary! Thanks for sharing a new to me pattern.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: ITY Dress

Hi sewing friends - Andrea here from Happy.Things.Here over on Insta with this week’s post – I’m sharing about a favorite fabric and pattern today!  So… the last two months have almost gotten the best of me. We made a somewhat unplanned decision to move homes and life has been just insanely busy and hard to find time to sew. But sewing  is such a joy and a stress reliever for me, so I fit in this fun and easy sew amidst the chaos and it made me sew very happy! Sneak peek – how could this print NOT make someone happy? First, let’s talk fabric. ITY , or Interlock Twist Yarn, is one of my all-time favorite fabrics for sewing clothing. Fabric Mart did an Instagram post with a video on this fabric and I highly recommend you check it out if this fabric is new to you. Three things I love about ITY – 1) it’s easy to care for and rarely wrinkles, 2) it’s easy to wear, great for drapey pieces, and works all year long, and 3) Fabric Mart gets great deadstock prints and colors from fashion design

Made By A Fabricista: Breezy Summer Style with Rayon Challis from Fabric Mart.

Hey there my sewing friends!  Summer is here and I am all for it.  It has been exceptionally hot here in Southwest Florida. We have had temps in the high 90’s.  I want to keep cool and comfortable and still look pulled together this summer.  That’s why I chose rayon challis for this month’s summer make.   Rayon Challis is lightweight, flowy, soft and extremely comfortable to wear. It’s an excellent choice for summer outfits.  It has a beautiful drape making it an excellent choice for maxis, tops, dresses, and shorts. The fabric is lightweight and depending upon your sewing project you may need to use a lining with this fabric. Also use a lightweight interfacing when working with rayon challis.  If you are a beginner at sewing, you may find the fabric a bit fiddly to work with, but the end result is so worth it.  Fabric Mart has beautiful challis fabric to choose from. I chose this fun tropical print on an off-white background. This summer season vests are in.  I love the ease of wearin

Made By A Fabricista: The Loring Dress

Hello friends,  This is Byrd, your curvy sewist and I am back with my latest Fabricista make.  This is the newly released Cashmerette Loring Dress, a size-inclusive beginner-confident flowy summer dress.  The dress features a V-neck, pockets and tie that cinches in the waist.  The Loring pairs so nicely with Fabric Mart’s cornflower, magenta and pink floral cotton lawn.  Fabric Mart’s cotton lawn is a dream for summer projects!  Its lightweight breathable nature and smooth silky drape is perfect for warm weather garments like the Loring Dress. The vibrant cornflower, magenta, and pink flowered fabric is a joy to sew and wear.  Fun fact:  Named after the flower, the color cornflower is a medium blue mixed with a little green.  Cotton lawn is easy to cut and sew and pre-washing is always a good idea to avoid any surprise shrinkage after your garment is finished. I also recommend using a serger/overlocker for a clean interior finish. Cashmerette describes the Loring Dress as an explosion