Hillhouse Nap Dress Dupe with Fabric Mart Fabric!

I have been wanting a Hill House Home Nap Dress for the longest time, but when I saw the reviews that the fabric was too sheer and the price tag—often well over $200—I decided it would be much more fun to make my own! I found this gorgeous abstract navy and white cotton voile from Fabric Mart and knew it would be perfect for the light, floaty dupe I had in mind. Cotton voile is soft, lightweight, and beautifully suited for a shirred dress like the infamous Nap dress. This abstract print gives the finished dress a more modern feel. I love a floral fabric, but I was excited to find this abstract print in my favorite color of navy. 

Rather than using an entire dress pattern, I followed Just Lauren Johnson’s YouTube tutorial on how to create a Nap Dress from rectangles. Lauren walks you through how to use your own measurements to calculate the dimensions of the bodice, skirt tiers, and other pieces. I loved this approach because I could create the dress specifically for my measurements and my height rather than trying to adapt a commercial pattern. The bodice is shirred with elastic thread, and it was so much fun watching those simple rectangles transform into a fitted, comfortable bodice! I love watching the fabric shrink with the application of steam at the end. 

A few shirring tips I have picked up over the years: I hand-wound my bobbin with elastic thread rather than using the machine to wind it, and I used a longer stitch length of about 4–5. I also used scissors to cut my threads instead of the automatic thread cutter on my machine. This helps keep the elastic thread properly loaded and positioned in the bobbin area rather than potentially pulling it out of place. And definitely choose a lightweight fabric for shirring—the cotton voile worked beautifully and made the process much easier. I love how the shirred voile gathers up and creates such a comfortable, stretchy fit!

For the sleeves, I used ONLY the sleeves from the Serenity dress pattern by OJAYROOM. I did not use the Serenity dress pattern for the rest of the construction—the bodice and tiers were all created using Lauren’s rectangle method. I loved the shape of the Serenity sleeves, but I wanted them to have more of that signature Nap Dress look, so I added a little ruffle at the shoulder. It was such a simple change, but it really gave the sleeves the romantic detail I was looking for.

This dress uses A LOT of fabric! Mine took almost five yards, so choosing a lightweight fabric is definitely the way to go. A lightweight fabric is especially helpful for shirring and also keeps those very wide skirt tiers from becoming too heavy. My middle tier is three widths of fabric (3 WOF), and my bottom tier is four widths of fabric (4 WOF). Cotton voile is traditionally sheer but using gathers, shirring and a lot of fabric helps eliminate the need for a slip underneath the dress. I added a little exposed hem ruffle at the top of each tier, which gives the skirt even more movement and that fun, feminine Nap Dress feel. I also fully French seamed the dress, so the inside is just as pretty and finished as the outside.

One of my favorite parts of making this dress was being able to make it for ME. I could use my actual measurements and height to determine the proportions instead of trying to make a ready-to-wear dress work for my body. I could choose exactly where I wanted the bodice to end, how long I wanted the dress to be, and how much fullness I wanted in each tier. And the Fabric Mart cotton voile was such a joy to sew! It was lightweight and easy to handle, even with those enormous tiers with lots of gathering, the finished dress is incredibly comfortable.

The finished dress is everything I hoped it would be—comfortable, lightweight, floaty, and so easy to wear. I love that I was able to take inspiration from a $200+ Hill House Home Nap Dress, learn the construction from Just Lauren Johnson’s tutorial, use only the Serenity sleeves from OJAYROOM, and create something completely customized to me. There is something so satisfying about taking an idea you love and making it your own. And this one definitely has me thinking about making another Nap Dress…I am keeping my eye out for another five yards of beautiful Fabric Mart cotton voile fabric!

Happy Sewing!

Patricia | @Hoppaheedahoe