Esther’s Lenne Dress
The holiday season is upon us, and while I never need an excuse to add sparkle to my wardrobe, Christmas is the perfect reason to shine a little brighter.
When I opened this month’s box, I was absolutely stunned by the beauty of this fabric. The shimmers sparked my imagination, and I couldn’t help but think of metaphors like “all that glitters is gold” and “sparkle like glitter.” You can imagine just how excited I felt. I can truly say, this fabric and I were destined for each other.
The moment I saw it, I knew I had to transform it into a stunning maxi-length dress. I could already picture myself getting ready for a party in a stunning, shimmering gown. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of sewing your own clothes to make a special occasion feel even more magical.
At first, I wasn’t sure which pattern to use, but I had a few favourites in mind. My initial thought was McCall’s 8339, a tried-and-true pattern I’ve used before to create a maxi-length dress for a wedding. I also considered hacking the Sew Over It Estelle into a maxi dress, another pattern I’ve made and loved. Finally, I thought about the Lenne Top by Lore Pair, which includes instructions for hacking it into a dress. Although I’d never made the dress version, I adore the top, so I was drawn to the idea of giving it a try.
Ultimately, I decided to go with the Lenne Top for its flattering design and the joy I’ve had making it in the past. The instructions for the dress hack recommend sizing down at the waist, which was incredibly helpful as I wouldn’t have known to do this on my own.
The dress hack includes ruching at both the waist and hips, achieved by adding 30cm to the front piece’s length. However, I decided to simplify the design by only ruching the waist. To make this adjustment, I slashed and spread the left side of the front pattern piece, adding 15cm of volume (half the recommended amount). I also extended both the front and back pieces by 33 inches to create the maxi length. For the ruching, I used 10cm elastic, but instead of pulling the elastic while sewing, I opted to create gathering stitches first, then sewed the elastic onto the gathered fabric.
Working with this fabric was a dream. Its fantastic drape makes it ideal for a maxi-length dress, flowing beautifully as you move. However, I learned a valuable lesson about stretch percentages. The pattern recommends a fabric with 60% stretch, but this fabric had slightly less, resulting in a fit that’s a bit more snug than I’d prefer. I sewed my usual size 38, but in hindsight, sizing up would have provided a more comfortable fit. That said, I absolutely adore how this dress turned out. I even saved the leftover fabric—there might just be a shimmery top in my future!
This dress is the perfect choice for all the holiday parties on the horizon. Whether it’s Christmas dinner, a New Year’s Eve celebration, or a formal holiday gathering.