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