Sewing pattern similar to this Anthropologie dress

[Oneborneverydecade]

Hello

Went shopping with DH today. I tried on a patterned tiered shirt dress in Zara. I liked it but struggled to bring myself to spend £50 on something made of such thin, cheap fabric.

I've since found a similar dress on Anthropologie and my Mum has offered to help me sew one. But I don't know where to start to look for a pattern. Hobby Craft seem to stock lots but the photos are shocking. I need to have a proper look on John Lewis.

Please help

Have a look here - I get emails from them and would say they have lots patterns with a similar kind of vibe. https://thefoldline.com/search-patterns/?main=Women&sub=Dress&gclid=CjwKCAjwscGjBhAXEiwAswQqNAYDZBubINdluEZLovHcQIJNN4RcF1MFWw13Ns4AS98clXoSpM2OPxoC7soQAvDBwE#stq=product&stp=1&womenssdressstyle=Maxi

Thank you @Sleepthief I'll have a look now

https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/simplicity-tiered-dress-sewing-pattern-s9265-xxs-xxl/6553301000.html?glCountry=GB&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4NHp9t-T_wIVGfntCh3YQggVEAQYBiABEgLK2vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Similar, but without the buttons at the top. Though you could potentially hack it somehow.

https://www.stylearc.com/shop/sewing-patterns/emerson-woven-dress/

@GeneHuntsCowboyBoots thank you too. I had spotted that first one, it was the closest I'd found but actually I think the bottom one is better. Thanks again

I was also going to say, look at the Foldline. They have pretty much every pattern in print. Independent patterns seem to keep up with trends better as well.

For example Lyra dress

Patterns and fabric aren't cheap these days but for your £50 or so you will have a made to measure dress in your own choice of fabric.

I recommend the Foldline too - only snag is their range is so vast now that it can be a bit bewildering so use all the search facilities that you can.

This one doesn't have a collar and the sleeves are shorter but it does have the tiers and there's an option for a button down front. And judging by the photos, it has pockets:
https://sewmesomething.co.uk/collections/patterns/products/angelica-dress-pattern

I was going to say Lyra by tatb too. Good pattern , I'd recommend it. It takes about 4m of fabric iirc.

I had spotted the Tilly and the Buttons dress - I just worry it might be too slim fitting. I have a tatb book with patterns enclosed that I've never used 😳

I like idea of pockets!

Not much like the inspo dress but I do like this
https://merchantandmills.com/uk/the-etta

I'm worried it might feel a bit 'toast' and that's a look I associate with my MIL, I'm not sure I'm there yet

I think it very much depends on fabric choice op. If you want something floaty and vibrant then choose a viscose print fabric , it'll be less stable than a cotton but you'll get the look you want. Hopefully I'm not coming off as patronising , I'm not sure what your skill level is.

If you want to know what it'll look like in different fabrics the easiest way to find out is to search for # for the pattern on instagram and look at others dresses.

Definitely not patronising @FriendsDrinkBook some really helpful advice thank you

How experienced are you? I wouldn’t choose a pattern from some of these companies due to their poor instructions.

I agree @CharlotteSometimes1my first attempt at dressmaking was using a simplicity pattern. I was so confused! Though if you have support you may be okay.

This one is very similar, but with buttons all the way down. https://thefoldline.com/product/i-am-patterns-marty-dress-tunic-and-top/

Or this one, the yellow version is almost identical to your picture. https://thefoldline.com/product/ibi-dress/

Interested in which companies have bad instructions- I grew up on Simplicity and Vogue so they would be 'normal ' instructions to me.

I don't think the instructions are bad , they just rely on a level of knowledge already being there. The independent pattern companies have a booklet of pictorial instructions and online sew alongs etc. New look , simplicity and mccalls etc are trickier for new sewers imo as it's just a sheet and a glossary.

There are a lot of very useful YouTube videos on all sorts of things that the pattern makers assume the user already knows. I've found it useful to view several videos about the same thing (eg finishing seams or sewing a dart) so that I can pick the method that I think will work best for me.

By the time you buy the thread, fabric, pattern and buttons it is cheaper to buy the £50 dress

The dress in the photo from Anthropologie is £140. The £50 dress was one from Zara that she didn't like because of the quality of the fabric.

You can definitely make a dress for less than £140, so long as you don't include capital costs (sewing machine, equipment) or hourly labour costs. The biggest advantage is getting exactly what you want, I have lost hours and hours trawling shops looking for a particular shape/style dress in a colour that suits me and isn't polyester.

The thing is the handmade dress will be better quality, made to measure and in OPs choice of fabric and colour. That's a £250 dress.

This! I can sometimes spend longer adapting a pattern to fit my saggy middle aged body well than making the final garment!

Talking of sparse instructions, I present style arc. This is for a pair of harem pants with a knotted pocket. 12 short lines!