Orange wool Bodycon midi dress | Paradise Patterns Blomma Tank hack

At long last, it is Spring!! But like, a New York Spring where you have to keep wearing layers because it can be 40° in the morning and 75° in the afternoon. In other words, it’s the perfect time of year for a sleeveless bodycon double knit midi dress in a fresh, fun color! It’s warm, breathable, and versatile – and it was so easy to make with my Paradise Patterns Blomma Tank hack.

Does anyone else get decision anxiety about sewing with a fabric but not using all of its yardage? I’ve had this fabric in my stash for about 3 years. And for all of that time I’ve been struggling to figure out its purpose. It’s made of wool (according to the sales people) and I got 3+ meters of it at a deep discount. Since I had so much fabric, I felt compelled to transform it into some sort of long-sleeved, turtle-necked maxi dress. But all of the dresses I have like that get worn only once or twice a year on the coldest possible days. Effectively, this fabric is too warm to make something warm. I finally allowed myself to use this fabric when I realized it was perfectly okay to not use every inch. Here’s a beautiful midi and I can still make another garment with my remnants.

I feel like a star in this dress. The shape is classic enough to wear anywhere – with heels or sneakers – and not look like I’m the one person in the room ‘doing too much.’ But at the same time, the way it hugs my curves is hella sexy. Read: *tight.* Like, it’s definitely motivation to keep working out on my rowing machine – ha! If you see me wearing this everywhere through the fall, you will know I have been keeping up my fitness. Or I’ll just make another slightly looser version 😉

Pattern

• Blomma Tank by Paradise Patterns, formerly called the Pua Tank
• Get it for free here
• Sewing Difficulty –  1/5
  • The instructions are very clear!
• Fit Difficulty – 2/5
  • Learn the shape of your hips so you don’t have bubble of fabric
• I’ve made this pattern 3 times (and hacks) before and I’ll keep making it!!
  • Here’s my graphic knit tank top
  • And my sequined velvet New Year’s Eve dress

Fabric

• Rust orange wool double knit
• Purchased in London at a Cloth House Warehouse sale in 2018
• The dress is machine washable and I air dry it flat

Fit & Modifications

• I cut a size 6 of the D cup variation for the top
• I used the same skirt pattern I drafted for my New Year’s Eve dress, but added 1/2″ to either side of the hips to account for more ease and a less stretchy fabric.
• To make a midi length dress, I added inches to bring the total length from high point shoulder to hem 54″

Tips for Sewing Midi or Maxi a Knit Dress

• This dress is square below the hips so it’s really easy to add or remove length to get your desired design.
• Decide how long you want the dress to be by holding a measuring tape at your high point shoulder and letting it hang to your legs. Look in a mirror to check for your desired length.
• Place your pattern on the fabric and use a ruler to measure out the added length with chalk directly onto the fabric.
• I often add an inch or 2 longer than I think I want it just in case some of the length is lost by the contours or my body.
• Occasionally this method means my hem won’t be perfectly square. The extra inch helps me to fix any issues after sewing the side seams together and before stitching the hem