I love the Penny dress by Sew Over It and have made several versions including a hack of the pattern into a blouse. However, there are a couple of things that I wanted to change for my next iteration.

I find that the extended yoke/bodice does not sit very well under cardigans and the narrow button band has never had working buttonholes!

Rather than ‘play around’ with the original Sew Over It pattern I decided to adapt my TNT Bodice block into something similar. I wanted to have a bodice that gathered into a yoke and a fully functioning button band.

First I cut a yoke section from the front and back bodices. I overlapped at the shoulder seams to redraw a full yoke pattern. On the bodice front I removed the bust dart and transferred the fullness into gathers into the yoke. I did the same for the body darts on the back bodice.

I checked the measurements of the bodice pieces at the waistline to ensure that the half-circle skirt of the Penny dress would fit.

I had found the fabric, ready laundered, in my stash but it was only 42 inches wide which meant that I had to cut the Sew Over It skirt pattern in half, add seam allowance and then cut 4 panels. I was fortunate that the pattern is non-directional. By having side seams this also enabled me to include some concealed side seam pockets.

I stitched the dress using French seams (as inspired by Sian of Kittenish Behaviour) and used a self bias binding for the armholes. A little finessing was required as the underarms were gaping. I now have a perfect new dress that slips easily under cardigans and shrugs and with fully-functioning buttons and buttonholes.

The colour matches well with my little shrug cardigan and I am set to twirl in the half circle skirt!

p.s. I have set aside some fabric for a matching belt to be made by Harlequin.

completed 10th November 2019