Raglan Sweater Dress (Pattern Hack)
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Today, I’m sharing how to make this simple girl’s sweater dress using my free Raglan Tunic pattern!
Central Texas finally got the first good freeze of the season. That first hard freeze must be Mother Nature signaling to the trees to start changing colors. There are quite a few Ash and Red Oaks in our back yard and they are completely gorgeous right now!
I had to get my guys outside for some fall pictures before the next windy front blows through and knocks all the leaves off the trees. I finished up this little sweater dress for my missy just in time to wear it for the photos. (The little infinity scarf came from this tutorial. and the sweater knit from Joann’s.)
I love the versatility of this Raglan Tunic pattern. It’s very easy to transform the top into a dress.
The pattern itself is also a great pattern to start with if you are learning to sew with knits. It’s put together almost the same way as a peasant style top, but instead of an elastic neckline, you attach a separate knit neckband.
(Pattern and tutorial found here.)
*update!! I have a new raglan top pattern in more sizes (2 to 14) here.
Those trees! I’ll be so sad when the leaves fall.
To transform the tunic top into a dress, I printed the pattern and cut it out along the gray boxes. Then taped the pattern together.
I cut out the neck and shoulder area as normal and them used an existing dress to determine the length and create a very minimal a-line shape. (about 1 inch over from the top corner.)
If you don’t have an existing dress handy to use for length, you can use these standard armscye to knee measurements for length.
Armscye to knee measurements:
Size 4: 18.5
size 5: 20.25
Size 6: 21.75
Size 7: 23.25
Size 8: 24.25
For this version, I opted to leave off the bottom band and made the wristband/cuff 1 inch.
Definitely turned out cute, and looks perfect with the red infinity scarf and black boots. I just wish I had thought to add pockets… Oh well, I’ll save that for the next one!
Like this tutorial? Don’t forget to pin it!
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smilymel says
lovely! I've not been brave enough to start sewing with knits, but I really must give it a go, because the resulting clothes always look so lovely and comfy.
Michele says
I have a loose Hacci from Girl Charlie that I am designing in my head. I’m thinking of the gathered sleeves from Hey June Sheridan Sweater, neckline from Ruska tshirt(Breaking the Pattern book) and lengthened into a dress. Now that your daughter has worn this awhile I’m wondering what you think about an underlining? Does her dress stretch out and “grow” as she wears it?
Jamie Sanders says
I know what you mean about Hacci growing. I have a few cuts in my stash but have yet to use it. We don’t have this dress anymore as it was made in 2014 so it is hard to remember what it was made of. I think it came from joans and I just remember that it was a nice medium weight knit that did not really lose its shape.