Recently I had the opprtunity to test out my first French sewing pattern. I made up this fun and vibrant rainbow striped version of the dress using a knit fabric. Creating it with knit eliminated the button placket but made for a fun summer dress. You can read all about that dress here. Today I am taking a closer look at the top I created by hacking this pattern. Here is my latest version of the Rose Dress from Wissew Official.
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Let’s do a quick summary of the things I love about this pattern as well as a couple cons. I absolutely love those tie straps, I mean…how cute are they? And while I love the look of the button back, it isn’t the most practical for getting dressed alone. To fix that, I changed out the opening for this top (details below) while leaving the look of the buttons that I love. My only other con is the instructions. They are very sparse and some are hard to navigate, but keep in mind they are not originally written in English and therefore might be why it was more difficult to understand. But if you have sewn woven tops before and installed a button placket, I do not think you will have any trouble.
Want a quicker way to sew on buttons? Check out this easy tutorial to using your machine to sew on buttons. You can find it HERE.
The first major change I made was the length. If I am being completely honest I had no intention of creating a top version. In fact, I really wanted the opposite- a maxi version. LOL- sometimes things just don’t work out the way you hoped. I was using a pair of thrifted curtains that had the texture and look of linen, and I bought them thinking the length would allow plenty of fabric for a maxi, however, this is a fairly full skirt and turns out the width of the curtains prevented me from making that vision come to life. So, I decided to go the opposite direction and take it shorter.
The second thing I decided to change was the back button placket. As cute as I think this detail is, it didn’t seem too practical. I instead decided to turn it into a faux placket and add an invisible zip to the side. Can you tell? I hope not 🙂 To make the faux placket I stitched the center back seam together at the same width the button placket would have taken to make (I believe it was 1 1/4 inch but I am not completely positive). Then I pressed the seam allowance to one side, finished off the edge and topstitched it along the finished edge. It made it appear to be a button placket but it is not actually functional. All I had to do was stitch the buttons on instead of creating buttonholes. In order to get in and out of the top, I needed a different opening.
I prefer a zipper over buttonholes any day, espcially invisible zippers. So, I added one to the side seam and viola, now I have a top that is easy to get on and off while still allowing the look of the button back. I buy my zippers in bulk to insure I always have many colors and lengths on hand. I have bought bulk boxes on Etsy from Zipper Stop as well as these from ” target=”_blank” aria-label=”undefined (opens in a new tab)” rel=”noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow”>Amazon:
This top turned out to be exactly what I wanted in a cute little summer date night look, if only I had a place to wear it to 🙁 One day, when all this Covid-19 madness is behind us, I look forward to wearing all the fun clothes I have been making while being stuck at home.
Wissew Official Rose Dress Pattern Review
PATTERN DESCRIPTION:
The Rose pattern is a feminine shape with pretty back and a neckline designed in the shape of a heart.
PATTERN SIZING:
XXS-XXL – I cut my size per the chart and found the fit slightly large. I took in the bodice for a very fitted look that I prefer. This was easy to do using the darts and side seams. The skirt has some extra fabric to allow for gathering but yet not enough to make even gathering. I would prefer to either have the skirt fit 1:1 with the bodice or more ease to create more gathers.
DID IT LOOK LIKE THE PHOTO/DRAWING ON THE PATTERN ENVELOPE ONCE YOU WERE DONE SEWING?
Not exactly because I hacked this into a top and sewed my first dress version in a knit fabric, also hacking the pattern.
WERE THE INSTRUCTIONS EASY TO FOLLOW?
Not really. The instructions are originally written in French so some may be due to translation issues. However, the details for making the top are not super detailed. If you have made woven tops before and are comfortable sewing button plackets I don’t think it would create any issues for you. However, if you are a new sewists or unsure on most techniques, this pattern may prove slightly frustrating. I also think the addition of bra carriers on the straps would be wise for hiding bra straps.
WHAT DID YOU PARTICULARLY LIKE OR DISLIKE ABOUT THE PATTERN?
I love the tie straps and the look of the button back. I don’t feel like the button back is practical however, so I created a faux placket for the look of buttons and added a side invisible zipper instead.
WOULD YOU SEW IT AGAIN? WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS?
I have made two versions and I really love the dress in knit. While I am not sure I need a whole closet full of this look, I think it is a very cute pattern and I am happy I was given the opportunity to try out a new to me company. I would recommend this for intermediate and above that have knowledge of sewing construction for woven garments and button plackets.
CONCLUSION:
A very cute dress (or hacked top) pattern from a French Sewing Company. I enjoyed sewing these two looks from the same pattern and feel the tie strap is such a fun and cute detail.
Until Next Time,
Happy Sewing
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About 18 years ago I decided to teach myself how to sew. Long before blogs and resources available today which meant it was often disastrous. But I never gave up because I loved it so much. Today I love helping others get started on their own sewing journey. You can read more about my family and I