This gathered front knit dress is made from rayon jersey, light, cozy, and stretchy.  The pink, flowery, and soft fabric reminds of a picnic in the garden.  I added the gathers in the front to give a little more structure to this dress. The fabric is flexible and versatile, It can be layered with a turtle neck shirt, a cardigan, or a denim jacket. 

In this article, I will share the my method to make this dress, however, I am not an expert in sewing or pattern making. I got my inspirations from others and I create my own designs. The point is to share the creative ideas , and the ideas can be transferred into many different unique creations .

🌟 Check out this dress in surreal digital art “The Secret Garden” 🌸🌳🎨

Materials For Creating The DIY Gathered Front Knit Dress

• Soft Knit Fabric (4-way stretch preferred), eg: Rayon Jersey: Fabric Merchants Rayon Spandex Jersey Knit Tropical Floral Peach/Sage Fabric by the Yard
• Pattern Paper: Alpha Numeric Dotted Marking 30 yds / Pattern Paper – Made in the USA
• Sewing Machine: SINGER Start 1304 6 Built-in Stitches, Free Arm Best Sewing Machine for Beginners, 11.46 pounds
• Universal Needles: SINGER 4790 Universal Regular Point Sewing Machine Needle, Assorted Sizes, 10-Count
• Sewing Threads: Gutermann 26 Spool Collection
• Roller Presser Foot: STORMSHOPPING Roller Sewing Machine Presser Foot – Fits All Low Shank Snap-On Singer, Brother, Babylock, Euro-Pro, Janome, Kenmore, White, Juki, New Home, Simplicity, Elna and More
• Ball Headpins: Sumfox 307 Sewing Pins 38mm Multicolor Glass Ball Head Pins Straight Quilting Pins with Pin Cushion Sewing Seam Ripper and Thread Remover Kit for Dressmaking Jewelry Components Flower Decoration
• Tailor Marker: Snsowed 18 Count 6 Color Disappearing Erasable Ink Fabric Marker Pen for Tailor’s Chalk Gel pens Sewing Tools
• Fabric Scissor: Fabric Scissors, Heavy Duty 8 inch Sewing Scissors for Leather Tailor,Tailoring Shears for Home Office Craft
• Steam Iron:MOOSOO Steam Iron, 1800W Lightweight Portable Steam-Dry Iron for Clothes, Non-Stick Soleplate Home Steam Iron, Anti-drip Iron with Auto-Off, Steam Control System, 470mL Water Tank

How I Make This Dress:

• Trace the knit dress sloper ( Mark the desired dress length, make sure to add 1” extension along the center front for gathering)

• Recreate the front sewing pattern ( Mark and cut 8 equal distance between lines from center front to side, insert 2″ extension in between each cut line, add notches)

• Cut the patterns on the fabric (1/2″ or 5/8′ seam allowance)

• Sew the center front pieces together first ( 1/2″ or 5/8″ seam allowance, and sew the side of the 1″ extension)

• Pull a string through the extension and make gathers ( Use a safety pin to pull through )

• Sew the front sides and back sides together
• Add desired sleeves

Add A Matching Square Scarf

It is always fun to add a matching accessory to the cloth. I used the leftover fabric to make a pink floral square scarf. The sewing process is super easy and quick. The rayon jersey is soft and gentle for the neck, and it is perfect for the early fall weather.

• Cut the fabric in a 20” by 20″ square

• On the wrong side, turn the edges over twice and press , pin the edges.

• Sew the folded edges (hem)

• Use a stem iron to press over the fabric, it’s all done.