Maxi Dress Sewing Pattern: Lola Dress

The summer months are all about chilled-out picnics in the park, days on the beach, and get-togethers in the garden – and we’ll be wearing swishy maxi frocks for them all! Maxi dresses are as much a summer essential as sunnies and sunscreen, so we’ll be filling up our new-season wardrobe with this issue’s stylish cover star, The Lola Dress. Maxis are perfect for showcasing our favourite prints, especially the on-trend tropicals that are all over the high street right now, and Lola includes two options to make: spaghetti straps with a square neckline, and off-the-shoulder sleeves.

Wondering what that totally tropical fabric is that we’ve used in our main cover version (above?) – it’s Tropicalia Dark rayon fabric from Art Gallery Fabrics’ Esoterra collection.

We’ll be shortening the skirt on our next version of Lola for a midi-length version too – after all, a  gal can never have too many dresses, right?

Use our maxi dress sewing pattern then share your finished Lola Dress with us using #simplysewingmag – we’d love to see!

The Lola Dress: digital sewing pattern

This maxi dress sewing pattern is available as a PDF in the Simply Sewing Etsy store.

Sizes: UK sizes 6-20 (US 4-18/Eur 34-38)

Practise your skills:

• Try two strap-styles – spaghetti or off-shoulder
• Sew and hem a maxi-length or A-line skirt
• Insert a zip
• Make and attach a bodice facing

You will need

• Dress A main fabric: 140cm (55in) width fabric x 2.8m (3¹⁄₄yds) for all sizes
• Dress B main fabric: 140cm (55in) width fabric x 3.4m (3³⁄₄yds) for all sizes
• Dress A Lining fabric: 140cm (55in) width fabric x 50cm (20in)
• Zip: 55cm (22in)
• Matching thread
• Maxi dress sewing pattern

Fabric suggestions:

Lightweight woven fabrics such as cotton, calico, chambray, linen and challis.

Get the maxi dress sewing pattern: in the Simply Sewing pattern shop