Faviola, The “Housewife” Summer Dress

summer dress

A couple of days ago, I went to a local store to buy a floor runner for a hallway.  After looking for a while, I finally decided on one and proceeded to bargain the price –a common practice here in Singapore.  After much arguing, I actually decided not to buy the rug.  It wasn't anything special and the price was indeed inflated.  When the salesman perceived I was backing away, he proceeded to use the old flattery tactic, but having grown up in Latin America I was immune to it.

summer dress

What did catch my attention though, and despite me wearing a rather obvious wedding band, he continued to use the word “miss”.  I corrected him and said “missus” –after all, I am married.  The man said but you do not look like a “housewife”.  I was a bit taken aback and asked him why he would say such a thing?  He said, “housewives” wear “a uniform” and you can spot them a mile away.  I looked at my dress which was the first thing that had caught my eye in the closet.  Normally, I dress casually and according to my mood, but today I would be having lunch with a friend I have not seen in 5 years, furthermore, she is French, so not a hair out of place….”ever”.

summer dress

In Latin America where I grew up, when we get up, we shower and dress ready for visitors.  After all, when we say “Mi casa es su casa” we mean it.  People often do not call before dropping by.  Of course, they don't expect you or your house to be perfect, but just looking plain is actually frowned upon.  I'm not suggesting you take on the practice.  But, then again why not?  After all, you never know who you might meet while at the supermarket?  Needless to say, “Fabio” did not get to sell his floor runner and I ended having a great time catching up with my friend.  But the thought kept bugging me.  Are we so comfortable at home in plain clothes that we have begun to become invisible?  How does wearing super casual clothes every day affects our mood?  Why do we think dressing nice has to happen only when we go somewhere special?

summer dress

This dress is very easy to make.  It does take a bit of effort to prepare the fabric, but once you are ready, it can be sewn in 30 minutes.  Make it and try on the dress to go the supermarket or take a stroll around the neighborhood and see how many people ask you if you are coming or going to a party.  What are you celebrating today?  You!  Yes, I am wife inside the house, but I'm also a keeper, a cook, a nurse, a mother, a friend, a lover, a woman with many hats.  I think this dress says all that.

summer dress

Materials:

  • Jersey (Rayon or linen) only 2 1/4 yards for the sizes 2-14.  3 1/2- to 4 yards from 14 to 18.  4  1/2 to 5 yards for 20 to 22.  62″ wide. I've put a couple of fabric suggestions from Fabric.com below.
  • Ballpoint or jersey needle.  I always use Schmetz.
  • Stretchable interfacing cut on a bias or stay tape
  • Satin bias tape.  This is what I used but any kind should do.
  • Thread to match your fabric
  • Double twin needle (Optional)
  • Serger (optional)

Fabric Recommendations from Fabric.com

Size chart for the summer dress

The measurements below indicates that if your bust is 40″, use size 14.

Screen Shot 2016-06-19 at 5.53.16 PM

Download the free pattern

Like most of our patterns, this pattern is free. But now you have the option of making a small contribution if you like our work! We'd really appreciate it and it will help us keep going with new and fun designs like this. Even a dollar or two really goes a long way.

Thanks so much in advance for helping us out.  You can use any credit card and you don't need a Paypal account, although you can use one if you have one.

Opt In Image
Download the Free Pattern

You can download the pattern for this Summer Dress from our account at Payhip.

For help downloading and printing PDF patterns, please CLICK HERE.

Step One: Prepare your fabric

Apply stretchable fusible interfacing on the neck, shoulder, and armholes to both front and back of the top.  Please notice that ITY jersey does not need to have the seams finished.

Step Two: Attach the front and back

Take the front side and back side of the top of the dress right sides together and pin at the shoulders.  Sew at 1/2″ seam allowance.

Step Three: Apply bias tape to the neck

I like to apply bias tape to the neck area when the neck is wide enough for the head to go through without the need of a zipper.  It provides both a decorative detail and prevents the neck from losing shape with time.  Pin the tape starting at the shoulder seam on the right side of the fabric and fold in sewing it on the first fold of the bias tape.

Untitled design(3)

For a more detailed explanation of how to apply bias tape to a V-neck line please have a look at the following article.

Step Four: sewing the sleeves and the sides

Mark the middle of the sleeve top and bottom and each half of the sleeve.

Pin the sleeve to those three points first.

Untitled design(5)

As you start sewing stretch the fabric between those three points. Proceed to sew at 1/2″.  Clean the seam (use serger of 3 step zigzag) and iron towards the sleeve.

Sew the sides and clean the seams.

Step Five: making the flounce and skirt

Because both skirt and flounce are a circle we are going to treat them the same way.  Sew the sides and clean the seams (use a serger of 3 step zigzag).

Untitled design(8)

Use the serger or a 3 step zigzag at the hem. (Optional you can leave it raw)

Untitled design(10)

I have applied stretchable interfacing to the hems because I do not want it to buckle or look wavy.

Untitled design(11)

Step Six Attaching skirt and flounce

Pin the skirt at the sides, front and back and stretch the fabric in between while you sew.  Clean the seams with a 3 step zigzag or if you have a serger use it.  The dress is done and all you need now is a to iron the hems using a cloth and some steam.

Put on the dress, strappy sandals and some lip gloss, and you are ready for anything!

Step Seven (Optional)

The pattern is drafted for a full circle skirt.  (half circle is shown below) however, on the bigger sizes, 14 and up and when using ITY knit will make your skirt too heavy.  In that case, you can reduce the width of the skirt.  The important thing here is not to reduce the waistline while reducing the hem width.

This is how to do it.

We are going to work with one-quarter of the pattern. Take half of the half circle.

Trace a line from the waistline to the hem and cut the pattern from the hem to but not through the waistline.  You will stop the scissors about 2mm at the waist.

Using sticky tape overlap the pattern pieces one on top of the other the amount you want to reduce skirt by and tape. 

Add the cut on fold pattern marking and you are done ready to cut.

Pin-Me

summer dress


If You'd Like To Support Our Site

If you want to help us continue to bring you a wide selection of free sewing patterns and projects, please consider buying us a coffee.  We'd really, really appreciate it.

Bookmark the permalink.
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

203 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Sandra
Sandra

I love the housewife dress, and am willing to pay for the pattern, The link below the measurement chart links to a series of images at Payhip, not the pattern itself. Payhip does not have a search bar that allows me to search for the actual pattern.

So Sew Easy
Admin
Active Member
Reply to  Sandra

Hi Sandra, I’ve checked the link and everything is fine. Your browser may be blocking the widget that shows the link however. Try this direct link to Payhip.

https://payhip.com/b/RpP7

DJ
DJ

I would like to make this from woven fabric. Can you instruct me as to the modifications that I would need to make when cutting the pattern, please? I know that I will have to add ease but how much and where…thanks. This is such a versatile dress pattern but only if it can be made from both woven and knit fabrics. I would be using size 12 in the knit. Does the amount of ease increase/decrease for various sizes? I appreciate your time and efforts. I am gathering patterns for my return to sewing later this year (I hope).

Jill
Jill

I’d like to make this dress but it’s too bare in the chest area. Any suggestions? I’m a very basic sewer.

Ngaire
Ngaire

Made this dress after downloading it and printing it off as A4 a couple of years ago. I love it. As with any pattern some adjustments had to be made to fit my individual body, but it fit amazingly well, and even teh hemming was easy. Thanks so much and I bought you a coffee

linda kapisak
linda kapisak

I am confused what I do with pieces #7 and #8

Laura
Laura

My pattern piece isn’t marked how to many to cut of the skirt? One on the fold or two on the fold? Thank you!

Victoria
Victoria

Hi,
I love how this dress looks and I am trying to sew it. However, I have two questions:
1. for the flounce on the pattern it says cut two on fold. Does that mean that cut two for one arm and another two for the other? So from that piece, I will have 4 half circles?
2. You write that I need to cut two straps at 4 inches by 22 inches, but I don’t see in the instructions what I should do with it. Is that the belt? If yes, do I sew it to the dress at the sides?
Thanks for the great pattern, can’t wait to have it finished.

cheryl
cheryl

I am having trouble putting the pattern together. I didn’t have the option to pick print to actual size. However, when i printed my test page it was 2X2 square.

I am not sure how to put the pieces together. Some make sense and others I am confused on how to put together.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Cheryl
Cheryl

Hi There!
Love the pattern. Thank you for sharing. I am trying to piece the printed pattern pieces and I am confused.
I see #3 and #4 make the sleeve. #1 and 2 look like the front and #6 and #7 look like the back.
I am not sure what #5, 9, and 10 are for.
Also, on my print page I wasn’t able to click print to actual size.
How do we know which size to cut on?

Mona Murphy
Mona Murphy

Hi, I meant to ask if you have the pattern in A0 format for sending to the printers

linda kapisak
linda kapisak
Reply to  Mayra Cecilia

Can you please tell me how to cut #7 and #8? I am confused. Love this dress.

mona
mona

HI, do you have the faviola dress download in A3 format?

Jenny Lombard
Jenny Lombard

Is there a video tutorial for the Faviola?

Jenny Lombard
Jenny Lombard

Hi there, i’m preparing to sew the Faviola.

Is the flounce the piece on the bottom of the sleeves?

linda kapisak
linda kapisak
Reply to  Jenny Lombard

It looks like I have a similar question. What do I do with pieces 7 and 8? I can’t wait to start this dress.

rita penner
rita penner

I shared your lovely pattern on my local Sewing group where a friend said, “Rita… LOL you can’t make a dress in 2021 called “the Housewife” dress! LOL EVEN if you do run a household… you just can’t make a dress called the housewife!!!! LOL” I told her I read the post about the person being mistaken for NOT a housewife. You both have a point. Good for a ha ha!

Mellie
Mellie

What a lovely dress! I’m definitely thinking about making it. I’m curious about two things:
1. Is there a pattern for the pretty belt, too?
2. Would side pockets work with this dress? (I’m a huge fan of pockets)
Thanks!

Susan
Susan

What’s an easy way to make a full bust adjustment on this dress? Normally I’d adjust darts, but this dress doesn’t have any.

Ess
Ess

What a lovely dress. And such a great fabric. I have a couple of questions – The olive patterned fabric looks like it might be a lightweight knit – ITY? but the fabric. com suggestions are for quilting cotton wovens.

I haven’t worked much with knits, but I have some ITY I would love to make into this dress. But I think even a straight skirt would pull and stretch out the top. How do you distribute the weight?

I also would need pockets – even small ones for a key.

Jane P McKay
Jane P McKay

Lovely dress and thanks so much for the pattern. I come from a long line of “housewife dresses” and love this idea. We too often stay in a “casual mode” and fail to celebrate our female-ness and lovely traits. I will be downloading this pattern and hopefully using it for a dress to wear whenever I want to. Jane Neal

noele
noele

i must be just missing it but i cant find the download for the faviola dress.i even went to kofi and bought you a coffee while i was there . appreciate all your help noele

Sharen Gibbons
Sharen Gibbons

I love this pattern thank you

naturallyShanna
naturallyShanna

Hello Mayra! Can you omit the sleeves and add bias tape around the holes? Will that lay ok, without being too open to see the side of your bra?

Rita Johnson
Rita Johnson

I haven’t made a circle skirt in years! I think i want to try this….Thanks for the inspiration. I live in Tennessee (US) and wear dresses all the time in the summer just because they are cooler.

Diane

All morning I have been trying to down load and print the housewife dress. I am getting really up set. I have not had this problem only with this dress. I donated $10.00 either you give it back to me or print the pattern yourself and send it to me. Let me know if you are going to send it so I can send you my address

Nadia
Nadia
Reply to  Diane

Are you sure your name isn’t “Karen”? If you are having trouble try asking for help. Whining about inability to download doesn’t solve the problem. As for your $10 donation I’m sure Mayra appreciated your generosity, but read your own sentence… it was a DONATION, not payment for a product.
I have no idea if she refunded your donation or not, I hope she didn’t!
Mayra goes to a lot of trouble to make patterns, videos, written instructions, maintaining this website, and when asked nicely explanation of how/ways to alter the patterns.
I honestly hope you figured out how to download the pattern; moving forward in life maybe try not to come across as a demanding, spoiled, and petulant child throwing a fit because you couldn’t get what you wanted.

Lesley Brough
Lesley Brough

Please can you supply a ‘jigsaw’ picture of this pattern to help with the matching of the pattern pieces. Thank you.

Ivlia Blackburn
Ivlia Blackburn

I made this out of ordinary woven linen but made a square neckline and long sleeves. I managed with 3m of 60″ wide fabric and a 3/4 circle maxi skirt. Looks fabulous on and is lovely and cool in the summer.

Jennifer
Jennifer

I loved your article today as well as the dress! Challenge accepted.

Jasmine
Jasmine

I realy appreciate your work

Miranda
Miranda

Lovely dress! Just wondering…directions say “jersey” fabric, but both fabric.com suggested fabrics are woven. Am I missing something? Thank you!

Rebekah
Rebekah

Never mind. I found it. Thanks!

Rebekah
Rebekah

Never mind. I found it. Thanks!

Timi
Timi

Very nice! 🙂

DENNIS HOSSZU
DENNIS HOSSZU

Most interisting in deed

Elaine
Elaine

Hi, I love this dress, but where do I get the pattern for the top half?
I understand the skirt part.
Thanks, hope to hear from you soon.

Karen Bernardo
Karen Bernardo

You specified rayon or linen jersey. Is there a reason you can’t use a cotton or polyester knit? I might have one of those, but rayon or linen, no.

Rede Batcheller
Rede Batcheller

Hi! Again you have posted a pattern that appeals to me. I look forward to the day when the rest of life is less demanding so I can sew myself some new clothes…until then I practice gratitude — and occasionally drool. I would like to make a comment on what you say about dressing plain (or worse) and effectively being invisible, with comparison to “dressing up”. I, for one, have found it more and more comfortable as I have gotten older to cultivate the invisibility that apparently comes with age. If I dress up it is to call attention to mself. If I don’t it’s because I want to exploit the social situation of being ignored, overlooked, whatever you want to call it. When I was younger — and not retired — I was one of those who had to work esp. on how I looked in order to “fit in”. Year by year the necessity has decreased, and I have one or two small “things’ that people may remember, but on the whole I am playing the game rather than being played by it. Refreshing. esp. as my energy level flags . . . Love what I see and read of the work you do and life you lead. Blessings!

CM Pete
CM Pete

I adore this dress! But I can’t find the beautiful pattern. got a link to it?

Jade
Jade

I love this pattern, can’t wait to try it, but I don’t see a link to download the pattern??

Marthese
Marthese

Where can i find the link to download the pattern, please? I couldn’t find it in the article.

Susan Hixon
Susan Hixon

suitable fabrics available to me range from 42” to 56” wide. What width did you use for this dress?

linda kapisak
linda kapisak
Reply to  Mayra Cecilia

I love this dress but I am confused. what do I do with pieces 7 & 8 thank you