I’m a sucker for anything navy and red striped—it’s basically the peanut butter and jelly of color combos: classic, reliable, and never out of season. I spotted a dress in a store window that was giving me major heart eyes… until I realized it was covered in sequins and had short sleeves. Cute, but not exactly “wear-to-brunch” vibes. Naturally, I went on a wild goose chase for navy-and-red sequin fabric (spoiler: the universe said no). So, I pivoted—hello, sturdy cotton canvas. Honestly? Zero regrets. Sure, sewing with stripes sounds like the Olympics of patience, but take it slow and you’ll come out with a DIY striped dress worth bragging about.
Handmade dress made by me similar here, here, and here.
Design Breakdown
This dress is a bit of a pattern mashup because why settle for one when you can Frankenstein two together? The bodice is Butterick 5985 (RIP, it’s out of print, but Etsy is basically the thrift store of patterns), and the skirt is the Elisalex Dress from By Hand London, pleats and all. And let me tell you, those pleats are chef’s kiss—but only if you pick the right fabric. Think stiff and dramatic: brocade if you’re feeling fancy. The Elisalex is still alive and kicking as a digital download, ready to star in your next striped sewing project.
Quilted tote bag made by me tutorial here – similar options here, here, and here bomber jacket
Sewing with Stripes
Stripes: they look effortlessly chic… until you’re the one sewing them. Then sewing with stripes is like a high-stakes puzzle where the pieces almost line up but not quite. Personally, I like my stripes to match at the seams (because I love symmetry), which usually means buying more fabric than the pattern suggests. Hot tip: lay out all your pieces before you cut front bodice, back bodice, skirt the works. That way you at least give yourself a fighting chance. Of course, darts love to ruin everything, so perfect alignment isn’t always happening (see: this bodice). But hey, I nailed the side seams, and that’s a win in my book. Honestly, most people won’t even notice your stripes unless they’re sewing nerds like us. I have sew stripes more than once and always tell myself never again, but when you make something as fabulous as this yellow striped number you think “it wasn’t that bad”.
sneakers here
Details
The bodice got the VIP treatment with a red lining (fancy, I know), but the skirt? She’s flying solo. I also slipped in an invisible zipper because who actually wants their zipper screaming for attention? Recently I stumbled on a stash of invisible zippers that are actually good quality and ship fast. Translation: no more rage-clicking through questionable zipper listings at 2 a.m. Consider it my sewing stripes hack for keeping your sanity intact
Styling
This handmade striped dress is basically a two-in-one look. For daytime, pair it with sneakers, a navy bomber jacket, and a quilted tote (tutorial here). For nighttime, switch to a navy sweater coat, black tall boots, and my red leather clutch (yes, from my personal design line—you can grab one on Etsy). And just like that, you’re date-night ready—no outfit change required.
Until next time!
