Happy Thursday, everyone! Today, the talented Karen LePage of One Girl Circus will be guest-blogging and sharing a tutorial for how to convert our On the Go dress pattern to a super cute peplum top. Karen is a pattern maker, author (Sewing For Boys) and seamstress extraordinaire , and has worked on all of our Monaluna patterns. Take it away, Karen!
The On the Go Dress is equally as charming when made up as a peplum blouse, and the process to convert the pattern is remarkably easy. Follow our tutorial to alter your pattern and you’ll have a blouse you can wear with anything you like when the weather turns too cool for a summer dress.
Note: When you make clothes from Monaluna patterns, you should first trace the pieces required in your size onto some sort of pattern paper. You can use anything from dedicated tracing medium found at the fabric store, to a roll of drawing paper from your kids’ art supply stash. The only requirement is that the paper must be transparent enough to see the lines you want to trace. Here’s a good tutorial on tracing patterns, if you need a little help.
Get Ready
Gather your traced copies of the three pieces that require adjustment: front skirt, back skirt, and button placket. You will use all the remaining pattern pieces as is, omitting the pockets.
Alter the Pattern
To make the blouse pictured here, use a ruler to measure down 6″ from the waist edge of your chosen size every few inches. Using a curved ruler (or a steady hand), connect the dots to form the peplum hem. Repeat for the back skirt. Use these new pieces to cut the peplum portion of your new blouse.
Now you’ll need to shorten the placket to accommodate the new shorter length of the “skirt” portion of the pattern. For the 6″ peplum pictured, the placket measurements are as follows:
XS: 22 1/2″ || S: 22 3/4″ || M: 23 1/4″ || L: 24 1/4″ || XL: 24 3/4″
Sew it Up
Construct according to the On the Go Dress instruction sheet, skipping the pocket. Pair with a cardigan or cropped jacket in cool weather.
Wear it!
Wear your new peplum blouse with everything from skinny jeans to trousers, from pencil mini to flowing maxi skirt to take you into cooler weather.