Each year, as the temperatures start to climb and the sunlight hours start to lengthen, our thoughts naturally turn to planning summer vacations and reviving our wardrobes to adapt to the warm weather. There’s nothing better or more classically chic than the simple, breezy summer sun dress, and to prove it, I’ve rounded up 10 of the best free sewing patterns for stylish summer sun dresses. Most of these dresses are pretty easy to make and the results are comfortable yet still subtly sexy. I’ve noted below fabrics that I think would work for each pattern, along with my notes about the pattern and/or the clarity of the instructions.
1. Fabrics-store.com – Wrap camisole sundress
When you think summer dresses, many of you are probably picturing a classic slip dress in a breezy fabric like cotton or linen. This slip dress pattern from Fabrics-store.com (an online fabric store that specializes in linen) can help you achieve this look – this faux-wrap dress features spaghetti straps, a drawstring tie at the waist and a low scooped neck in the back. This dress would look and feel spectacular made up in a solid or printed linen or lightweight cotton.
Note that this pattern is drafted to fit a B cup. Some reviewers have commented that this dress tends to gape around the neckline if you have a larger chest size, so make sure you make a small- or full-bust adjustment if you have a cup size smaller or larger than a B.
2. Grasser – Sundress
If you want to stick with the classic spaghetti-strap look, but want it to be a bit more fashion-forward, try this A-line sundress from the Russian sewing pattern company Grasser. This dress has a dramatic flare at the hem and features sweet ties at the shoulder. Grasser recommends making this dress up in a thin and soft fabric which drapes well, but I wonder if the dress’s A-line silhouette might look more dramatic if made up in a more crisp fabric, such as cotton poplin.
Although Grasser is a Russian sewing pattern company, this particular pattern includes instructions in English, so there’s no need to puzzle through cryptic instructions with the help of Google Translate (whew!).
There also a video tutorial available on the Russian version of the Grasser website (scroll down to the middle of this page), but unfortunately it’s in Russian and there doesn’t seem to be a way to turn on English subtitles. Still, even if you don’t understand what is being said, the video is still helpful in visually showing each step in the construction process.
3. Peppermint Mag – Bardon dress
If you like the easy-breezy feel of the above dresses, but don’t want to have to worry about your bra strap showing, try making this flirty tiered maxi dress from Peppermint Mag (an Australian sewing magazine). The dress features thicker shoulder straps, a two-tiered gathered skirt and pockets (hurray!), and it couldn’t be more comfortable to wear. I think this dress would be a fantastic showcase for a lightweight cotton fabric with a vibrant, large-scale print.
There are dozens of pics of really cute Bardon dresses made up by real sewists on the internet (search for the hashtag #peppermintbardondress on Instagram to find them, or just click here). You’ll see that the dress is very flattering on a sorts of body types.
4. Modafacil.com – Strappy bustier dress
Another variation on the strappy dress is this one from Mexican sewing pattern website Modafacil.com. The contrast bands at the neckline and empire waist really helps kick this dress up a notch visually. I think this would look great made up in solid colored lightweight cotton or linen, with the straps made up in a contrasting color.
Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find any examples of this dress made up in the real world, so I can’t vouch for the fit or drafting of this pattern. If you do make it up, please let me know in the comments what you thought of the pattern!
5. Fabrics-store.com – Backless maxi dress
If you want a bit more coverage than a strappy dress offers, but you still want to reveal some skin, try this backless maxi dress, also from Fabrics-store.com. This dress has an uber-flattering V-cutout in the back, and the ties at the back make it easy to ensure that the dress is cinched at the waist. The slits in the long skirt also help add a bit of movement to the skirt. The linen version shown on the website is cute, but I think it would look even more amazing made up in a drapier fabric, like rayon challis, that lets the skirt flow around the body a bit more.
One creative sewist made a bright yellow version of this dress and paired it with a matching lacy bra, which is such a great solution if you’re not comfortable going bra-less (I know I’m not).
Best of all, this dress seems quite forgiving on fit (probably because of the waist ties), so you won’t have to spend a lot of time making a lot of alterations to perfect the fit. You don’t need me to tell you that’s especially important during the summer, when we all want to spend more time outside soaking up the sun and less time hunched over our sewing machines…
6. Mood Patterns – Clementine dress
Continuing with the cutout theme, this fun summer frock from Mood, the famous fabric store shown on Project Runway, features a daring cutout at the waist and a one-shoulder silhouette.
I like the crisp linen chambray version that is shown on Mood’s website (pictured above), but I’m head over heels in love with this vibrant orange version made by Marcia (a sewing blogger) out of a drapey viscose crepe. The addition of the tie at the waist just adds such a nice designer touch.
Note that in my experience, Mood’s patterns run quite small, so don’t cut the pattern based on the sizing chart. Instead, look at the finished garment measurements (Mood has started adding tables with finished garment measurements to their patterns), add a few inches of ease, and use that to choose which size to cut. I also recommend making a muslin, as I’ve found that Mood’s patterns can vary quite a bit when it comes to fit.
7. Vikisews – Milana dress
Returning to the theme of back cutouts, this little off-the-shoulder dress from Russian pattern company Vikisews looks quite demure from the front but is all party in the back. The bodice is closely fitted and the back features a cutout at the waist and long sashes that tie at the back. I think this dress looks great in the cotton eyelet that is shown in the sample, but I also think it would look great made up in some crisp cotton shirting.
Although Vikisews is a Russian pattern company, luckily for us it offers this pattern with English instructions (this is one of only two free patterns it offers that have instructions in English). This blogger has also made a really helpful video walking through the construction of this dress.
Note that the dress is quite short (it hits around mid-thigh), but it’s easy enough to alter the pattern to lengthen the skirt if that’s too short for you. Given the choice between lengthening the skirt and lengthening the ruffle, I would lengthen the skirt because (1) the ruffle isn’t lined so lengthening that part might not actually give you the coverage you need, and (2) lengthening the skirt ruffle might throw off the balance in the design, as the skirt ruffle won’t be in proportion to the ruffle at the neckline.
8. Grasser – Dress
Now moving on to the more structured portion of our program, the following dresses are more fitted and/or have a few more construction elements, but they’re still super comfortable and easy to wear during the summer.
First up is a chic sleeveless dress with a double-breasted closure, two rows of buttons and wide belt. The square neckline with wide-set straps is very flattering, as is the slight opening at the bottom of the skirt, which allows the legs to show through. I’m sure this dress would look great rendered in any lightweight woven with contrasting buttons.
This pattern also luckily comes with instructions in English, and you can also find a video tutorial (in Russian) showing each step on the Russian version of Grasser’s website.
Best of all, the website has several photos of gorgeous makes from real sewists, like this white pinstriped number paired with some espadrilles and a crochet tote bag. I know it’s not the most original styling, but come on, what could be more perfect for my next trip to the Italian Riviera?
9. Mood Fabrics – Ursinia dress
Another classic, structured summer dress is the cotton shirtdress (think Diane Lane’s white shirtdress in Under the Tuscan Sun) Mood Fabrics’ Ursinia Dress offers a flirty twist on the classic shirtdress that features a ruffled high-low skirt, in addition to the usual shirtdress design elements (collar, button front and cuffed sleeves). This shirtdress would obviously look good in any shirting fabric, but I also think it would look really sweet rendered in a solid-color cotton eyelet fabric.
As previously noted, Mood’s patterns run large, so don’t cut according to the size indicated on the size chart. Instead, measure the pattern to determine the finished garment measurements (unfortunately this pattern is an old one and it doesn’t include a table with the finished garment measurements) and use that to determine which size to cut. Also, take the time to make a muslin and perfect the fit before cutting into your fashion fabric – I’ve found that Mood’s sizing and fit can vary widely between patterns, so it’s best to take each pattern for a test drive before cutting into your precious fashion fabric.
10. Burdastyle – Convertible dresses A and B
If you want a cute new dress for your upcoming beach vacation, but you don’t want to spend much time in the sewing room, check out these clever convertible dresses from Burdastyle Russia. These are not sewing patterns per se – instead, the website gives you detailed instructions that walk you through transforming a rectangular piece of fabric into two different draped dresses. All you’ll need is some thin knit fabric, some elastic, and for the first version, a bracelet. It’s the best of all worlds – free, easy, stylish, and it doesn’t require you to print out and tape together a sewing pattern!
That said, there is a catch -- the instructions are only available in Russian, and it can be a bit difficult to decipher them using Google Translate. However, the instructions are pretty simple and these dresses involve barely any sewing, so it should be possible to follow the instructions even if you can’t read Russian.
If you’re worried that these dresses only work on fashion models, don’t worry -- the website also features some very cute versions sewn up by real sewists out in the wild, and they all look fabulously flattering! (See here and here)
11. Hot Patterns – Beachy poolside coverup
Last but not least, if you’re in the market for a beach or pool coverup, but you want something slightly more structured than the draped rectangles shown above, then try sewing this coverup from Hot Patterns. It features a low v-neck, dolman sleeves and a tie just under the bust. This pattern is designed to work with drapey woven fabrics like rayon or voile.
There are a few versions of this coverup on the internet, and it looks like this caftan is flattering on all body types (whether you’re flat as a board, like me, or you have more abundance in the chest area). You can check out other sewists’ versions of this coverup here.
And that’s it for the easy, breezy summer (or sun) dress roundup! Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried any of these patterns, or if there are other gorgeous summer dress patterns that I’ve left off the list.
