Made by Rae Geranium Dress – maxi sundress hack

I think the Made by Rae Geranium dress is one of my most used patterns.  I’ve made it for Summer several times over the years, and used it to make gifts for friend’s little girls.

Geranium dress – the pattern

There’s a reason we love it so much.  It’s a simple and quick make.  It shows off a pretty fabric.  The size range is good. And there are lots of opportunities to switch it up. Since I first purchased this pattern years ago, an expansion pack has been added to give even more options.

However, this is my hack. And I love it!

The fabric

Like the fabric used for the recent jumpsuit, this is from Australia via Liz. Thankfully, this one is much better behaved. It’s a lightweight jersey with a bonkers tropical print. It’s seconds….the flamingos don’t have beaks! But if you’re that close to my child to notice, you’ve got bigger problems!

Problems and solutions

Summer was insistent that this be a maxi dress, and it was all going swimmingly. I added the necessary length to the skirt and pinned it all out…then realised that to achieve the look she wanted, we couldn’t fit the bodice piece fully on the fabric.

I cut as much of the bodice piece as I could, then quickly basted everything together with some makeshift straps. A little thoughtful pinning gave me the shape we ended up with. I had enough scraps left to cut the straps. We were good to go.

The bodice isn’t lined. There are no fastenings at the back. I interfaced the straps lightly so they’ll hold the weight of the dress, such as it is.

Whilst I really flew by the seat of my pants with this one, it totally worked out. I wasn’t sure I liked this fabric…but in this dress, I do. And Summer loves it too. It’s cool and breezy, slightly dressy but in a ‘secret pyjamas’ kind of way.

Phew!