I’m so excited to bring you another Ashton Top hack today! Ashton is our most hacked pattern because it is such a great base design to experiment with. We’ve done so many things with Ashton over the years but we haven’t tried this one yet, so let’s take a look!
You can grab the Ashton Top on Sale right now for 25% off! The sleeve expansion pack is on sale, too! Use the code ASHTONSALE at checkout. Sale ends August 29, 2025.
For this hack, we are going to be adding length to the Ashton bodice pieces and then cutting the front and back on the bias of the fabric. The true bias is at a 45 degree angle on the fabric. Cutting things on the bias transforms the way the fabric behaves! Instead of a structured grainline going down the length of your body, you have a flexible bias. The fabric drapes and hugs around your body totally differently. To see this in action, simply hold up some of your fabric by one corner and watch how it drapes!
I was inspired to cut this Ashton on the bias because of this gorgeous gingham linen. I loved how it looked on the straight grain as well, but I thought that it was even more stunning on the bias. It got me thinking about what I could sew up with it and Ashton immediately came to mind. I’ve seen this column-style dress in fashion this summer and I am loving the 90’s vibes!
For the sizing, I used my usual Ashton pattern and did not change the size. With that said, you can size down one size when sewing on the bias because things stretch out. You can also cut it out as-is and then baste fit it as you go along (which I will cover in this post).
Can you make this hack using the sleeve expansion? Yes! In this case, you would cut the sleeves on the bias as well.
How to make a bias cut Ashton Dress
First, we need to add length to the Ashton Top. This is easy to do, we are simply going to extend down from the hem of Ashton, following the angle of the side seams. If you want your Ashton to be more or less voluminous around the hips and hem, you can taper the side seams in or out accordingly. Just make sure you take into account your hip measurement and ensure the dress will fit over your hips. The bias cut will also help with this, because the fabric will hug your body and can stretch over larger areas. I tapered in my Ashton dress slightly at the side seams to get this column shape. I added 32” (82.3 cm) to the length. The amount you add is up to you!
Because we are cutting on the bias AND sewing a dress, the fabric requirements are going to change drastically. I recommend drafting your pattern pieces and then laying them out to determine how much fabric you will need for your size/length/etc. For reference, I used soft washed linen for my dress. This linen was 56” wide. I would suggest getting a wide fabric so you have plenty to work with on the bias. A narrow fabric would be suitable for a bias cut top or tunic. Here is a visual of how my pattern pieces looked when I cut them out of my fabric.
When cutting on the bias, it is very important to press and layout your fabric very carefully. Take your time and get everything nice and flat and straight before you cut. I like to trace out my pattern piece so it is the whole front and whole back so that I don’t accidentally cut down the center front/back of the fabric.
Once you have your front and back cut out, there is plenty of room for cutting bias strips left. This is one of the benefits of cutting on the bias - perfect bias leftovers! I cut my strips 2” wide because I decided to do exposed double fold bias binding on this dress. I love how gingham looks on the bias so why not go all the way!? You can also use pattern pieces for the arm and neck binding.
Can you make this hack using the facing finish? Yes! I chose the bias finish, but you can use the facing finish, I would cut the facing pieces on the bias as well, so that everything is draping and behaving the same way. You will want to sew your shoulder seams, then do your facing finish, and then sew the side seams. Same as in the instructions.
When sewing the dress, pin and sew carefully to avoid stretching out the bias fabric. Staystithing is very important so I will repeat myself here: DON’T SKIP THIS IMPORTANT STEP!
Once you have staystitched, it is time to baste fit the dress. Baste the shoulders and side seams and try it on to determine if you want/need to take it in at all. Bias cut fabrics behave differently so it will vary a lot depending on your fabric. You can take the shoulder seams up and/or take it in at the underarm side seam if it is feeling large.
Finish the side edges of the front and back pieces separately. This allows us to press the seams open and have side slits. If you're making a shorter dress or a top, you can finish the sides seams after you sew them.
Sew the shoulder seams and side seams, stopping where you want your side slits to start. Press the seams open and topstitch around the slit opening.
Finish the neck and arms using bias as instructed in the Ashton Top instructions OR do what I did and finish the edge of the neck and arms with double fold bias binding. If doing this, you can trim off ⅜” (1 cm) from the neckline and armscye if desired, since we will not be folding that to the wrong side. I didn’t bother because I tried it on and liked where it was sitting on me.
To finish with double fold bias binding, I like to sew it to the wrong side of the top first. I then press and understitch it before folding it over the raw edge of the neck/arm. Then I edgestitch it nicely from the right side.
Hem your dress by pressing the hem up ½” (1.3 cm) two times and edgestitching. No hem facing is needed with this bias cut hack.
And that’s all there is to it! I love how this dress turned out and I can totally see it as a fall wardrobe piece as well. Perhaps layered over a turtleneck or paired with a cozy chunky knit cardigan and boots? I can’t wait!
You can grab the Ashton Top on Sale right now for 25% off! The sleeve expansion pack is on sale, too! Use the code ASHTONSALE at checkout. Sale ends August 29, 2025.
