I have gotten many requests over the past few years to make a bias cut Orchard Dress and I have been really wanting to fulfill these wishes but I haven’t gotten to it. Well, today is the day! I finally got this one on my sewing table and I’m so glad I did. I can now answer confidently - yes! You can make Orchard on the bias.
Get the FREE Orchard Dress pattern.
The Orchard Dress is our free pattern that you can get access to by signing up for our newsletter! It has several views including two tops and two dresses. I made the longest view and I lengthened it about 3” (7.6 cm) - basically maximizing the length I could do with my fabric.
To lay out your Orchard Dress on the bias, lay the fabric flat and simply turn the pattern on a 45 degree angle and then trace or flip it to cut the whole front and back. Your fabric width is going to determine how long you can make your dress. I recommend 60” (152.4 cm) wide fabric for the most length.
How much fabric do you need?
This will vary depending on your fabric width and view, but the requirements do not vary much from the original pattern. Lay it out fully before you cut to make sure you can fit it on your fabric. Here is a visual of what mine looked like when I laid it out. I made a size 20 and I used 3 meters.
Should you size down?
Often sizing down for bias cut garments is recommended but I did not find it necessary with Orchard. Because the fit is customizable with the length of the strap, it was fine as-is. You can sew up the side seams and pin the straps on to try it out and see if you need to take it in before you sew the final straps. If it feels loose, take it in at the side seams.
I made my straps adjustable by sewing them longer and tying them at the shoulder. Instructions for this are provided in the free pattern. I love these cute little shoulder ties! The only other change I made was that I did not sew the pockets. Bias cut garments hug the body and so I figured the pockets might look kind of bulky on the side seams.
I LOVE how this dress turned out! It is so cute and fun and summery. I want to make a simple layering tee to wear underneath it now, too - perhaps white or navy blue. I hope you give this little Orchard dress hack a try!
