I’ve got a fun new hack to share with you! This one uses our Lazo Jumpsuit bodice as the base for a fun wrap dress hack that is perfect for the beach. It works for everyday wear too but there is something about this simple shape that I think works especially well for summer layering! I've got in on here over my Sunstar Swimsuit!
I may have taken this dress “hack” a little far from the original pattern, but sometimes I just have an idea and I need to run with it! I promise this one isn’t hard to achieve, even if it does seem like a big change from the jumpsuit design.
You will need:
- Lazo top front pattern piece
- Lazo top back pattern piece
- Lazo front facing pattern piece
- Lazo arm binding pattern piece
- Lazo neck binding piece
- Extra paper
- Pen
- Scissors
How much fabric do I need?
Because this hack can be made any length, you will need to make your pattern pieces first and then calculate the amount of fabric needed using your pattern pieces.
How to make the Lazo Wrap Dress
Trace your bodice front onto a large piece of paper, with plenty of room to add length and width. Continue the angled neckline edge down to meet the bottom of the bodice (the waistline).
Add length. Add as much as you want to get the dress length you desire and make sure you add 1¾” (4.5 cm) for your hem allowance. I added 22” (56 cm) to my bodice, including the hem allowance. Add the same amount to your back bodice. At the sides, continue the angle of the side seams down to your new hem. Make the hem slightly curved (like in the original pattern).
We also need to adjust the front facing. Lay your front facing pattern piece over top of your new front. Cut off the bottom pointed end and extend the length to meet the hem.
Measure the amount extended on the front bodice. Extend the neckline binding to match.
Cut two waist ties, each piece measuring [your waist measurement + 5” (12.7 cm)] by 1.5” (3.8 cm). I made my ties extra long for fun. You can adjust the tie length to suit your preferences.
Cut out your dress fronts (2) and your dress back (1 cut on the fold). Cut out your front facings (2) and matching interfacing (2). Cut out your arm binding (2) and neck binding (1) pieces.
Follow steps 1-5 in the Lazo instruction booklet. Finish the side edges of the fabric separately. At step 6, sew the side seams, but leave a ¾” (1.9 cm) opening in one side of the dress for the waist tie. The opening should be about 8” (20 cm) down from the underarm. You can leave an opening in both side seams if you want options for which side to tie it on.
Follow steps 7-12 to bind the arm openings. Follow steps 42 and 43 to sew the waist ties. You can leave one of the edges of the waist ties raw since it will be sewn into the front facing.
Pin the waist ties in place, ⅜” (1 cm) down from the angled edge of the dress fronts. Baste in place.
Pin and sew the front facing to the dress, following the instructions in step 28. Instead of pivoting to sew the angled bottom, just sew all the way down to the hem. The ties will be held in place by this stitching.
Follow steps 29-34, sewing the neck binding around the neck and then pressing the facing to the right side and edgestitching it down. Ignore the angled bottom instructions.
The final step is to hem the dress! Fold the hem up 1/4” (0.6 cm) to the wrong side. Fold another 1½” (3.8 cm). Edgestitch 1/8” (0.3 cm) from the inner folded edge. If you want, you can add additional stitching or hand sewing to close the front edge where the hem meets the facing. I ended up serging my hem and pressing it up only once. This works great, too!
And that’s it! This is super fun and quick to sew! You could add inseam or patch pockets. We have a post about inseam pockets here. I love how simple this dress is and it looks really cute in this stripey fabric. It reminds me of toweling, which would also be an awesome fabric to try this hack in. What a fun beach cover up! This fabric is from the Ruby Star Warp and Weft collection and it is called "Jubilee Blue Ribbon".
I hope you enjoyed this dress hack for Lazo! I have been so busy lately, I haven’t had a chance to do as many hacks for this pattern as I would like. It would be really easy to turn Lazo into a dress in other ways too. A gathered skirt or an a-line skirt would both work great! I have been loving seeing all of your Lazos on social media. I’m so inspired and I can’t wait to make more garments using Lazo!
