I’m excited to welcome my mom back to the blog today to showcase a fun pattern hack! I made this Luna Dress for her for her birthday and she looks amazing in it. I’m so happy with how it turned out and I can’t wait to tell you how I did it!
You can get the FREE Luna Tank by signing up for our newsletter here! If you are already signed up, don’t worry, you can still fill out this sign up form and get the free pattern. You won't be added to the list twice, we promise.
I used a custom rayon print from Blackbird Fabrics for this make. It’s so cute! My mom is an awesome gardener and potter, so this pottery/plants print was just perfect for her. I’m wearing my black bull denim Yanta Overalls and my Dawson Top with the funnel neck in this picture.
How to make a Luna Tank Dress
We have a previous hack on the blog for how to make Luna out of a woven fabric. Luna is designed for knits, but since it is loose fitting and has a lot of ease thanks to the a-line shape, we can make it in a woven fabric without too much fuss. All you need to do is size up! If you want to make a Luna dress in a knit fabric, that is even easier! Simply add length and then follow the pattern instructions as written.
Once you have chosen your size, we are going to add length to the pattern. You can add as much as you like, just keep in mind that you need to be able to fit it onto your fabric width. The hem starts to get quite wide as you lengthen it. You can always take it in a bit at the sides to make it work. I added about 20” (51 cm) for this dress, adding it from the longer Luna (view B).
I think the curved hem is really pretty on this dress. You can keep the same curve, or you can eliminate the curve and make the hem even. It is up to you!
I hemmed this Luna dress by pressing the edge under ¼” (0.6 cm) twice and edgestitching. It is a bit tricky to do this along the curve, but you can gather the edge slightly if you need to. I like to run the raw edge of the hem through my serger to get it to cinch up and then it is easier to press it. You want to complete the hem before you sew the side seams.
Because this is a dress, you can optionally add inseam pockets. We have a tutorial and a free pocket bag pattern piece you can check out here. I did not add pockets to this one.
I did decide to include a waist tie in this dress and I’m really glad I did! It is quite voluminous and so it is nice to have the option to cinch it up. You can have the waist tie floating on the exterior of the dress, perhaps held on with some belt loops or thread chains at the side seams. I opted to leave openings at the waist on each side seam, so that the belt could be fed through across the back. This allows for some really fun tying options! You can tie the front and have the back loose and flowy, or you can tie it in the back, cinching the front so it looks fitted. My mom really liked this option.
To sew the waist tie, cut two pieces of fabric, each approximately 40” (100 cm) long and 2.5” (6.5 cm) tall. Sew them together at one short end and then press all the edges towards the wrong side 1/4” (0.6 cm). Press the tie in half lengthwise with wrong sides facing and edgestitch.
You can refer to this original blog post about sewing a woven Luna Tank to learn how to finish the neck and armholes on your dress. I chose the hidden bias binding method for this one.
I hope you give this hack a try! It makes a great summer dress for beach layering, warm evenings on the patio, and it even works as a nightgown!
You can get the FREE Luna Tank by signing up for our newsletter here! If you are already signed up, don’t worry, you can still fill out this sign up form and get the free pattern. You won't be added to the list twice, we promise.
