Lanti Swing Dress

I can’t believe it’s been almost two years ago when I was a tester for the release of this Sew to Grow Lanti Swing Dress pattern. I’ve always meant to come back and sew it again because I do wear the two that I’ve made a lot especially my flax-coloured version. I have really enjoyed coming back to make the pattern as I knew the modifications I wanted to make, and I was already familiar with the sizing. Also, the pattern pieces are already put together which meant I could get into the sewing part faster.

For this version of my Lanti, I wanted to use this Yarn Dyed Linen Grid Check which I bought from Megan Nielsen Patterns when she still had a shop. It’s such a beautiful quality linen that I have been hesitant to use it and also when you buy fabric ahead of time, you have to see if the pattern’s fabric requirements match your available fabric. I had 2 meters x 150cm available. The Lanti Dress comes as two versions, one is the smock style dress and the other is an A-line version. Initially, I thought I would take the opportunity to sew the A-line however, it would have wasted ¼ of the fabric. After looking to Pinterest for inspiration, I decided I wanted to make the smock style but add quite a lot of length to the skirt and to make it with short sleeves.

The smock dress has an empire waist with a boxy bodice. I kept to the size 12 that I previously made for my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips. I modified the pattern by lengthening the skirt to 30 inches and narrowing the width of the skirt by 4 inches. I wanted to make the dress a midi length and I needed to narrow the width because the linen had a bit of body to it. It probably sits between the light and medium weight gage. Another small modification was to swap a button and button loop closure for a tie closure.

The instructions and illustrations with Sew to Grow patterns are well set out and written. However, I found myself deviating and sewing the pattern from my own preferred construction. I think that is a natural progression as you gain experience. Small things like pocket construction, seam finishes or attaching facings can all be sewn in different ways with the same outcome.

Needless to say, I’m happy with the outcome. My new Lanti Swing Dress will be easy to layer with leggings or with a cardigan thrown over. I was also experimenting with shoes. Chunky white sneakers or something neutral. The dress is so versatile and I’m looking forward to adding it to my autumn/winter capsule wardrobe.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

When Sew to Grow put a call out for testers, I was quick to apply as I’ve been keen to challenge myself to sewing to a time frame and I have found testing to be invaluable experience especially when interacting with other more experienced sewers. Lindsey, the founder of Sew to Grow, is a sewing teacher so I find all her patterns have a quality of thoughtfulness and caters well for all skill levels from beginners or those who are trying to advance their skills in sewing. The Lanti Swing Dress was initially designed for her classes and with a beginner in mind. Now it’s been made available for everyone!

The Lanti Swing Dress is a versatile pattern that comes with three options. Option A is a smock dress, Option B is an A line dress and Option C is a blouse. There are also sleeve options for short sleeves with cuff or three-quarter sleeves with frill. This dress is also a great wardrobe basic with potential for hacks which is what I did with my second make.

The first dress I made for the test was Option A and using the three-quarter sleeve but without the frill. I love making dresses but found that I lacked a neutral basic dress. The Lanti Swing Dress is a great core item dress which is designed to be versatile and a foundation piece for dressmaking. The fabric I used was a beautifully sheer flax coloured cotton which is lightly textured by a weave of beige coloured tread in a stripe pattern running horizontally. This dress can be styled with sandals for summer or layered with a jacket for autumn and spring. It can be left loose for a boho look or cinched at the waist with a belt for a stylish work outfit.

Sheer fabric calls for full lining installation

My test was for the size 12 as my measurements of 37.5-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 38-inch hips fit well into that category. There wasn’t any need for adjustments, but I left out the pockets and the sleeve frill. My fabric was very sheer so instead of a facing, I fully lined the dress with a muslin which also served as the first toile of the pattern. The Lanti Dress is a great dress to practice installing a lining as the closure is a simple button closure at the back so no tricky zippers to line. In order to line the dress, it’s a case of using the bodices and skirt pieces but with your lining fabric which is often a lighter weight fabric. The bodice pieces are sewn up and the same instructions given for attaching the facing were followed. Once the bodice outer shell and lining pieces are attached, it is turned the right way and the skirt shell and lining can be attached separately. I should also mention that I lengthened my outer shell hem by 2 inches.

It was such a pleasure to sew that I made a second dress but this time with a fun hack and I wanted to try making those pretty frill sleeves. Again, the pattern is great to play with for a hack as it is drafted to be versatile. To make this hack, the bodice was shortened by 1 inch. The skirt was left the same width for the upper two-thirds and the bottom one-third was widened by 10 inches. This time the frills were added to the sleeves. The result is a fun party dress which can be dressed up or down.

It was so much fun to test for Lindsey of Sew to Grow and it was a lovely team of testers to join. She made it stress free and was always quick to give feedback when we needed it. It was also nice to have a bit of interaction with the other testers and see their beautiful creations. If you can, you should check them out.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

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Lanti Swing Dress Again