The Riley Top Mini Dress Hack modelled by Rosa
Riley Top Mini Dress Hack
The Riley Top is a simple make that is a great starter project for a beginner or a quick sew for a more experienced seamstress.
I love party dresses, so was inspired to hack the Rily Top into a fun sequin mini dress.
The hack required just a simple lengthening and then on my version I have reduced the gathering at the back to make the dress more fitted.
Buy the Riley Top pattern here and learn how to hack it into a dress with the tutorial below.
Riley Top Mini Dress Hack Instructions
How to do it
This cute dress hack is simple and easy to do and just involves lengthening the front and back of the top which is shown in Steps 1-2.
If you would like to reduce the width of the gathered back so that it is more fitted like my sequin dress, then I have shown how to do this is Steps 3-5.
To complete the dress you will need the Riley Top Pdf Sewing Pattern, which you can buy here.
STEP 1: Place your front pattern piece on a piece of paper and using a ruler extend the CF line by 30cm. Extend the side seam by about 30cm and then join the curved line at the hem.
STEP 2:. Place your back pattern piece on a piece of paper and using a ruler extend the CB and side seam by about 30cm, then join the line at the hem.
STEP 3: To make the dress with reduced gathering at the back so that it’s fitted at your hips, you will first need to mark the hipline on your new pattern pieces. To do this measure from your underarm down to the widest part of your hip (on me this is about 40cm). Then draw a line to mark the hipline on the front pattern piece at this 40cm down point.
STEP 4: Draw the hipline on the back pattern. As there is an additional pattern piece that attaches to the the top of the back pattern piece, it’s easiest to measure length up from the hem to hip to find the hipline.
STEP 5: If you would like to reduce the gathering at the back of the dress, then this is how. First take your full body hip measurement and add about 5-6cm to that for ease. For example if you have a 95cm wide hip, add 5cm to make 100cm.
Measure the hipline you have drawn on your front pattern piece, from the side seam to CF to find half of your front hip measurement. Then multiply this by 2 to get your full front hip measurement - for example 25cm x 2 = 50cm.
To get your hip measurement of 100cm, the full back hip measurement needs to be 50cm.
As the back pattern is also cut on the fold, measure 25cm across the hipline from side seam to CB, then trim off the excess paper from the pattern and you will have your new pattern piece.
Then follow the Riley Top instructions to make your new Riley Dress!