
Hello friends! I’m Rachael Anne Allison, avid dressmaker and home sewist. You can find my makes over on Instagram. Today I’m so excited to share my Fringe Dress hack: a button front tutorial! This dress has me dreaming of autumn leaves swirling around my feet and crisp air blowing through the trees while I sip on hot tea. The color, the buttons, the shape of this dress…I can already feel fall coming!
This is 100% hemp fabric I purchased at a small shop in Thailand. I don’t have a source for it, but there is some lovely striped hemp at Imagine Gnats, as well as Brussels Washer linen, which is a similar weight. Buttons are from Joann.
The best news is that this hack is super simple. Here’s how I did it. To get started you will need the Fringe pattern and full tutorial from the Chalk and Notch Shop.








I personally chose to do slightly different spacing on the bodice and skirt. The jury’s still out on whether this was a great decision, but I’m quite happy with it. I wanted the bodice buttons to be closer together for modesty’s sake, and I wanted the skirt buttons to be a bit more spaced out, so as not to weigh the skirt down. Whatever you choose, just be sure to space them evenly.
Rachael Anne Allison
Inspiration
I had so many ideas for hacking this pattern (see my board for more inspo!), but in the end I landed on one of my favorite looks: a full button front dress. It’s so chic, classic, and makes me want to frolic in a pumpkin patch with a chai tea.
Fabric & Notions:




Pattern Adjustments Skirt:
- When cutting, add 1.75″ to the center front. This extension matches the width of the bodice facing.
- Add a notch at the waistline 3.25″ from the cut edge. This is where you will start and stop the skirt gathering.
- Optional: square waist to add more gathers. (I prefer a fuller skirt, so I added a few extra inches for more gathering room).
- I also squared off the hem of the skirt with a ruler and chalk.
- Square off the waist and hem of the back skirt too.


Construction Bodice:
- Construct the Fringe bodice as described in the original sewing instructions. After step 9 (when you understitch the facing), sew the bodice side seams.
- You can continue to add the sleeves.
- Set aside until you sew the skirt.
Construction Sew Front and Back Skirt:
- Remember to cut 2 front skirt pieces (do not cut on the fold).
- Cut a 1.75″ wide strip of interfacing the length of your skirt and add it to the wrong side of the center front of your skirt.
- Stitch a fold guide at 1/4″. Press the edge, wrong sides together. Unfold. Alternatively, you can overlock this edge instead.
- Sew the skirt side seams.
- Gather the skirt waistline starting at 3.25″ from each cut edge (where you added a notch).



Construction Attach Bodice to Skirt:
- With right sides together, pin all the way around, matching the center back, side seams, and placket seams on skirt and bodice. You can adjust your gathers to match.
- Sew the waistline and finish the seam. Press the seam up towards the bodice.

Construction Finish the Bodice Facing and Skirt Placket:
- Press the bodice facing/skirt placket back (wrong sides together) at the seam (or fusible edge).
- Pin the facing/placket in place. You can tuck under the previously folded edge 1/4″ or leave the overlocked edge exposed.
- Edgestitch in place.

A note on buttonhole spacing:

Thanks for stopping by, you can print this tutorial as a PDF DOWNLOAD HERE. I can’t wait to see your take on this Fringe Hack.

Caroline
2 years agoThis looks great – I made 3 fringes this summer and thought about making the third one with a button down skirt – this has convinced me that the next one will! Maybe not til spring tho…