We have a special guest today who is a dear friend and a talented seamstress. Leslie of Threadbear Garments is sharing her maxi hack, and I can’t wait to make one or three of my own. I’ll let her give you all the details – we hope you enjoy!

Leslie’s Pixie Tee Maxi Tutorial

I’m excited to be contributing on the Chalk and Notch blog today with a new make and a new style for me! I have never worn a maxi dress before, and I have absolutely no idea why. This new dress is the epitome of comfort and its easy breeziness is perfect for these hot days we’re having here in the Midwest.

Pixie Tee Hack - Chalk and Notch Patterns
Leslie of Threadbear Garments
Fabric c/o Harts Fabric

Harts Fabric was kind enough to send me some fabric to try out this hack, and I had a hard time deciding which knit to use for this breezy maxi. I was inspired by some drapey striped versions that I saw and decided to use this beautiful variable striped rayon jerseyBelow are inspiration pictures and some fabric options from Harts that I found to be quite tempting!

Inspiration | 1 | 2 | 3        Fabric | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

The pattern modifications I did were really simple. First off, I sized up one size. This was a personal preference and I don’t think it’s necessary for this hack, I just decided that I wanted the maxi dress to be a little more slouchy and loose-fitting.

Pixie Tee Hack - Chalk and Notch Patterns

Something that I love about maxi dresses are that they can be as casual and you’d like them to be. I decided to pair mine with my favorite ball cap and I love how this look turned out.

I cut out a Size 8, View A Dress. I decided to lower the neckline by 2″ and I think I could’ve lowered it a little more than 2″. With the length and proportions of the dress, I think the neckline could be lowered as low as you feel comfortable!

Pixie Tee Hack - Chalk and Notch Patterns

I recut the neckband for the new neckline using the same percentage as the original pattern, 91%.

Pixie Tee Hack - Chalk and Notch Patterns

I finally settled on 15″ for the additional length. Using the dress pattern pieces, I simply extended the center front and center back lines by 15″. For reference, I’m 5’9″.

I wanted to add a little visual interest and flow to the hemline, so I decided to do a curved hemline. For reference, the top point of my curve is about 7″ higher than the lengthened CF/CB point. This is a personal preference though and definitely depends on your height.

Pixie Tee Hack - Chalk and Notch Patterns

I used my French curve and tried a couple different curves until it looked “right”. “Right” being a very arbitrary term here, but that’s what makes pattern hacking so fun. You get to make it exactly as you want!

Pixie Tee Hack - Chalk and Notch Patterns

I added a side slit to mine that hits me right above the knee. I sewed the side seam to this point, clipped the fabric to the stitching line and pressed it open. I hemmed it by serging each side, pressed up by 3/8″ and topstitched it with a twin needle. I found this method to have the best finish in the absence of a coverstitch machine.

Pixie Tee Hack - Chalk and Notch Patterns

The last addition I made was waist ties. Because I sized up and the large amount of ease through the waist, I think it’s a more flattering silhouette with some cinching at the waist. I cut a strip that was 1.5″ wide x width of the fabric (in this case, 61″). With right sides together, I sewed the long edges and turned it out to make a tube. I cut this in half and attached one to each side at my natural waist.

To sum up, here are the modifications I made:

  1.   Sized up one size.
  2.   Lowered neckline by 2″.
  3.   Adjusted neckband length slightly.
  4.   Added 15″ to the length.
  5.   Added hem curve and side slit.
  6.   Added waist ties.

You can print a PDF DOWNLOAD HERE. The modifications are straightforward, but it’s always nice to have a visual reference. You will need the Pixie Tee pattern and full tutorial from the Chalk and Notch Shop.

This was a really fun project, and I’m so happy that I tried something new for me. I love how this maxi turned out, and I’ve been wearing it a lot since I made it!

Pixie Tee Hack - Chalk and Notch Patterns

The Pixie Tee is such a versatile pattern and has so many hacking options. What are your plans for it?

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Leslie

This is a sponsored post using fabric I received free of charge from Harts Fabric.

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