Free Girls' Sundress Pattern: Cut-Out Summer Dress (Part 1)

Part one of my cut-out sundress for a girl: how I changed a free kids' dress pattern (Vikisews Darya) into a trendy summer dress with a cut-out at the front. It needs no zip and no overlocker. Part two shows the sewing.

Why sew this cut-out sundress

It's a cute, trendy summer dress that's easy to put on: there's no zip to insert, thanks to an elastic casing at the back, and no overlocker needed. I made it from an old dress of mine, so it cost almost nothing.

My changes to the free sundress pattern

• Choose the size by the bust measurement (and the shoulder-to-waist length); the child's height doesn't matter here. You only need to print four pages, plus page one to check the scale.
• A higher waistline: 3 cm above the original.
• New straps and neckline: a strap 2 cm wide from the base of the neck, and a curved neckline 2–3 cm deep.
• A 2 cm middle section between the gathers and the cut-out, for a smooth transition.
• Skirt width: the bodice width times 1.5–2 at the front, and about 1.8 at the back, where the elastic goes.
• Optional pleats on the bodice: split the side into four and spread about 1–1.5 cm per pleat.
• Make a test bodice first, to check she can put it on without a zip.

What you need for the pattern changes

• Free Vikisews Darya pattern a kids' dress, A4 PDF
• Paper to redraw the pattern
• Ruler Find it ↗
• Glue stick to join the printed pages Find it ↗