Pastels are my new besties

I have a new love for pastels! This shade in particular has always been my favorite. This fabric has been in my stash for over 5 years. Why? It’s so good! I think the fabric was gifted and I just shoved it in the garage until this past Spring cleaning. I was actually only going to use this fabric as a muslin for more precise makes. Well, let’s say…It’s a little too good and thick to be a muslin.

Now let’s talk about the Lena

This pattern by Tabitha Sewer is named The Lena Horne dress. I had the luxury of snagging this pattern at Tabitha’s meetup this past June. Let me say that this pattern is very versatile and you can really have fun with it. I am absolutely in love with it! I saw this pattern and immediately though about my girls (my ta-tas). They need to be free every now and then lol. So here you have it, BUTTONS!

The dress is already fabulous without any changes. But the ruffles! The ruffles really are the icing on the cake. I love how the ruffles crisscross in the back. The bodice is fitted and the skirt is gathered with pockets. YES, POCKETS! Am I the only one who wants pockets on everything? The pattern offers two lengths and I decided to go with the longer length. I think both views are great for summer.

Tips and tricks

Tabitha has a sew-a-long tutorial for the Lena Horne dress. It is really easy to follow along. Trust me, you will not need the instructions.

Here’s how I added buttons.

Cutting- Do not cut the center bodice pattern piece on the fold. You will need to add an extra 1.5-2” to all four of the center front pieces. If you’re wanting to use bigger buttons you may need to measure the extra width of the center piece extension based on your button sizing. You are basically creating a panel on all four pattern pieces.
Interfacing- I interfaced the extra width only (1.5-2”) for 2 of the 4 center front pieces for added stability of the buttonholes. I ended up with 7 buttons.

My ruffles are a little wider than the patterns finished look because I used my smaller sized rolled hem foot for the finished edge. I can’t speak highly enough about the benefits of using a rolled hem foot. Legit time saver and perfect seams every time.

If you have a healthier bust like I do, you may need to do a bust adjustment or add 1-2” for the length of the entire bodice. For most patterns I automatically make this adjustment but I did not for this dress (only because I forgot).

The packaging is so pretty!!

Okay friends, I had so much fun making and now wearing the heck out of this dress. I’m already thinking of ways to hack my second, third, and fourth Lena! How do you feel about my hack? Have you created a Lena Horne dress? I’d love your feedback.

Thanks for stopping by!

Peace & Love