Wrap Front Dress – Horizon Day Dress Hack

This was one of those ideas that lived in my head for a while before I finally tried it – and I love how it turned out! Ever since making my All Well Box Top Wrap Dress Hack I’ve been wanting to try a simpler version but still has that wrap dress look. I made a lot of mistakes in that dress, but the process of making this one went really smoothly and was easy to make!

In this wrap front dress hack I’ll show you how I modified the Horizon Day Dress front bodice piece to draw out a new neckline, how to make and sew the ties and the general process of sewing this dress.

This wrap front dress is so comfortable to wear and ties are a cute detail that adds interest to the front. I wish I was sewing my own clothes when my kids were babies, because this would make a great postpartum/breastfeeding friendly dress! I’ve also made a Laurence Top wrap front dress hack which was a similar process, and since it’s sleeveless, it makes a great option for warmer weather.

The Pattern

The pattern I’m using and referencing throughout this tutorial is the Horizon Day Dress by Matchy Matchy Sewing Club and is a great beginner friendly, casual dress. I was a pattern tester for this dress before it was released and made two different versions – a longer dress made from an old duvet cover and a patchwork version, both with long sleeves (photos below).

If you don’t have the Horizon Day Dress pattern to work from, I think this method could work with another boxy dress pattern or a top pattern with an added gathered skirt. I’ve written a tutorial for How to Add a Gathered Skirt to a Bodice if you try this with a top pattern that you already own and love.

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Some Things You’ll Need

• Top or dress sewing pattern
• Fabric – I’m using a cotton gingham fabric
• Fabric scissors
• Measuring tape
• Ruler
• Pins
• Coordinating all purpose thread

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Make Adjustments To Pattern

To make the front wrap you’ll need to make adjustments to the front pattern piece – but don’t worry, it’s easy! You’ll want to first figure out how much you want the wrap to overlap in the front. I have already made this dress before, so I put it on and measured out from center front about how far I wanted the wrap part to go. I decided on 5″ (12.7 cm) out from the center front.

Instead of cutting into the original pattern piece, I retraced the front bodice pattern piece onto paper that I taped together.

Then, with a ruler measure out from the center front of the bodice piece at the bottom however long you want the wrap – I did 5″ (12.7 cm) – and connect the bottom line to that mark. Keep the center front line since you’ll need it later.

Next, you’re going to draw a diagonal line from the front neckline down to the new mark you just made at the bottom of the bodice to make the wrap front shape. Make sure to start the line a few inches down from the shoulder so the new line gradually blends in with the existing neckline.

I used a ruler to draw a line from the neckline to the bottom of the bodice, but then went back and made the line slightly curved – this helps the neckline to lay flat when sewn. When you’re happy with the shape of the neckline, erase the original neckline so you don’t get confused when cutting out the new pattern piece.

And that’s it – you have your new front bodice piece! Transfer all markings and pattern info like grainline, cutting instructions and that center front mark.

Step 2: Cut Out Pattern Pieces

Cut out the pattern pieces from your chosen fabric but instead of cutting the front bodice on the fold, you will cut two mirrored pieces. Cut out the back bodice and skirt pieces following the pattern instructions.

If you’re working from a top pattern and need tips on figuring out the skirt panel dimensions, head to my tutorial How to Sew a Gathered Skirt to a Bodice.

You will also need a little extra bias tape for the new wrap front neckline. I like to make my own bias tape and I cut 1″ (2.5 cm) strips of bias tape and pieced them together until I had enough for the neckline. (Note: I’m using narrower bias tape than what the The Horizon Day Dress calls for which is 1.25″ wide bias tape)

If you need some more tips for making your own bias tape, check out my tutorial How to Make Bias Binding Tape.

After making this dress with just the simple wrap in front, I decided to add ties to make it a little more interesting. To make the ties, I cut two strips (on grain) of fabric 2″ (5 cm) wide and about 26″ (66 cm) long. These measurements are up to you and are simple to adjust if you want narrower, wider or longer ties.

Step 3: Sew Bodice

Before sewing the bodice together, I stay stitched both the back and front necklines within the seam allowance to help prevent stretching while sewing.

After sewing the shoulder seams of the bodice, next up is sewing the bias tape to the neckline. Starting at one end, pin the bias tape to the neckline until you reach the other side.

Since I’m using a narrower bias tape width (1″/2.5 cm) I sewed the bias tape to the neckline with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Press the bias tape and seam allowance away from the bodice and understitch close to the seam catching the seam allowance underneath.

Fold the bias tape to the wrong side of the bodice and with the raw edge folded under, place the fold right along the previous stitch line. Pin in place, and edgestitch close to folded edge to secure bias tape.

Trim off any excess bias tape at the bottom of the bodice. If you’re adding ties to your bodice then wait to sew the side seams until the ties are ready so that you can sew one of the ties into the desired side seam.

Step 4: Sew & Attach The Ties

Take your tie pieces and fold in the short ends about 3/8″ (1 cm) and press. I left one short end of one tie raw since it will be sewn into the side seam.

Fold the long edges of the ties into the middle and press. Fold the ties in half longways and press again.

Edgestitch close to edge across one short end, pivot and then sew along the long edges of the ties.

Next up is sewing the side seams/sleeves of the bodice. You’ll see in the photos that I added the ties after this seam was sewn and the skirt was attached, but I would add the side seam tie now when sewing the side seam. Make sure to account for the seam allowance when sewing on the skirt and place the tie just above.

The other tie is sewn just under the front wrap and you may find this easier to do once the skirt is attached. If you do sew the tie on now, remember about the seam allowance when sewing the skirt on, and place the tie just above. I secured the tie with two lines of stitches, one along the existing bias binding stitch line and the other just along the edge of the front wrap (photos below).

You may also want to pin both the front and side ties out of the way before sewing on the skirt so they don’t get accidentally caught in that seam.

Step 5: Sew & Attach Skirt To Bodice

Before sewing the skirt to the bodice, overlap the front pieces and line up the center front notches.

Pin the overlapping front pieces and baste in place within the seam allowance.

Next, it’s time to sew the skirt panels together, add pockets if you want, and gather the top of the skirt to match the width of the bodice.

If you’re following along the with Horizon Day Dress pattern (or a different dress pattern) then the instructions will walk you through these steps. If you’re winging it with a top pattern and want to add a gathered skirt with pockets then my tutorials How to Add a Gathered Skirt to a Bodice and How to Sew Inseam Pockets can help you out if you need it!

Finish the skirt seams with a zigzag stitch or serger and attach the front tie (if you haven’t already).

Try the dress on and test out the ties and fit!

Step 6: Hem The Sleeves And Skirt

For the sleeves I debated adding a cuff, but decided I liked the look of a simple hem instead. I folded the hem of the sleeves 1/2″ then another 1/2″ (1.3 cm double fold) and I also did the same for the hem of the skirt. This is up to you, so hem the sleeves and skirt to the length you prefer!

Give everything a final press and your wrap front dress is done!

I love this dress in this cotton gingham I used but I’m also curious to try making this dress in a linen fabric for more drape. I would love to hear if you try this hack and if it worked out for you! Thanks for reading along and happy sewing 🙂