I have been focused on making some summer dresses over the past month in particular. It has been very hot here and for a couple of weeks, our air conditioner was broken. So I was spending my days in a very warm (hot) house. So here are some summer dresses to beat the heat. These use a variety of new patterns and older patterns. My hope is that it will inspire you to make your own and stay cool for the rest of the summer!
The Dresses
One thing I have noticed is that when it’s hot, I like a looser fit. I like simpler style lines and fewer details. This is definitely something to keep in mind if you feel the same.
This dress Is one I made last year, but it has certainly gotten a lot of wear this summer. This was one of my Minerva makes for Minerva Fabrics. The pattern includes some style options, but this is a cool and comfortable dress.
Another one of my summer dresses to beat the heat is made with McCall’s 6885. Funny that this one is also a Minerva make.
The fabric is lightweight cotton (fantastic for summer). It also washes and dries easily so it’s easy to care for as well. Shirt dress styles are fun summer (or anytime) wear.
This particular pattern is almost like a shift dress/shirtdress combo!
Last is one of my most recent makes. I used McCall’s 7742 to make this blue chambray pull-on dress.
This fabric is lightweight and perfect for this type of style. It is cool and comfortable to wear.
As you can see from the back photo, the dress also features in-seam pockets. I am a person that loves to have pockets in dresses. If a pattern doesn’t have them included, they can certainly be added on most patterns. I have done this many times!
The Fabrics
As far as summertime fabrics are concerned, I personally like these:
- linen/linen blends
- cotton/cotton blends
- quilting cotton
- eyelet
- seersucker
These are the ones I tend to have in my fabric stash.
Are there go to patterns or fabrics that you reach for more often in the summer? Let me know in the comments. I will also be making some shorts, so it’s not all dresses all the time for me. I you would like to see a previous post I wrote about summer dresses a couple of years ago, you can read that here.
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Love all of these dresses. Never thought of wearing a loose fitting dress for summer weather. I’ll have to keep that in mind for next summer.
Thank you. I just like less fussy things when the weather heats up! 😄