CILAOS is a women’s dress pattern that is easy to sew, elegant and casual. With its sweetheart neckline and elasticated waist, it creates a feminine silhouette whilst remaining comfortable and pleasant to wear every day.
Designed to be accessible even to less experienced seamstresses and tailors, the Cilaos dress requires only the basics: a sewing machine, a straight stitch, a zigzag stitch… and that’s it!
The pattern offers several options to personalise your dress:
- the option to sew the top in lace, with specific instructions,
- or to make it from another lightweight fabric,
- optional pockets to add to the dress.
🧵 What you need to know to sew Cilaos
- Use a standard sewing machine (straight stitch and zigzag)
- No other technical skills are required
✂️ What you’ll learn from the detailed instructions
- How to line a sleeveless top
- Sewing darts (with the help of a tutorial from the blog)
- Fitting elastic at the waist
- Learning the basics of working with lace
🧶 Materials required
-
1 cm wide elastic:
👉 length = 0.9 × your waist measurement
🧵 Recommended fabrics
For the top:
- lace non-stretch
- lightweight lining (e.g. cotton voile)
The instructions are written for lace, but it is perfectly possible to replace this with a fine, non-stretch fabric (such as poplin) to make assembly easier.
For the skirt:
- medium-weight cotton or wax fabric for a fuller, retro look
- or a light, flowing fabric for a more airy dress
📐 Amount of fabric required
Width: 140 cm
For the top (outer fabric + lining):
- From size 32 to 48: 45 cm
- From size 50 to 56: 100 cm
For the skirt:
- From 32 to 48: 130 cm
- From 50 to 56: 140 cm
Sizes available: from 32 to 56
An easy, feminine and versatile dress, perfect for beginners or for treating yourself to an accessible and rewarding sewing project.
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