Pattern Hack: Tank Dress Mash

Tank Dress Mash by Marnie from Horris & Deedle.

BOO! Spandex in our house is worn on high rotation by myself and my daughter, especially when the weather is warm. My daughter is not a girly girl, and loves the tank dress pattern because it is a dress that is “straight down” instead of a twirly one. If your daughter is a little bit like mine seems to be these days, or if you don’t quite have enough fabric for a fuller skirt “mashing” the tank dress with other BOO! patterns is a great option.

Mashing between BOO! patterns is pretty straightforward. To do this you will need pattern pieces for the tank dress and also the bodice pieces of the pattern you want to mash it with. I am using the flounce bodice pieces from the flounce pattern.

To mash you need to line pattern pieces up at the underarm point. Everything from the underarm down you will need to cut according to the tank dress. Everything from the underarm up is from the pattern you wish to mash with.

Lay your pattern pieces out on the fabric and hold down with fabric weights or whatever you normally use. Cut from the bottom - the hemline and up the side seam and finish at the underarm point.

You will see that the underarm points do not align exactly. The tank is slightly wider at the underarm point than the flounce dress. All you need to do is just cut the width of the flounce dress at the very top and taper out to meet the side seam of the tank dress.

Cut the rest of the front of the dress according to the flounce dress pattern. Repeat the process for the back pieces. Then sew up your dress by following the pattern instructions. You can use this mash to create a variety of looks. So far I’ve tried the flounce dress, the sundress from the flounce dress and the sleeved skater. Because the tank dress comes with top and tunic length there are even more possibilities.

A note about pattern mashing though - it is not an exact science like a pattern that has been drafted, properly graded and thoroughly tested. You will notice this most if mashing the sleeved skater with the tank dress, as this brings into play the shoulder joint, the top of the arm, and also the chest - as remember we needed to adjust slightly when mashing at the underarm point.  This may cause the mashed dress to sit a little shorter on your child, especially if you have a child in the 7-14 size category and especially especially if there is some chest development happening. I highly recommend you do a fit test before you cut into your fabric that you have been saving for ten years because it was gifted to you in a will from Great Aunt May...well not quite but you get what I am saying. Either that or add some extra length when cutting!

Happy Boo sewing,

Marnie