When the Shorewalk released last autumn, I immediately imagined the maxi length sweeping along the beach in summertime, despite it being months away. Summer is now here, and I couldn't wait to make my vision come to life -- with an additional summery twist!
I knew that the cold-shoulder detail of the Desert Breeze was exactly what I wanted in my maxi, so I quickly got to work.
For this mash-up, you will need to print the entire Shorewalk pattern, and the top portion of the bodice of the Desert Breeze (pages 5-7 & 9-11 on the women's pattern layout), along with whichever sleeve version you wish to use. (Alternatively, you can make your mash-up with a strappy Desert Breeze and shelf-bra; check out Mandalynn's tutorial here!) Piece together your patterns.
Next, line up the armscye of the Desert Breeze with the armscye of the Shorewalk, making sure the Desert Breeze pieces are on top.
They'll not fit quite right at first; that's okay! Tape your pieces down so they do not shift.
Next, you will want to trim off the overhanging pieces of the Desert Breeze to give it the shape of the Shorewalk. I use a rotarty cutter I have specifically for cutting paper with, and cut along the Shorewalk outline. Once you have done this, fold down your Shorewalk bodices so all you see is your modified Desert Breeze bodices on top. I also taped additional paper to the back bodice piece, since the Desert Breeze back bodice is narrower than the Shorewalk back bodice.
Your new pattern pieces should look like the above.
Cut out your fabric, and follow the Desert Breeze tutorial for adding sleeves and bindings. Do not gather the front bodice.
You will need to do a little math and change the front and back binding measurements slightly; here's how:
On page 14 of the Desert Breeze tutorial, there is a chart that states how far from the center of your binding you need to mark to stretch the binding to fit the neckline properly. For a size XL, it says 6", but I am going to need to change that since I changed the width of the pattern piece.
Measure from the top of the sleeve to the halfway point of your neckline (mine is 7.75") and multiply by 0.85.
7.75 x 0.85 = 6.58
I'm going to round down, and call it 6.5". I need to mark my binding 6.5" from the center. Because this is an additional half inch in either direction, I am going to add an inch to the front binding total. An XL front binding for a Desert Breeze is 2 x 18.25", so I have cut my front binding to be 2 x 19.25" for this mash-up. This will vary by each size, so be sure to do your own math!
Repeat these same steps for calculating the back binding.
Once your bodice, sleeves, and binding are complete, follow the Shorewalk tutorial for sewing your vents, side seams and hemming.
And you are done!
I hope you love your new Desert Breeze/Shorewalk mash-up; be sure to share your makes in our Facebook group and on Instagram using tags #stripedswallowdesigns, #ssdshorewalk, #desertbreezedress, and #desertbreezetop!
Happy sewing!
xo,
Erin
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