The shirred summer dress you can make completely your own.
Meet the Shirley Shirred Dress — a romantic, fitted shirred dress with multiple bodice, waist and strap options so you can create something that feels totally different every time you make it.
Choose a fully shirred bodice, milkmaid-style detailing, a drop waist or V-yoke finish, then play with the straps, skirt and length. Shirley can be sweet and summery, dramatic and fitted, or turned into something entirely your own.
Why you’ll love it
- Multiple bodice and waist options
- Fully shirred bodice option
- Milkmaid-style view
- Drop waist or V-yoke skirt options
- Adjustable straps
- Separate skirt or all-in-one bodice/skirt construction options
- Easy to customise from mini to midi or maxi
- Designed for lightweight woven fabrics
- French seams throughout for a beautiful internal finish
- Intermediate sewist friendly
- Projector, A0/Copy Shop + A4/US Letter files included
- Layered pattern files
- Instant digital download
★★★★★ 4 customer reviews
“Love all of the options and great instructions!”
Fit + design options
Shirley is designed around a fitted shirred bodice, with multiple ways to customise the shape and finish.
You can choose between:
- Fully shirred bodice
- Milkmaid-style bodice
- Drop waist skirt
- V-yoke skirt
- Separate skirt construction
- All-in-one bodice and skirt construction
- Adjustable straps
The pattern is drafted at mini length, but can easily be extended to midi or maxi by lengthening the skirt pieces or adding tiers.
What’s included
- Detailed written and illustrated instructions
- A4/US Letter pattern — 28 pages
- A0/Copy Shop pattern — 2 pages
- Projector file
- Layered pattern files
- Instant digital download
The projector file includes thick lines, large font, a contrast background and calibration layers.
Skill level
Intermediate.
Shirley is a great project if you’re ready to try shirring or build on your existing shirring skills. The instructions include detailed guidance, and additional video links are provided throughout the pattern for extra clarification.
Suggested fabrics
Shirley works best in lightweight woven fabrics that gather and shirr beautifully.
Think:
- Cotton
- Linen
- Viscose
- Lightweight cotton blends
- Other lightweight woven fabrics
This is also a great pattern for prints, florals and statement fabrics because the shirring and multiple waist options completely change the finished look.
Notions
- Shirring elastic
- Matching thread
- 2 sets of 12 mm rings and sliders
- 6 mm or narrower elastic for finishing the neckline
Equipment
- Sewing machine
- Erasable fabric marker
- 12 mm / 1/2 in bias tape maker or pre-made bias tape
- Optional overlocker/serger
- Scissors or rotary cutter
- Steam iron and ironing board
See what everyone else is making
Search #shirleyshirreddress for inspiration and tag @bygraciesteel when you share yours.
Browse #shirleyshirreddress on Instagram
Build your own bundle
Buy any 2 patterns and save 15%, or buy 3+ and save 20% automatically at checkout.
Shirley also pairs beautifully with the Adrift Shift in the Easy Dress Bundle if you want two completely different dress silhouettes in your pattern library.
Please note
This is a digital PDF sewing pattern. No physical product will be posted.
For personal/home sewing only. Not for commercial use.
