Pauline Alice Eliana Dress Hack: DIY Peasant Boho Tassel Top

Pauline Alice Eliana Dress Hack to Peasant/ Boho Tassel Top

Hello Friends,

Last summer I made Pauline Alice’s Eliana dress. It’s a very easy to wear dress, and the elasticated waist gives some definition in that area as well as being comfortable. But, I was not entirely happy with the fit. It basically needed an FBA.

Anyway, flicking through the Boden catalogue I came across a top that I thought I could recreate fairly easily using the Eliana dress as a starting point. Here’s my inspiration picture, as posted on my instagram feed.

Pauline Alice Eliana Dress Hack to Peasant/ Boho Tassel Top – Inspiration picture

I happened to have a border print viscose in my stash which I thought could work. It meant, like my Vlisco Simplicity 8014 shirt dress, cutting the fabric on the cross grain to take full advantage of the border print. A blog reader (hi, Curls n Skirls, Del) asked about cutting fabric on the cross grain. I would say read this article in Threads which encourages you to look at your fabric and consider cutting on the cross grain to add interest to your garments. What I wanted to say was, when I do chose to cut fabric on the cross grain, I will draw in a new grain line at 90 degrees to the original grain line and use my new grain line to maintain some level of consistency in my cutting out. I know it’s hard to see, but the vertical black biro arrow line below is the new grain line I drew in on one of the Simplicity pattern pieces.

Cutting fabric on the cross grain: drawing in a new grain line at 90 degrees to the original grain line.

Back to my blouse – the colours in real life are more vibrant than they’ve come out in these pictures. I have already worn this blouse a couple of times since I finished sewing it and it’s cool and comfortable.

Pauline Alice Eliana Dress Hack to Peasant/ Boho Tassel Top

Pauline Alice Eliana Dress Hack to Peasant/ Boho Tassel Top

Like the tassel detail? I think it’s a fun detail that takes this top up a notch and totally easy to make following this tutorial. I used one skein of Perle embroidery cotton.

Pauline Alice Eliana Dress Hack to Peasant/ Boho Tassel Top – Tassel Detail

Here’s the modifications I made to the pattern:

• Did 1 inch FBA (which introduced a side seam bust dart. In all honesty the dart is probably a little too low and I have moved it up for future use, but it doesn’t affect the fit of this loose blouse).
• Added 6.5 inches to the length of the dress bodice and shaped the top outwards to accomodate my hips (note to self – only took 3/8ths inch seam allowance at hips).
• Took a 1 inch tuck out of the bodice back to account for my sway back and added the removed length back to the bottom hem.
• Shortened the sleeves by 6 inches.
• Used 1.25 inches for hems.
• Used 0.25 inch elastic to finish the sleeves.

So that’s a quick and easy blouse which I will enjoy wearing in the warmer months (or could be days…however long this current warm weather spell lasts!)

How is your summer sewing going?

Pauline Alice Eliana Dress Hack to Peasant/ Boho Tassel Top