A good friend invited me to her wedding a couple of years ago and I heard myself asking that age-old question: “What am I going to wear?” Seriously, my wardrobe consists of black pants and coloured tops that I wear to work and jeans, t-shirts and sweatshirts that I wear at home. I have a couple of dresses but the last one I wore (to my cousin’s wedding about 15 years ago) no longer fits!
The inspiration
I tried to see this as an opportunity and I started watching other ladies to see what they were wearing. It didn’t take me long to notice a dress a colleague of mine had worn a few times. It has as black base with a pink and cream floral print on chiffon. It has three tiers in the skirt, a v neckline and side ties that thread across the front under the bust and similarly at the back. It looked great on her and I envisaged myself wearing something similar.

After seeing her wearing it a few times, I couldn’t resist asking if I could borrow it to see if I could make a pattern from it. The idea of creating my version of the dress excited me yet it wasn’t without its challenges. However, challenges are part of the fun of sewing aren’t they?
Finding the right pattern
Given I had a deadline (my friend’s wedding) and having inspected how my friend’s dress was put together, I decided it would be a lot easier to make a dress from scratch rather than trying to make the pattern first and then make the dress. I wanted something with the same floaty, feminine look as my friends and something which could be made from chiffon like hers.

Near the start of my search, I found the Style Arc Naomi dress pattern by Style Arc. It was the closest I could find that replicated the top part of the dress nearly exactly like my friend’s dress. I kept it in mind as I spent days, weeks even, searching for a pattern online and in fabric shops. Once my sewing friends and tutor got wind of what I was looking for, they all offered suggestions but none were quite right.
Of course the date of the wedding was getting closer. Rather than wasting time or giving up, I decided to go with the Naomi dress and see if I could adapt it to replicate the tiers in my friend’s dress.
My friend kindly said I could loan her dress if things turned to custard as I was making my own. She must know the struggles sewists have perfecting garments, especially under time pressure.
Choosing the fabric
While looking for patterns, I had also searched for fabric. I found a jade green chiffon with cream flowers tucked in a corner at my local fabric shop. I don’t typically go for floral prints so I initially rejected it. Actually, I wasn’t really sure if the colour suited me. I pushed this away to the back of the shelf just in case I wanted to return to it. There wasn’t much on the roll and if it turned out to be my only option, I didn’t want to lose it.

I took two or three 150km (two-hour) road trips to Christchurch, the nearest city to my home, trawling through the fabric stores there and I looked online but my mind kept going back to the fabric I had seen locally.
Visiting the store during my lunch break, I pulled the roll of fabric from the place I had hidden it and asked the store owner to measure it for me. It was just enough to make the Naomi dress pattern but not enough to add tiers like my friend’s dress. I put it back on the shelf and kept looking.
A few days later, just two weeks before the wedding and still without fabric, I decided the jade green chiffon floral was the best option. I bought it during a sewing class at the store and my sewing friends loved it. One even said she was jealous because she had seen it and thought about buying it but I had beaten her to it. It must have been her that hid it in the back of the shelf where I found it.
Sewing the dress
The Naomi dress pattern came together quite quickly. I have to admit, I was a little nervous, wondering if things would turn out the way I wanted or if I’d end up with something I couldn’t wear. Thank goodness my friend had said I could wear her dress if I wanted to but I was determined to make mine work.
The tricky part came when it was time to make the cords that thread through the front and back of the dress and cinch in under the bust. They were sewn inside out and were so narrow, it was difficult to pull them back in the right way.

Furthermore, the cord casing required small holes at either end for the cord to poke through – four holes. If you have ever sewn with chiffon, you know it is a delicate task. The fabric tends to slip and slide around and those holes were tricky! I spent more time than I would have liked jiggling the cords into place. Thank goodness I had help from my sewing tutor and the owner of the fabric store got involved too.
There was one change I made from the Naomi dress pattern. I decided not to have the side splits. In retrospect, I may also shorten it a bit.
Finally, the night before the wedding, the dress began to look and feel like something which I could wear with pride. I stayed up late putting elastic in the sleeve cuffs, finishing the hem with a rolled edge on the overlocker and putting some metal stays on the ends of the cords.
Wearing it with pride
What I loved most about sewing this dress, beyond the process, was how it made me feel when I wore it for the first time. I had made it with my friend’s wedding in mind, knowing I could wear something beautiful for her special day.
When I put it on and looked in the mirror, I saw something more than just a dress. I saw an accomplishment and a reflection of my growing skills. When I walked into the wedding venue, I felt proud of what I had created.

To my surprise, I wasn’t the only one who thought my dress looked great. While mingling at the wedding, I noticed a few younger girls eyeing my dress. Many were wearing similar styles – with or without tiers. I don’t know for sure what they were thinking but I chose to believe they were admiring my dress.
I have to admit I felt a little self conscious as many of the girls were much slimmer than me but I reminded myself the dress was beautiful because I had made it with care and had put love into it.
Looking ahead
Now I’ve worn the dress a few times (even to work) and received compliments on it, I feel inspired to make more. I think I would definitely use the same pattern again but next time I might add the tiers. I think I would also change the fabric to something with a little more drape like a rayon print, even another floral!
Lessons learned
What I’ve learned from this process is that stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to incredible results. I never imagined I would be sewing a dress – something so different to what I normally wear – but it has opened my eyes to a world of possibilities.

While my friend’s wedding was the perfect excuse to make something special, I’ve realised I don’t have to wait for a similar occasion to wear a beautiful dress. I feel more confident in my ability to create garments that not only fit well but reflect my own style and creativity.
My advice to other plus size sewists
If you are thinking about sewing a dress for the first time, go for it! You might surprise yourself with what you can accomplish and how it makes you feel. The satisfaction of creating something with your own hands is unmatched. Whether it is a simple design or something more complex, just enjoy the process and take your time. With a little patience and a lot of passion, you can create a piece that is truly your own.
An extra little story
When I met my friend, she had recently split up from her husband of many years. I had recently separated from my husband too. I was introduced to my friend by some ladies who cared about us both. It turned out my friend lived just around the corner from me and worked (as a fabric technology teacher) at the high school next door to my house. After years not sewing, I decided it was a good time to brush up on my skills with my friend’s help.
At the time, as we had both shared our relationship experiences, my friend told me she would probably not marry again. Years passed and eventually my friend moved to another town (not too far away). She remained single then one night she gave me a call to have a “catch up chat”.
As the conversation was coming to a close she suddenly said: “Oh, guess what?”
“What?” I said.
“I’m engaged!” she said.
I was surprised, yet delighted and made sure my friend knew I wanted an invitation to her wedding.
The next time I went to my sewing class, I shared the news with my friends and the tutor, who took a particular interest. She had a little glint in her eye as she told me my friend was marrying her twin brother! She said she had known for several weeks and had to keep it a secret from me!
At the wedding, it was lovely knowing my friend and sewing tutor had just become sisters-in-law. Even lovelier knowing my tutor helped me sew the dress I wore to my friend’s wedding.
Another occasion to wear my dress
On 8 April 2025, I am attending a VIP night at the store where I bought the fabric for my Naomi dress pattern and where I attend sewing classes. The owner is celebrating 20 years at the helm of the business.
As part of the VIP night, customers have been invited to “catwalk” in garments they have created using at least 50 per cent fabric/materials from the store.
I have decided to wear my dress on the “catwalk”!
There is a prize for “people’s choice”. Other attendees at the VIP event will choose who will win.
There is also a competition to win a new sewing machine – spend at least $20 on the night to go in the draw.
Check back here soon and I will report on how it goes.