Very easy. I lowered the neckline which was a simple adjustment. There are no facings; all the edges are bound. This is easy to do but, requires a medium weight fabric for the best result. I used a very light, sheer crepe and bound it in a fabric of a different weight and lined my crepe in yet another fabric. The result is a charming dress but, it would hang much better if I had used fabrics of comparable weights and body. The back piece is almost a full circle — another reason my very lightweight fabric was not a good choice.
Rated 5 out of 5
Alysse Lehner –
This is the first dress I ever made. I think it turned out well. It was easy. If you have a full bust, you’ll want to lengthen the torso front piece; otherwise, the bust darts will be too high and the dress will be shorter in front.
Rated 4 out of 5
Lisa Swehla –
It’s a great pattern; an extremely easy and fun swing dress. It’s not right at the neckline unless you ease the bias tape edging. It also runs a little big.
Rated 5 out of 5
Katrina Casey –
Here is the famous “Walkaway” dress that inspired so many home seamstresses to whip up their own creations back in the 50s. Of course Butterick had to update the pattern for the modern figure, so most reviews online are not very positive for this pattern.
When I first saw the original sketch on Butterick’s website, I thought, “Oh, that’s gorgeous!” But after viewing their picture for the actual dress they sewed from the pattern, I was a bit puzzled. “Is that really the same pattern?” I wondered. The bodice was baggy, the wraparound pieces scooped down into a “u” rather than the “v”, and the skirt looked rather lifeless as it hung down around the knees. But with a few simple alterations I was able to make my finished dress look just like the pattern front! I just cut a smaller size of the bodice, redrew the wraparound curve, and wore a crinoline underneath for an authentic look.
I am so happy with the way it turned out, and I plan to make many more in the future! For complete instructions on how to adjust this pattern you can read my article on my blog
Rated 4 out of 5
Naomi Pardue –
A very charming dress, wearable anywhere, and very easy, (if a wee bit time-consuming due to all the bias tape that needs to be pinned on.) Unfortunately, the structure of the garment made it hard to judge the fit at cutting. (I didn’t quite understand how it was all supposed to go together when I cut it. It’s not your standard ‘front bodice and back bodice’.) And then I gained some weight in the 10 months between cutting it out and sewing it. Result? The over-dress wouldn’t quite meet in the front, and the armhole openings gapped a bit too much. I solved the problem by extending the bias tape trim so it could be tied in the front (the pattern calls for buttons) and I wear it as a jumper with a blouse underneath. Very cute, if not necessarily what the designer intended for it. I may try it again, cutting it bigger now that I know how it’s supposed to work.
Tamara Schirrmacher –
Very easy. I lowered the neckline which was a simple adjustment. There are no facings; all the edges are bound. This is easy to do but, requires a medium weight fabric for the best result. I used a very light, sheer crepe and bound it in a fabric of a different weight and lined my crepe in yet another fabric. The result is a charming dress but, it would hang much better if I had used fabrics of comparable weights and body. The back piece is almost a full circle — another reason my very lightweight fabric was not a good choice.
Alysse Lehner –
This is the first dress I ever made. I think it turned out well. It was easy. If you have a full bust, you’ll want to lengthen the torso front piece; otherwise, the bust darts will be too high and the dress will be shorter in front.
Lisa Swehla –
It’s a great pattern; an extremely easy and fun swing dress. It’s not right at the neckline unless you ease the bias tape edging. It also runs a little big.
Katrina Casey –
Here is the famous “Walkaway” dress that inspired so many home seamstresses to whip up their own creations back in the 50s. Of course Butterick had to update the pattern for the modern figure, so most reviews online are not very positive for this pattern.
When I first saw the original sketch on Butterick’s website, I thought, “Oh, that’s gorgeous!” But after viewing their picture for the actual dress they sewed from the pattern, I was a bit puzzled. “Is that really the same pattern?” I wondered. The bodice was baggy, the wraparound pieces scooped down into a “u” rather than the “v”, and the skirt looked rather lifeless as it hung down around the knees. But with a few simple alterations I was able to make my finished dress look just like the pattern front! I just cut a smaller size of the bodice, redrew the wraparound curve, and wore a crinoline underneath for an authentic look.
I am so happy with the way it turned out, and I plan to make many more in the future! For complete instructions on how to adjust this pattern you can read my article on my blog
Naomi Pardue –
A very charming dress, wearable anywhere, and very easy, (if a wee bit time-consuming due to all the bias tape that needs to be pinned on.) Unfortunately, the structure of the garment made it hard to judge the fit at cutting. (I didn’t quite understand how it was all supposed to go together when I cut it. It’s not your standard ‘front bodice and back bodice’.) And then I gained some weight in the 10 months between cutting it out and sewing it. Result? The over-dress wouldn’t quite meet in the front, and the armhole openings gapped a bit too much. I solved the problem by extending the bias tape trim so it could be tied in the front (the pattern calls for buttons) and I wear it as a jumper with a blouse underneath. Very cute, if not necessarily what the designer intended for it. I may try it again, cutting it bigger now that I know how it’s supposed to work.