Lili: Balloon-Sleeve Dress. Sewing Pattern

Category: Patterns 20 November 25

Ad: With this post, I’m introducing my second sewing pattern—a design I’ve created and now offer for sale. Lili has taken time, care, and plenty of experimenting to bring her to life, and I’m so glad to finally share her with you. Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to read her story.

For anyone interested in sewing Lili, the pattern is now available in my Etsy Store. While you’re here, I hope you’ll also take a moment to enjoy the post itself—it’s written with care and filled with details and reflections on the design and its making. Happy sewing.

THE PROLOGUE

Cherry blossoms were in full bloom, painting the pavement white and pink. This cinematic picture meant two things: summer—and with it, long, bright days—was about to make the city breathe again; and I, still tangled in my first pattern and everything that came with it, was entirely unprepared for the sunshine and the heat that followed.

The Sienna blouse was born on my somewhat weary path toward an essential wardrobe—a clear, calm, balanced silhouette, grounded with a touch of drama at the cuffs. By the time I was wrapping up the illustrations, new tasks were appearing faster than I could cross them off, despite the mountain I had already conquered. The release date was still nowhere in sight, and I found myself craving something playful, loose, and unnecessarily loud. Not a betrayal of the essentials’ course, but an act of restoring balance between sleek, architectural restraint and a dramatic, voluminous flourish. A little rebellion in fabric, if you will.

And I thought to myself, what’s the best place to play with drama? Sleeves, of course. And which era turned them into more than just statements, into punctuation, an exclamation mark signalling strength and unmistakable presence? The ’80s, with their full sleeve caps, gathered and sculpted to the point where the fabric refused to give in.

And in that moment, the first spark of Lili was born.

The Motivation

My first instinct was to reach for the silhouette I always gravitate toward—the one that hugs the waist, sharp and familiar, offering a touch of elegance and very little comfort. The sleek, minimalist body would balance the puffy sleeves out nicely. Balance out. The problem was, I didn’t want to balance anything anymore. I wanted to enjoy my dinner, and perhaps a dessert too, without worrying about the back zipper giving up mid-bite. This new dress was meant to be the opposite of restraint. It was about pleasure, in making, and in wearing.

That’s how, filed under its cryptic working title, “The Restaurant Dress” (yes, really), Lili found her shape: voluminous, flowing, and unapologetically made to make an entrance.

THE DESIGN

Lili’s final silhouette plays with volume, close-fitting at the bust and gently releasing into wide, gathered side panels that echo every movement. The bodice is shaped with bust and shoulder darts for structure, while the gathered side panels add width and flow, letting the dress fall into a generous A-line shape that feels easy rather than constructed.

Lili’s sleeves became the starting point and the statement. I shaped them full and gathered at the seam, creating a rounded sleeve cap that curves into ruched poet cuffs. To keep their sculpted form, I added an optional sleeve booster inside the cap—a quiet bit of structure hidden beneath the softness. It gives the sleeve its lift and posture without losing that light, effortless look.

For the neckline, I chose something minimal—clean, high, round and without embellishment—to balance the drama of the sleeves. The closure is an invisible zipper with a small hook and eye at the back, keeping the back line uninterrupted.

In this dress, the choice of fabric makes all the difference. Made of viscose crêpe, Lili will move with a fluid shimmer; in taffeta, the same shape will become sharper, more sculptural. That versatility makes Lili a design that shifts between airy and bold, depending on the fabric and the wearer. Lili is, at its core, a dress made for freedom—freedom of movement, of feeling, of wearing something beautiful without restraint.

With that being said, let’s see what’s inside Lili’s pattern package.

THE PATTERN

Quick Summary

• The Style: Lili is an A-line dress with a fitted upper body and wide gathered side panels that create soft movement through the above-the-knee hem. It features a high round neckline, bust and shoulder darts, and an invisible centre-back zipper. The full-length balloon sleeves, with dramatically gathered caps, can be worn relaxed or pushed up—revealing ruched poet-style cuffs with encased elastic for a voluminous finish. For those who prefer extra support, an optional sleeve booster can be added inside the sleeve cap to help maintain the sculpted shape.

• The Fabric: Lili’s final appearance depends on fabric choice. Recommended fabrics include non-stretch, light- to medium-weight, woven dress materials with good drape or bounce, such as viscose or silk crêpe and twill, silk habotai, dupioni, charmeuse, or dramatic taffeta.
• The Sewing Process: This pattern is designed for an intermediate skill level. The best way to sew this dress is on a conventional sewing machine. When creating garments, I always strive for a flawless, high-quality finish. That’s why this dress has french and bias bound seams that give a luxurious, clean finish. For a quicker alternative, you can use a 3-thread overlock stitch with an overlock machine.

The Size Range

The pattern is available in EU sizes 32–42. When you buy the pattern, you can choose one of three size ranges: 32–36, 36–40, and 38–42. Each range contains three sizes, sufficient for between-sizes pattern adjustments.

Before selecting your size range, review the Size charts. You can find them below and, of course, on Lili’s Etsy page, in both metric and imperial units.

To choose the correct size:

1. Follow the “Taking Measurements” guide for accurate body measurements.
2. Match your measurements to the size chart, focusing on the closest column.

Always choose your dress size based on your bust measurement for the best fit.

You can also refer to the “Finished Garment Charts” for information on the garment’s ease. Simply subtract the size-chart body measurement from the corresponding garment’s measurement to determine the intended fit. If the fit feels too tight, consider going up a size.

If your measurements don’t match the sizing chart, you can always adjust the pattern. For example, you can blend sizes, add wider seam allowances, or lengthen/shorten the pattern. No need to worry if you’re new to this; a tutorial on Basic Sewing Pattern Adjustments is available just for you. If you prefer .pdf files to online pages, a detailed guide to these adjustments comes with the Lili booklet.

THE PATTERN PACKAGE

Just like the Sienna blouse pattern, the Lili pattern package follows the same Dressed in a Dress standard: clear instructions, fully illustrated steps, and a detailed booklet that keeps the sewing process calm and enjoyable from start to finish. It’s the same structure you already know and trust, applied to a new design, ready to guide you through every fold, dart, and gathered seam.

To give you a better idea of what’s unique about the Lili pattern package, let’s take a closer look at it. When you buy this Dressed in a Dress pattern, you will receive a digital pattern package including the following files:

• An illustrated step-by-step sewing instruction in PDF format with additional attachments on taking measurements, reading, and adjusting the pattern.
  • The 55-page illustrated booklet includes special sections on style details, supplies and skills to give you an overview of the sewing process ahead.
  • It also has a size guide, yardage, and finished garment measurement charts that help you choose the correct size.
  • A pattern overview, fabric preparation notes and cutting layouts in two fabric widths explain how to prepare and cut your fabric.
  • You’ll also find 20 pages of illustrated sewing instructions guiding you from the first stitch to the last.

• A .zip folder containing a series of pattern PDF files in your chosen size range (32–36, 36–40 or 38–42), a list of pattern files (.txt), and a test square (.pdf). No special software is needed to open the .zip folder. The pattern includes seam allowances and features a tiled layout for easy printing on A4 or Letter-sized paper, with a layers function that lets you print only the size(s) you need.
• A brief instruction (.txt) on accessing the files.
• As a special bonus, an illustrated blog post explains how to create a sleeve booster—a subtle couture detail that supports the shape and structure of voluminous sleeves.

To view and print the booklet and pattern files, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader *. This free software is widely available on most platforms.

*Please note that other PDF readers may not support all the features and layers of the pattern files.

For your Lili dress, you can print the entire booklet and attachments or just the pattern** and read the instructions on the screen, which provides easy access to attachments, cross-references, and external links. Clicking headings in the table of contents allows you to navigate to the relevant page quickly and zoom in on illustrations for more detail, which is especially useful in the sewing instructions section.

**Unfortunately, at the time this article is published, mobile apps for PDFs don’t support the layers panel yet. While you can view the instructions and attachments, the layers function won’t be available on mobile devices.

HOW TO GET THE PATTERN

Again, it’s pretty simple this time:

Simply visit Lili’s Etsy page.

Once you’ve completed your order, you’ll receive the abovementioned files as an instant download. How awesome is that?

One last thing before we start: terms of use. Different brands have different policies, and some offer various license levels. With Lili, it’s simple: it’s released for personal use only. By purchasing the Lili pattern, you agree to the Dressed in a Dress terms and conditions. You can find the full terms and conditions below, on the first pages of the booklet and Lili’s Etsy page.

If you have helpful comments or want to share feedback and photos of your brand-new dress, you can write to this email address. I’d love to hear from you anytime.

You can also share your creations on Instagram—the following hashtags will help us keep an eye on how other sewists made their dresses: #liliballoondress and #dressedinadress.

And if, like me, you’re planning to sew Lili as a small act of rebellion—a reminder that beauty doesn’t have to be balanced, quiet, or practical—don’t rush. Take your time, enjoy the folds, the gathers, the rhythm of it all.

Let her be as bold or as gentle as you feel.

#pattern #pattern overview

xoxo

Yours,

Kaia