Are you part of the Stevie tunic appreciation society? If you have caught the bug for this speedy-to-sew and addictive-to-wear style, you might be looking for ways to hack your favourite pattern to make even more!
It's Louise here from team Buttons, and Stevie has to be one of my favourite TATB patterns. I have made several and found myself inspired to hack this design to keep my collection growing. When I realised that my Pinterest board was overflowing, I pencilled in a blog post so I could share these hack ideas with makers that would be able to appreciate them (my husband was not my ideal audience, as he kept asking, "Who's Stevie?").
So, without further ado, I am going to share ten design ideas for the Stevie tunic top or dress!
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I'm kicking off with the first hack that inspired this post. I had a gorgeous, floaty, viscose fabric that I imagined as a Stevie top. I wanted to make the most of the drape and decided to create an inverted pleat in the back so it would float behind me as I walked. I'll share photos of my version with you soon, but in the meantime here's some Pinspo for you to feast your eyes upon.
This was a super simple hack and I think one of my favourite hacks to date because it is so simple to do. I can imagine a few people might want to give this one a go so I'm going to write a blog on it soon - hooray!
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Another thing you can do to change the silhouette of Stevie is to add a gathered skirt to create a smock top or dress. Our team member Jenny has made one of these already and it's so lovely - again, we'll share it with you later this summer.
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I really love the idea of making a maxi Stevie for sauntering along the beach with a spritz in hand... ah, the dream. There is nothing more easy-breezy than a maxi dress and I think Stevie would look lovely worn super long. You can lengthen your pattern to the desired point - I'm quite partial to the idea of a Stevie that hits the calf. You could add side splits, in-seam pockets and even pleats to the back!
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If you love the shape of Stevie, but fancy having the option to bring the waist in, you could add a tie belt to your make! Go for a chunky, average, or skinny belt - I think all would be good. You could also add belt loops into the side seams at the waist notch to keep the belt sitting at the right level.
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I think this is next on my list... you could add a ruffle hem to your Stevie dress for a drop-waist look. Ruffles are everywhere at the moment and the best part about them is that they are easy to do. You just need to gather two rectangles and add to the hem of your dress. All you have to decide is how long you want your dress to be - mini, midi or maxi!
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If you fancy bringing the waistline in on your Stevie tunic dress, you could add a channel and insert elastic inside, or even stitch some shorter lengths of elastic onto each side. Or if elastic isn't your thing, put a drawstring through the channel instead. It's a really nice touch to change up the silhouette of your favourite dress.
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If you fancy changing the neckline shape on Stevie, you could turn it into a v-front tunic. I think this would work really well as a top or dress and makes the style feel even more easy breezy. I think it would work perfectly worn with skinny jeans or leggings.
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If you fancy some secret pockets, you could add in-seam pockets. I did this to one of my Stevie dresses and I love having places to stash seashells and sea glass while combing the British beaches : )
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Ruffle, ruffle, ruffle - I'm obsessed! When I said the ruffle hem was next on my list, I hadn't thought about ruffle sleeves. Oh what a dilemma - now I have to choose what to do next!
This is such a lovely idea to create a floaty, summery Stevie. Depending on whether you want to lengthen the sleeves or not, you can add a strip of gathered fabric to the hem of your sleeves in place of the cuff.
I am loving the gingham and embroidered ticking striped ones (no. 2 and no. 5)... I have seen some fabric that would be perfect for this : )
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I'll leave you with this idea - why not put buttons or snaps down the back of your Stevie? I am a complete button hoarder, and regularly raid my great-grandmother's button tin for options. I think this could be a lovely way to use up some special buttons and make the back of your Stevie steal the show.
You could choose to add buttons or poppers all the way down the back of the dress, or just do the bit before the yoke as your fastening option.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this post as much I have writing it. I thought I loved Stevie enough already but this post has given me so much more admiration for this wonderful pattern.
Please do share your makes with us, as we LOVE to see what you make and it regularly inspires the content we put together. So don't forget to tag your Stevie makes on Instagram using the #SewingStevie so we can see what you make!
