I’m thrilled to share this unique and easy to make reversible dress with you! This is Lekala pattern 4545. Lekala patterns are made to fit your personal measurements, so it’s fun and easy to make a dress and know that it will fit just right. Still, there’s always a chance that minor adjustments might be necessary in regards to your personal preferences.

1000’s of styles are available at Lekala.co and new ones are added almost daily. Many of the newer patterns are free to test, just by signing up through Sewist.com. Sewist is the sister site to Lekala.co where sewists from all over the world share, post, and review their makes with other members. Both sites are free to join. I invite you to explore both sites, and try some of the free patterns. Lekala patterns are less than $4.00 and the PDF’s can be printed on a home printer or in wide-format at your local printers.

But back to Lekala 4545, the reversible dress. I think it would be a cute bathing suit coverup, or a work to out-for-drinks look. I can see taking it along on vacation when your packing is limited. Maybe on a cruise?

Choosing the fabric is key to a successful reversible dress. It can’t be to heavy, or prone to wrinkles. My test fabric is two coordinating seersucker prints. The two layers don’t feel too heavy and it’s wrinkle-free!

Here’s a simple tutorial:

Cut out the pattern pieces. I folded the fabric in half widthwise, to cut the back. Be sure you cut the neck side near the fold, so you’ll have enough fabric to cut the front.

Cut the front on the fold and mark your darts. The darts are pressed up and not down on most Lekala patterns.

Follow the sewing directions. You’ll end up with a front made from your two different fabrics. Narrow ties are sewn in the seam. They will tie in back under the back of the dress.

Following the directions, you’ll sew the center back seam of the two backs and then sew the neck and armholes.

Sandwich the front section in between the two backs and up through the shoulder openings. Pin together carefully.

Tip: use your zipper foot to easily sew the shoulder seams inside the small space.

Leave the front sandwiched inside the backs. Place your pre-made front ties at the corner seams of the back that wraps around to the front. Leave a 6 to 8 inch opening in the lower vertical seam. Turn the dress right side out through the opening and slip-stitch the opening closed.

Notice that I have a center seam on the front of this fabric. That’s because I didn’t cut the back with the neck edge toward the fold. So, there wasn’t enough to cut the front on the fold. Beware and buy extra fabric!