The Rebecca Page Carolina Dress Pattern! So I want to start out by saying, I absolutely love this dress. The details in the instructions are awesome, the dress came together well with no issues, and it fits like a glove.
Fabric
I used a floral rayon spandex for the bodice and a mint green DBP for the band and skirt. Both fabrics are from Knitpop (and the floral was in a Knitpop scrap pack!).
This pattern would work with quite a few types of knit fabric. Be sure to follow the stretch recommendation in the pattern instructions for the specific fabric you choose.
But, most jerseys would work. You could use cotton spandex, rayon spandex, liverpool, or DBP for the bodice.
The bodice is lined, so if you choose to use two different types of fabric, be sure to match stretch percentages well or you might end up with your lining flipping out toward the main fabric. I prefer to choose the same type of fabric for both lining and main for this reason.
For the skirt, it depends on the look you are going for. For mine, I chose DBP because it drapes well and is affordable. You might not want to use DBP for a maxi to be worn in a hot summer as it doesn’t breathe well.
Pattern Options
The bodice is a lined cross over style. It’s a faux wrap meaning you sew the cross over into the waist band instead of wrapping the dress around you each time to wear it!
The pattern has the option for any sleeve length – banded sleeveless, short sleeves, 3/4s length, and full length. I decided on 3/4 length sleeves to stay comfortable outside in the changing seasons.
The waistband can be gathered like in the version I made, but there is also an option for a flat band at the waist. The gathered version takes a bit more fabric, but it adds interest to the dress, which I really like!
The skirt is an A-line shape that has options for above the knee, midi, or maxi lengths. I chose maxi length, because I don’t have enough long skirts for the cold weather.
This pattern does not have an inseam pocket option, however I did add inseam pockets.Â
I actually inserted a different kind of side seam pocket which I outline in another blog post HERE.
The new pockets are super cool and attach at the top of the skirt as well as the sides to keep the pocket supported. It is also easier, in my opinion, to sew into the skirt.
Pattern Instructions
I really like how in the PDF instructions for this pattern, it has you add clear elastic to the shoulders of the bodice, and also across the lined seam at the edge of the cross over panels.
This is especially important depending on what types of fabric you choose. Since I used rayon spandex, this really helps the dress front stay put. I made a cross over top a while back that I really like, but I do have to fight with the front to keep it from showing too much.
I will say, the way the instructions have you sew in the front pieces, makes this a very modest dress. If you wanted the V to be a bit lower, it would be easy to adjust the bodice by overlapping the pieces less.
You might notice from the pictures that there is a seam down the center back of the skirt. That’s not actually written into the pattern, I just didn’t have quite enough yardage to get the back skirt on the fold! This solution worked really well though. I had just enough fabric.
And there’s my silly pose! I was able to use the new tripod I got for my birthday last month for these pictures, so it was fun to go around my yard finding different backdrops.
I plan to make another Carolina for the Summer months. It will probably end up sleeveless with the flat band and skirt to above the knee since sleeveless dresses tend to be my favorite outfits for the Summer.
It’s so nice to have your first try at a pattern turn out well and fit well. I’ve always found Rebecca Page’s drafting to be good and with few fit issues for me. I’ve written about Rebecca Page Patterns before, if you’d like to read those posts, you can see them HERE.
You can find the Carolina Dress Pattern on the Rebecca Page website HERE. I hope you enjoyed this post!
Let me know if you have any questions or comments below 🙂
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I am excited to make this dress and will definitely add the pockets! Thanks for the tip. As you note, it is a bit modest and I would like to deepen the V as you suggest. Can you confirm that I don’t need to make any modification to the pattern pieces ( e.g. cut less fabric along the v), and just need to modify how much (or little) I cross the pieces over when sewing. TIA
Yes! Since the pieces tuck into the waistband you can just cross them over less for less modesty.