For a long time, I’ve wanted something easy to wear and easy to wash for those days spent buzzing around the house and out on the property. Something cute enough to feel put together, comfy enough to handle chores, and quick to sew so I can make a few in different colours. Basically, the ultimate house dress.

But I can be a little hard to please when it comes to clothes.

My (extensive) house dress wishlist:

• Made from woven fabric, preferably second-hand
• V-neck or mid-to-low scoop neckline
• Sleeveless — spaghetti or narrow straps ideal
• Covers me when I bend over but sits above the knees (flattering, thanks!)
• Lower waistline and loose, but not oversized — I want to be comfy, not swamped.

See, picky!

After far too much procrastinating (read: “research”), I gave up searching for the perfect pattern and started playing with the ones I already had. And somehow, miraculously, I hit the jackpot on the first try with a combo of the True Bias Ogden Cami and the Sew Liberated Metamorphic Dress.

Two days later, I had three comfy, swishy, house-friendly dresses made from old duvet covers — they beat a faded T-shirt and stretched-out leggings any day.

Patterns, sizing and alterations

My measurements:

• Bust: 98 cm
• Waist: 82 cm
• Hips: 108 cm

Ogden Cami – True Bias

Size traced: 12
Modifications:

• Adjusted side seams to drop straight down from the widest bust point (removed flare).
• Shortened both front and back by 4″ — I removed the height from the middle of the pattern to keep the hem curve intact.
  • I’d made an Ogden before and knew that shortening by 4″ would place the hem right at my hip bone, where I wanted the waist seam to hit.
• Cut two fronts and two backs to fully line the bodice.
  • A full lining gives a cleaner finish — plus, on very relaxed days, I can skip the bra.

Metamorphic Dress – Sew Liberated

Size traced: 16
(I wanted wiggle room — the extra gathers blend in nicely.)

Skirt construction:

• I didn’t want the reversible/double-layer skirt, so I simplified:
  • Back of the skirt: One underskirt piece — covers my bum.
  • Front of the skirt: One overskirt piece — slightly shorter to show more leg.
  • Bonus: It helps differentiate the front from the back since Ogden can be a little ambiguous!

Sewing notes

Ogden Cami (Bodice)

• Follow the usual instructions (seam allowance is ½”).
• Only changes:
  • Attach a full lining instead of the partial one.
  • Skip hemming the bottom — the skirt gets attached here.

Metamorphic Skirt

• Seam allowance is ⅝”, so I used rough flat-felled seams on the sides (I hate raw edges).
• Hemming:
  • Sew a ¼” guideline, then double-fold and topstitch the hem.
  • I carefully pinned the curved front, but totally winged it on the back.

Joining bodice and skirt

• Gather the skirt:
  • Single line of basting stitches across both front and back.
  • (Yes, two rows are better — but hey, house dress = relaxed standards.)
• Attach the outer bodice:
  • Right sides together, sew the gathered skirt to the outer bodice with a ⅝” seam.
• Prep the lining / inner bodice:
  • Sew a ⅝” guideline along the inner bodice edge.
• Pin, pinch, and peek
  My personal, slightly fiddly, but satisfying technique:
  • With the dress inside out and flat, pin the inner bodice over the waist seam.
  • Flip to the right side of the dress, pins underneath.
  • Topstitch slowly:
    • Pull a pin → pinch the lining in place → peek underneath to check it’s sitting right → sew a few stitches.
  • Repeat. Slowly.

This method helps ensure the outer seam stays flat and neat — and avoids those irritating finishing mistakes I know I’d fixate on every time I wore the dress.

Conclusion

That’s it! I’m actually wearing the pink version as I type this. It’s already a firm favourite, but in need of a wash, so it’s time for the orange or tropical print dress to tag in.

Those of you with sharp eyes may have spotted one oversight… no pockets! I’m toying with the idea of adding patch pockets for my phone — but honestly, walking around without it might not be the worst thing.