Oh, the Wilder Gown by Friday Pattern Co. Can we all just sigh collectively? I’m sure you’ve seen this swishy number popping up all over your feed in recent months. In all honesty, when I saw it start to pop up in my Instagram feed, I thought it was a little too ‘Little House on the Prairie’ but seeing everyone’s makes made me realize how versatile and adaptable the Wilder Gown Pattern actually is. I’m not sure I’ve also always wanted to learn how to sew a tiered dress so I jumped on the Wilder Gown bandwagon. I’m not quite sure that it fits into my Design Your Wardrobe collection but my willpower is nonexistent at the moment.
The Details
- Pattern Company: Friday Pattern Company (buy the pattern here)
- Sizes: XS – 4X
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Fabric: Designed for Woven Fabrics
Sewing the Wilder Gown
This was my first time sewing a pattern by Friday Pattern Company and I was really impressed with how thorough the instructions were. First of all, they included lots of suggestions on how to customize The Wilder Gown through fabric and length choices. Additionally, they also included instructions on how to do a Full Bust Adjustment as well as how to make The Wilder Gown a blouse.
I also really liked that the instructions included measurements for the skirt panels rather than including them in the PDF print pattern. It was a really good choice to promote sustainability in sewing by saving paper. That being said, I am still a beginner and I found my fabric quite slippery, so I ended up cutting myself a rectangle out of tissue paper. The instructions also included many different suggestions on how to layout the pattern on different fabric lengths for different sizes!
I knew that I wouldn’t wear this dress if I made it in the recommended length. For this reason, I wanted something a little more flirtatious that could be stuffed into my suitcase for Malaga this December and would be included in my Design Your Wardrobe Collection.
The Wilder Gown is meant to be ‘loose and flowy’ and I was on the upper end of the measurements for the size small so that’s what I went with for this make. I used a bright red viscose that I found at Dressew. In the end, I’m so happy with the colour.
As a [confident] beginner, I found this pattern quite straight-forward to follow. That being said, the one area that I could have used more support in is in finishing seams. I would have liked to french the seams but I’m not sure if I can gather across french seams? Leave me a comment if you have found any articles or have any tips on this. I chose to go with a zigzag with this fabric it’s a wee bit of a fraying mess inside.
I really loved the sleeves! I didn’t need to worry about any fit issues because they were so simple. That being said, I think they are a bit of an awkward length and if I make this pattern again I would likely lengthen them.
Wilder Gown Inspiration
I had a pretty good dig around to find some inspiration for tiered dresses in RTW stores. Check my Pinterest board for some inspiration!
My Favourite Wilder Gown Makes
This dress has been such a favourite in the online sewing community. It was really everyone else’s makes that inspired me to get sewing. In particular Here are some of my favourite makes that I’ve seen so far!
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This short version by Hannah at @hann_made opened my eyes to how amazing a short version would look! See her post for Minerva Crafts here.
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This printed boho version by Jen at @jenLegg4 is exactly the style of tiered dress that I’m seeing in all the shops right now.
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Devon’s version @missmake was the first Wilder Gown make that I saw after the pattern released. This is definitely what I want to be wearing when I’m running through fields chasing after a Mr. Darcy type.
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Saki’s at @Sakijane Wilder Gown is so ladylike and delicate. This is what you wear to high tea!
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Allison at @cloudpinecreative looks like a sassy doll and I could wear her version everyday. Love the crisp look of this fabric and she really nailed a perfect length.
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@Goooodtrouble looks like a model and so stylish. She has such an eye, this looks like a magazine shot. Love the mustard.
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Courtney at @courtney_jeanshaw looks so sweet in this little printed number. I feel like this would look so sweet in summer with sandals or could be great in the winter with a leather jacket, boots and tights. Such a perfect layering item.
Final Thoughts
The Wilder Gown made me feel more confident in my abilities as a sewist! It came together so quickly and I’ve gotten so much positive feedback. I’ll definitely be making another version sometime soon.
This is such a pretty dress…not even a little bit Little House on the Prairie!
You can do french seams on gathers…follow the same method as doing french seams on a straight edge. You do have to be a bit more mindful of how your gathers are lying…try to avoid clumping if you can. And i think that gathered french seams work best with lighter weight fabrics, otherwise it can be a little bulky.
Thanks Sue! I actually love it. I made it a little too short but even so I’ve managed to get a lot of wear out of it!
Thanks for the tip! But can I do the french seams to piece together the skirt tier panels and then gather across those seams?
Hello!
Lovely dress – absolutely stunning!
With your skirt tiers, dod you just shorten the bottom one or adjust the top one too?
I have the pattern ready as my next make, but I can’t decide how to customise the length yet…
Thanks,
Caroline
Hey Caroline!,
Sorry for the late response. I shortened both layers. I didn’t go as far as making a muslin but I did make some rectangle pattern pieces out of tissue paper. I don’t trust myself without a pattern. I pinned them together (and to the bodice) to get an idea of the lengths that I wanted. I probably should have gone a bit longer to make this more wearable!
Thanks for reading my post!