I made the Friday Pattern Company Westcliff Dress almost a year ago and I kept forgetting to write a blog post about it despite it being of my favorite tops. I was lucky enough to be able to buy this pattern directly from Chelsea, the owner of Friday Pattern Company, when I stopped by her stand at West Coast Craft. So it feels like an extra special pattern in my library 🙂
Choosing fabric for the Westcliff Dress pattern
The pattern is designed for knit fabrics with at least 25% stretch- I don’t think it would work with a woven unless you did excessive hacking. I found this lovely cotton spandex floral knit at my favorite fabric store and thought it would be perfect for a wrap style top. The knit I chose has some structure and is a bit thicker, which I prefer especially because I didn’t want to have to worry about the top gaping open. You could choose something more drapey for a more romantic look.
Sewing a Westcliff Dress top hack
Other than the usual problems I run into when sewing knits (I dont’ have a serger) this pattern was pretty easy to make.
Hacking the Westcliff Dress into a top is super easy thanks to Friday Pattern Company outlining how to do it in the pattern directions. It’s important to note that the directions are for a cropped top that hits at the waist. I personally am not a big crop top wearer and I do find the top to be a bit too short for me. I’m planning on making the top again and just extending the front and back pieces by 2″. I may extend the waistband piece slightly as well.
Final thoughts
Overall, I love this top! It’s a great summer staple that I wear often. I love a good faux wrap top as I find them easier to wear than actual wraps, so this pattern is perfect for me. I have another one planned that I may hack into a long sleeved version!
