If you follow me on instagram then you know I love the Axis Dress by Papercut Patterns. I’ve made four already! From the front it looks like a simple shift dress, but when you turn around the back bodice criss-crosses, creating a V in the back (I LOVE a good V-back) and wraps around to tie in the front. Simple with a twist. What’s not to love?!
Well, while the design is aces, the fit, however, wasn’t quite as spot on.
Let’s start with the bodice. I didn’t have to make too many adjustments to the top. I cut out a size 3 for the top and found the bust darts a tad high for me, so I lowered them about 1/2”.
The skirt took A LOT of reworking to get it to fit correctly. I have a very big waist to hip ratio, meaning my waist is considerably smaller than my hips. With this design it is imperative that the back waistband fits perfectly around your waist, otherwise it will always be flapping out from under the ties or bunching up. It took me all four dresses to finally get the fit of the skirt right!
For the skirt I cut out a size 3 and graded out to a size 4 at the hips. This is a very straight skirt and not very curve-friendly. Even with cutting out the smaller size at the waist, the waistband was still too big for me and the hips felt a touch too tight. Here are the alterations I made to get the perfect fit:
Lower bust darts 1/2'“
Cut a size 3 at the waist and graded out to a size 4 + 1/16” at the hips.
Took in back darts an extra 1/4” at the waist.
Cut back-waistband to fit new back waist measurement
You’ll also notice that I put the slit for the skirt in the back instead of having it in the front like the original pattern. I did this by eliminating the center front seam allowance, and cutting the skirt front on the fold.
Now it fits like a dream!
I’ve also gone and made this dress as separates, so I can mix and match the top and skirt with other pieces, which I love doing!
This two piece set was made using the most luxurious linen from The Fabric Store.
I hope I didn’t discourage anyone from making this dress. Even with all the fit issues I had I do really love this dress, and like in all great romances you have to fight for what you love!
I’ve also made a video tutorial on how to fully line the bodice of the Axis Dress. You can find it here !
Happy Sewing,
Bella