Jennifer Lauren Handmade

Jennifer Lauren Handmade Sorrel Dress

Regular price £12.00 GBP
Sale price £12.00 GBP Regular price £12.00
Copyshop

We print out the A0 pattern sheets, but you’ll need to download the digital instructions, as we don’t print these. The PDF files will be emailed immediately after purchase, and the printed A0 pattern sheets will be dispatched next working day.

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Buy the Sorrel Dress sewing pattern from Jennifer Lauren Handmade. Sorrel is a fresh take on the classic shirt-waist dress, seamlessly pairing vintage elements with modern design. The Sorrel Dress also includes A to F cups, meaning no more baggy bodices or gaping button plackets. If you thought shirt-waist dresses would just never work for you, Sorrel is a game-changer.

Shaped with double open-ended darts around the bodice and skirt waistline, Sorrel’s relaxed silhouette and sleek skirt provide the illusion of a fitted garment with all the comfort of a shift-style dress. A simple foldout collar frames the face, creating a gentle V neckline, and grown-on sleeves lend a casual vintage vibe. Layer Sorrel with fitted long sleeves and boots for cool weather, or make it up in double gauze or flowing cotton lawn for a lightweight summer garment.

View 1 includes a separate button placket, great for playing with prints and different fabric layouts. View 2 has a grown-on button placket, helping keep the design simple and the construction straightforward.

This sewing pattern is available to buy in the following formats:

- PDF (available to download immediately after purchase). What is a PDF?

- PDF pattern + Printed A0 copy shop (We print out the A0 pattern sheets, but you'll need to download the digital instructions, as we don't print these. The PDF files will be emailed immediately after purchase, and the A0 pattern sheets will be dispatched next working day). What is Copy Shop?

Suggested fabrics: Suitable for a wide range of light to medium-weight woven fabrics with some drape. Cotton lawn, voile and poplin would make a great summer weight Sorrel, along with linen, tencel and double gauze. While mid-weight denims, corduroy and wool/wool-blend suitings would lend themselves to a more structured, winter-ready garment.

Fabric requirements: Extra will be required for pattern/print matching or adding length.

115 cm (45") wide fabric: Sizes 6-14, 2.25 m (2.46 yd) // Sizes 16-24, 3 m (3.28 yd) // Sizes 26-34, 3.25 m (3.55 yd).

150 cm (60") wide fabric: Sizes 6-14, 1.75 m (1.92 yd) // Sizes 16-24, 2.5 m (2.73 yd) // Sizes 26-34, 2.5 m (2.73 yd).

Sizing: UK 6 – 24 with A – D cups or UK 16 – 34 with C – F cups. Please check the size charts and finished garment measurements.

Note: There is a crossover of 2 cups (C and D) and 5 sizes (16 – 24) between the Original and Curve size ranges. The Original and Curve patterns are based on two different blocks, and because of this, the shape, ease and proportions of the crossover patterns vary depending on the block used. Please check both size charts if you fall into this range.

To determine your cup size, wear supportive undergarments, then keeping your tape measure parallel to the floor (make sure it is not dipping at the back), measure both your full bust (the widest part of your bust, all the way around) and your high bust (the upper part of your bust around and under the arm pits). Use the difference between these measurements to determine your approximate cup size: A cup = 1 cm (3/8″), B cup = 3 cm (1 1/4″), C cup = 5 cm (2″), D cup = 7.5 cm (3″), E cup = 10 cm (4″), F cup = 12.5 cm (4 7/8″). Then, to determine your bodice size, find your full bust measurement (or closest to) along your corresponding cup row on the size chart.

Sorrel is drafted for an average height of 170 cm (5’7″).

Notions: Lightweight fusible interfacing, approx. 51 x 87 cm (20 1/8" x 34 1/4"); eleven 1.5 cm (5/8") or 2 cm (3/4") wide buttons or snap buttons; matching and/or contrast thread // Optional: One hook and eye or invisible sew-on press stud.

PDF pattern includes: Instructions; A4/US letter print-at-home pattern (62 pages for sizes 6-24 or 75 pages for sizes 16-34, but you only need to print the pages for your cup size); A0 copy shop pattern (4 sheets for sizes 6-24 or 6 sheets for sizes 16-34, but you only need to print the sheets for your cup size). This pattern has layers so you can select your size(s) before printing.

If you're looking for more maker inspiration, check out the latest sewing pattern reviews from the sewing community. We also have a sewing blog to keep you up to date with all the news from the world of sewing.

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Customer Reviews

Based on 4 reviews
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M
Mira Vogel
Sorrel shirt dress with pleats

Sorrel is the first dress I have attempted, and it went well. I decided to try this because I'd been losing patience with shopping even before the  pandemic, so at the time of purchase I'd never used a pattern before and didn't even know my measurements.  So the first thing to mention is that despite buying the cheapest possible supplies in anticipation of mucking it up, nothing went wrong and I can tell you Sorrel is achievable for a beginner. That said, I'm particularly grateful to Sewing Lab for the Sew Along.

I stumbled across Sorrel while browsing The Foldline for a minimalist dress with structure, a pear-friendly shape, free round the armpits, and most importantly, with big pockets.

After measuring myself using The Foldline guidance I could work out my size and found that Jennifer Lauren patterns are friendly to my shape. So I went ahead and downloaded the PDF (also a first for me), turned off all the other sizes, and managed to print, glue, pin and cut out the fabric without any confusion (again I should thank Astar's Place for showing me exactly how to pin and cut). Then I worked through without any trouble - I was careful with the measurements the darts and buttons all lined up.

It's an unfussy-looking dress with sharp lines. The collar and grown-on sleeves give it an understated vintage appearance, and the pleats bring a very good shape not only for me, but for everyone I've seen wearing it in the various reviews and tests. It's very comfortable and I love the pockets. All the effort Jennifer Lauren made meticulously testing the pattern has paid off. The only change I made was to lengthen the pleats at the back of the bodice and skirt.

The whole experience has given me confidence to attempt more garments.

N
Norfolk Daphne
Horizontal stripes!

Oh how I ummed and ahhed over which way to have the stripes on this Jennifer Lauren Sorrel Dress – talk about indecisive! – but I got there in the end and I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out, not to mention how well it fits. Apparently, traditionally, shirt dresses have vertical stripes and jersey dresses have horizontal – why is that?! - but I've gone against tradition and used the stripes horizontally.

It’s a really great pattern, the drafting is excellent, as are the instructions, and the sizing is spot on with the measurements. I went with a size 10, graded to a 12 at the bust with the D cup option (I’m currently 37″, 29, 39″, 28GG). Having looked at other Sorrels, I added 10cm to the length of the skirt, as I wanted it to come over my knees.

I made sure to be really accurate on matching the stripes at the side seams, as well as across the front of the bodice. I love the open-ended darts at the waistline and of course the pockets on this dress! The ‘collar’ isn’t really a collar at all, it’s just how the dress folds out there, so it’d be brilliant for a new sewist who wants to have a go at making a shirt dress.

Read more about it on my blog: https://norfolkdaphne.wordpress.com/2020/07/06/jennifer-lauren-handmade-the-sorrel-dress/

M
Mel Forrest
Beautiful simplicity!

I bought the Sorrel dress pattern in December 2018 as part of Jennifer Lauren's kickstarter campaign and I'm absolutely furious with myself for taking so long to make it! It's a versatile pattern that suits a wide range of fabrics and it is really easy and enjoyable to sew.

I used a beautiful needlecord for my version of the dress. It's very lightweight and has good drape, but I think a more medium weight fabric would work just as well, giving the dress more structure instead of a softer look. I chose to use snaps instead of buttons because the antique copper looked so perfect with my fabric, but I think either method of fastening would look amazing!

The instructions are excellent and each step was explained clearly with good diagrams. What I absolutely love about Jennifer Lauren's patterns are the different cup sizes. This enables you to get a really good fit without having to make any adjustments, which is fantastic!

After looking carefully at the finished garment measurements I opted to make the size 8 with the C cup bodice. Sadly I can only dream of being a C cup, but this combination was closest to my measurements and I think the finished garment fits really beautifully.

I opted for the grown-on button placket and I chose to top-stitch all the way around the edge when this was suggested in the instructions. The only thing I would do slightly differently next time is wait until the dress was hemmed before adding the top-stitching, because I found it made my front corners a little untidy when I turned them through.

I'm absolutely delighted with the finished dress - it's the perfect combination of pattern and fabric and it fits me so well! Although I'm annoyed I waited so long to add a Sorrel dress to my wardrobe, I'm delighted that I have such a great pattern in my stash ready for my next version!

E
EmmaB
Amazing Fit and Lovely to Wear

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I cannot tell you how much I love wearing this dress!

This is a 12, using the C Cup option (one of the best things is not having to do an FBA!) and View 2 (not a separate button band).

I made no adjustments, other than to put a panel at the bottom because it was a little short for me to wear to work (and I also had a little accident with the overlocker when I wasn't concentrating as much as I should have been!). The fabric is a high quality cotton (which I wish I had bought more of!) and its perfect. I think a Cotton Lawn or a Linen would be lovely too. Something with some drape would give a different look and I personally like the little bit of structure the cotton gives it.

It's really flattering and comfortable, I will be making more. I bought this pattern as part of the Kick-Starter campaign to raise the cash required to produce Jennifer Lauren Handmade printed patterns. Personally I'm a PDF person, I knows lots of people aren't and I wanted to support this so everyone had the opportunity to make Jennifer's patterns.