Melba Dress Sewing Pattern PDF

The Melba Dress is perfect for lazy summer days. It’s equally at home by the pool or at a restaurant with its generous, relaxed proportions and elegant finishes. It features a V neck, our signature sleeve bands, inseam pockets, and a beautiful mitred hem with high-low side splits.

Sew it in linen for your new favourite summer dress or in a drapey sandwashed silk for easy elegance.

All of our Melba Dresses are made with linen from A+R Fabrics.

Difficulty 1/5

Sizes Available:

Sizes A-M

(see size chart in images)

If our sizes are too small to include you, we will grade our patterns up for you. Please get in touch with us here.

Cup sizes
Where cup sizes have not been stated it's because the pattern is dart-free and has been designed to be 'cup-size flexible'. If you're unsure about what size to use, you can always email your measurements to help@munaandbroad.com for specific sizing advice.

Finished Garment Measurements:

See chart in images.

Selecting your size

Compare your Chest measurement to the Size chart above to select your base size. If your hip size is significantly larger than your chest size, you can blend between sizes.

Chest is measured at the fullest part of the chest which is commonly at nipple level.

It is always recommended to sew a toile/muslin before cutting in to your 'good' fabric.

We often get asked what height our patterns are drafted for

We don’t note this on our patterns because the body’s proportions can make an overall height very misleading.
For example, you might technically be the “same height” as the draft, but you might have proportionally longer legs. In that case, a pants pattern may be very short for you. We do not subscribe to the notion of “normal bodies” and that is why we provide finished garment measurements instead of drafting height.
For all patterns (not just ours!), we always recommend comparing the finished measurements (and measurements taken from the pattern itself) to your body. Use the shorten/lengthen lines to adjust as necessary.

Suggested Fabric:

This pattern is designed for use with a wide variety of light-medium weight woven (non-stretch) fabrics. We suggest light-medium weight linen, cotton lawn, cotton poplin/shirting, silk noil, silk satin, sandwashed silk, charmeuse, crepe, crepe de chine, tencel, cupro, viscose/viscose blends, or rayon/rayon blends.

As with most garment sewing, we do not recommend the use of quilting cottons.

Fabric Yardage:

Sizes A-F
• 2.5m/2.7yds (150cm/60” wide)
• 3.1m/3.4yds (115cm/45” wide)

Sizes G-M
• 2.8m/3.1yds (150cm/60” wide)
• not suitable (115cm/45” wide)

If you’re using a patterned fabric with a repeat that you’d like to match, you may need more fabric than what is suggested above. Ensure your fabric is washed and pre-shrunk before cutting.

Notions:

All Views

• 0.4m/0.5yds (50cm/20” wide) lightweight fusible interfacing
• Matching all purpose thread

Sew-along Videos

Sew the unflappable pocket (video shows Willandra Pants but the process is the same)

Sewing the sleeve band on YouTube

Sew the mitered high-low hems (video shows the Waikerie Shirt but the process is the same)

Melba Dress inspo:

Check out the hashtag, #MelbaDress and see our Melba Dress Pinterest inspo board!

Wear it as a dress!