The Holiday Gift Dress is a beautifully detailed dress inspired by the elegant gift wrapping style seen in Japan — where even the way a present is wrapped is an art form. The delicate pin tucks running down the front and back bodice, paired with a bow tie at the neckline, create the look of a beautifully wrapped gift. It's a dress that feels as special as it looks. 👉 Get the Holiday Gift Dress Pattern on Etsy What Is the Holiday Gift Dress? The Holiday Gift Dress is a long-sleeve, pull-on dress featuring: Pin tucks on both the front and back bodice, folded toward the side seams A bow tie at the front neckline — like a ribbon on a gift A faced neckline with interfacing for a clean, structured finish Long sleeves with elastic wrist hems Two pocket options — standard serged pocket or French seam pocket Available in sizes US 0 through US 30 — one of the widest size ranges in the naminami collection! Watch the Tutori...
How to Sew the Flower Bud Dress – Complete Guide (with Size Chart!)
If you've been looking for a dreamy, feminine dress to sew, the Flower Bud Dress might be exactly what you need. With its signature box pleats and delicate sleeve details, this dress is one of my most popular sewing patterns — and once you try it, you'll understand why.
In this post, I'll walk you through everything you need to know before you start sewing: fabric requirements, sizing, difficulty level, and the key techniques that make this dress so special.
The Flower Bud Dress is a relaxed, feminine dress featuring:
Box pleats on the front and back bodice for a beautifully structured silhouette
Two sleeve options: elbow-length sleeves (easier) or bubble hem sleeves (intermediate)
A scooped neckline finished with bias binding or a clean facing
A flowy skirt with a knee-length hem (based on 160 cm / 5'3" height)
Available in sizes 2XS through 2XL
It's the kind of dress that looks impressive but is very achievable once you understand the pleating technique.
What You'll Need
Fabric
The pattern works best with light to medium-weight, non-stretch fabrics such as:
Cotton or linen poplin
Batiste
Voile
Note: If you choose bubble hem sleeves, you'll need extra fabric for the sleeve lining — use the same main fabric.
Required Fabric Yardage
Size
140 cm (55") wide
150 cm (59") wide
2XS – S
3 yd (2.7 m)
3 yd (2.7 m)
M – 2XL
3.5 yd (3.2 m)
3.5 yd (3.2 m)
For 170 cm (67") wide fabric or wider, the same amounts apply to all sizes.
Additional Supplies
Elastic band: 5–7 mm (approximately 3/8") wide
Fusible interfacing (lightweight, at least 16" / 40 cm wide): 0.5 yd (0.46 m)
Matching thread, pins, scissors or rotary cutter
Sizing Guide
Choose your size based on your bust measurement. If you're between sizes, size up.
Size
Bust
Waist
Hip
2XS
80 cm / 31-1/2"
66 cm / 26"
91 cm / 36"
XS
85 cm / 33-1/2"
71 cm / 28"
95 cm / 37-1/2"
S
90 cm / 35-3/8"
76 cm / 30"
100 cm / 39-3/8"
M
95 cm / 37-3/8"
81 cm / 32"
105 cm / 41-3/8"
L
100 cm / 39-3/8"
86 cm / 33-7/8"
110 cm / 43-3/8"
XL
105 cm / 41-3/8"
—
115 cm / 45-3/8"
2XL
110 cm / 43-3/8"
—
120 cm / 47-1/4"
Finished Garment Measurements
Size
Bust (A)
Hip (B)
Sleeve Length (C)
2XS
85 cm / 33-1/2"
127.5 cm / 50-1/4"
35 cm / 13-7/8"
XS
89.8 cm / 35-3/8"
129.9 cm / 51-1/8"
35 cm / 13-7/8"
S
94.6 cm / 37-1/4"
132.3 cm / 52-1/8"
35 cm / 13-7/8"
M
100 cm / 39-3/8"
150 cm / 59"
36 cm / 14-1/4"
L
104.8 cm / 41-1/4"
154.8 cm / 60-7/8"
36 cm / 14-1/4"
XL
109.6 cm / 43-1/8"
159.6 cm / 62-7/8"
36 cm / 14-1/4"
2XL
114.4 cm / 45"
164.4 cm / 64-3/4"
36 cm / 14-1/4"
Skirt length: 60 cm / 23-5/8" (all sizes, knee length based on 160 cm / 5'3" height)
Bubble hem sleeves are shorter: 2XS–S are 8 cm / 3-1/8" shorter, M–2XL are 5 cm / 2" shorter than C
Difficulty Level
Sleeve Type
Difficulty
Best For
Elbow length sleeves
⭐⭐ Beginner–Intermediate
Everyday sewing, first-time makers
Bubble hem sleeves
⭐⭐⭐ Intermediate–Advanced
Sewists comfortable with lining and elastic insertion
The box pleating on the bodice takes patience, but the pattern instructions walk you through it step by step.
Watch the Tutorial First 🎬
Before you dive in, I recommend watching the full sewing tutorials on YouTube. It makes the written instructions so much easier to follow!
Full Sewing Tutorial (Elbow Sleeve Version)
Bubble Hem Sleeves Tutorial
Key Techniques in This Pattern
1. Box Pleats on the Bodice
The signature look of this dress comes from the box pleats. You'll mark pleat lines on the right side of the fabric, then fold them left and right alternately from the center. Press firmly and stitch only to the marked end line — not into the seam allowance.
2. Sleeve Pleats
The sleeve pleats are folded outward from the center on both sides, which creates the soft, voluminous sleeve shape. After folding, stitch along the top and bottom edges at 5 mm / 3/8" to secure the pleats.
3. Bias Binding (Elbow Sleeve Version)
The neckline and sleeve hems are finished with self-made bias tape cut from your main fabric, 3.5 cm / 1-3/8" wide before folding. Elastic is then threaded through the sleeve hems to create the gathered cuff.
4. Bubble Hem Sleeves (Advanced Option)
This involves a separate sleeve lining, neckline facings with fusible interfacing, and an elastic band inserted through the upper sleeve. The result is the puffy, structured bubble shape that gives this dress its name.
5. Ironing the Sleeve Pleats
This step is more important than it sounds. Iron the pleat lines while pulling the sleeve taut, then press with something heavy immediately after to set the crease. This creates the clean lines that hold their shape even after washing.
Elastic Band Reference
Elbow Sleeve Hem Elastic
Size
Length
2XS
18.4 cm / 7-1/4"
XS
19.6 cm / 7-3/4"
S
20.8 cm / 8-1/4"
M
22 cm / 8-5/8"
L
23.2 cm / 9-1/8"
XL
24.4 cm / 9-5/8"
2XL
25.6 cm / 10-1/8"
Always measure your own forearm circumference to confirm the right length before cutting.
Bubble Hem Sleeve Elastic (Upper Arm)
Size
Length
2XS
23 cm / 9-1/8"
XS
24.1 cm / 9-1/2"
S
25.4 cm / 10"
M
26.7 cm / 10-1/2"
L
27.9 cm / 11"
XL
29.2 cm / 11-1/2"
2XL
30.5 cm / 12"
Always measure your own bicep circumference to confirm before cutting.
What's Included in the Pattern
3 pattern files: bodice, elbow sleeves, and bubble hem sleeves
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