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 Wave Dress – Complete Guide (with Size Chart!)
The Wave Dress is one of my most-loved designs — a sleeveless, pleated sundress with a beautifully voluminous skirt and clean, elegant lines. It looks like something you'd buy in a boutique, but it's very achievable once you understand the pleating and sizing. In this guide, I'll walk you through everything you need to know before you start cutting.
The Wave Dress is a sleeveless pleated dress featuring:
Box pleats on both the front and back bodice for a structured, feminine silhouette
A voluminous skirt with a 70 cm / 27-1/2" length from the waistline (all sizes)
French seam side pockets — hidden and clean-finished
An invisible zipper at the center back
A clean facing finish at the neckline with self-fabric shoulder straps
Available in sizes 2XS through 2XL
Watch the Tutorial First 🎬
Before you dive in, I highly recommend watching the full sewing tutorial on YouTube. The pleating and zipper steps are much easier to follow along with video!
Full Wave Dress Sewing Tutorial
⚠️ Important: How to Choose Your Size
This dress sizes by UPPER bust, not full bust.
Measure the circumference of your chest 9 cm / 3-1/2" above the bust point, with no clothes on and no extra ease. Then match that measurement to the finished garment measurements below and size down if you are between sizes.
This is different from most patterns! If you measure by full bust, the bodice may be too loose at the top. Take the time to measure correctly before cutting.
What You'll Need
Main Fabric
Light to medium-weight, woven fabrics are recommended:
Cotton or linen poplin
Batiste
Voile
Required Fabric Width and Yardage
This pattern requires 2.5 yd / 2.3 m for all sizes, but the required fabric width varies by size.
Size
Minimum Fabric Width Required
2XS
117.5 cm / 46"
XS
125 cm / 49"
S
132.5 cm / 52"
M
140 cm / 55"
L
147.5 cm / 58" *
XL
155 cm / 61" *
2XL
162.5 cm / 64" *
* From size L upward, wide-width fabric is required. Standard 44–45" fabric will not be wide enough.
Additional Supplies
Invisible zipper: 35.5 cm / 14" long, 1 piece
Fusible interfacing: 90 cm (35") wide / 0.46 m (0.5 yd)
Interfacing tape (optional): 1 cm / 3/8" wide / 0.6 m (0.65 yd)
Matching thread, pins, zipper foot
Sizing Guide
Body Measurements
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
Upper Bust (A)
Shoulder Strap Length (B)
Pleat Stitch Length (C)
2XS
75 cm / 29-1/2"
32.08 cm / 12-5/8"
14 cm / 5-1/2"
XS
80 cm / 31-1/2"
32.88 cm / 12-7/8"
14 cm / 5-1/2"
S
85 cm / 33-1/2"
33.69 cm / 13-1/4"
14 cm / 5-1/2"
M
90 cm / 35-3/8"
34.5 cm / 13-5/8"
14 cm / 5-1/2"
L
95 cm / 37-3/8"
35.31 cm / 13-7/8"
14.6 cm / 5-3/4"
XL
100 cm / 39-3/8"
36.12 cm / 14-1/4"
15.2 cm / 6"
2XL
105 cm / 41-3/8"
36.92 cm / 14-1/2"
15.8 cm / 6-1/4"
Skirt length (D): 70 cm / 27-1/2" from waistline (all sizes)
Remember: size by upper bust (measured 9 cm / 3-1/2" above the bust point), and size down if between sizes.
Difficulty Level
Skill Level
Details
⭐⭐⭐ Intermediate
Box pleats on front and back bodice, invisible zipper, French seam pockets, facing construction
This pattern is not a beginner project, but if you're comfortable with pleating and have installed an invisible zipper before, you'll be able to follow along with the step-by-step photo instructions and YouTube tutorial.
Key Techniques in This Pattern
1. Marking and Folding the Pleats
The front bodice has box pleats that radiate outward from the center front. You'll mark the pleat lines on the right side of the fabric using the pattern, then fold each line to meet the next, alternating left and right. The key detail: stitch only up to the marked pleat stitch end line — never into the side seam allowance. The back bodice is pleated in the same way, with a 1.5 cm / 5/8" seam allowance at the center back instead of 1 cm / 3/8".
2. Invisible Zipper at the Center Back
The zipper is sewn into the back center seam before the back seam is fully closed. Press the zipper coil flat with an iron before stitching, and use a zipper foot throughout. The interfacing is applied 1.5 cm / 5/8" from the back center seam to stabilize it — for sizes 2XS–M, apply 8 cm / 3-1/8" down from the waist notch; for L–2XL, apply 10 cm / 4" down.
3. French Seam Pockets
The pockets are constructed using a French seam technique for a completely clean finish inside the pocket bag. The pocket is placed 2 cm / 3/4" below the waist notch on the wrong side of the front bodice. Be careful not to catch the pocket entrance when sewing the side seams.
4. Facing and Shoulder Straps
The shoulder straps are pinned facing downward before the facing is attached — they'll flip upward once the facing is sewn. Position the straps 7.5 cm / 3" from the side seam on both front and back. The facing is pulled out 5 mm to the side at the zipper end before stitching, which creates a small space for the zipper end to tuck in neatly.
5. Hemming
The recommended hem method keeps the skirt light and floaty. Stitch at 1 cm / 3/8" without backstitching, fold along the stitched line, stitch again, trim the seam allowance to about 2 mm / 1/8", then fold once more and topstitch the final edge.
What's Included in the Pattern
Pattern files for sizes 2XS – 2XL
Available in A0, A4 and US Letter formats (print at home)
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