March 20, 2026 • Updated May 22, 2026
Sewing the Gingham Dress of my Dreams
Alissah Ashton of Alissah Threads takes you through choosing the right fabric and design for a perfect, flowy dress made with color fabric from Spoonflower.
When I made a goal to sew my own summer wardrobe in 2019 with absolutely zero sewing experience, you couldn’t convince me that sewing was about to become my entire personality! That summer changed my entire life. I haven’t stopped sewing since! What started as a cute new hobby, quickly became my new hyperfixation. It was like I unlocked a new level in life! I spent my days soaking up everything I could learn about sewing. I quickly realized that I love sewing the most lush dresses, big sleeves, flowy tiered skirts, and ruffles wherever I could add them. I loved sewing so much that I didn’t want to do it alone. I started a local sewing club in my town! A room full of makers just working on their own projects together. It’s 2026 and we are still going strong!
Since 2019, I’ve shared hundreds of tutorials on social media, became a sewing pattern designer, designing for my own indie brand and designing for KnowMe by Simplicity. I've sold patterns online, and in craft stores all over the world! And just last year, I started my own online fabric shop selling locally-sourced fabrics!
Okay, off to sew another flowy dress!
Picking Your Fabric
Picking fabric for a project is one of the best parts about sewing! The colors, fiber content and drape are all so exciting! It’s no secret that I tend to lean into pinks and reds. If you could see my wardrobe, you could assume what colors I’m most likely sewing! Choosing fabric always depends on your planned project but you can always start easy with a woven fabric! Cotton and linen are my top as they are both easy to work with, especially if you love a lot of gathers like me! I personally love a good color combo, something with a little texture like this gorgeous gingham design in Spoonflower's Essex Linen. You can see more of my design picks here! Choosing Essex Linen is always an easy choice for me. It's very easy to work with; it's lightweight but can still hold gorgeous ruffles with the perfect structure, which I am a really big fan of, as you can tell! I love how my gingham Essex Linen colorway turned out - it makes me so excited to try many more projects!
Choosing the Perfect Sewing Pattern
Once the excitement from picking your perfect fabric has settled, picking your sewing pattern is the icing on top! As I mentioned before, I’m a lover of frilly baby doll dresses. As a sewing pattern designer, the sky's the limit to how many ruffles I can add to a dress. One of my main motivations for learning how to design my own sewing patterns was being able to tailor a pattern to my specific measurements. As a 5-foot-tall girlie, you can imagine how many hems I’ve shortened since I learned how to sew! Sewing is truly a superpower!When it All Comes Together
When your fabric, pattern and time spent sewing your project come together, it’s pure sewing magic! The reward of all of your precious time well spent, is just something you can’t explain! It’s a feeling I can only explain by sharing how I finished my first garment in 2019 and haven’t stopped sewing since! If you need some help getting started, my best advice is to start by browsing Spoonflower for designs. Next, picking out a few sewing patterns and making a vision board are perfect ways to get your ideas out, especially if you’re a visual maker like myself! If you’re looking for some frilly sewing inspo, sewing tips and tutorials, I’m your gal!! Follow me @alissahthreadsWHY SPOONFLOWER?
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