Sketching Dream Graftons with MyBodyModel

Imagine being able to “try out” a sewing project before cutting or committing to anything. Call it commitment issues—we call it having a plan and sewing with confidence—trying out looks, colors, features and fabrics to see what suits you before diving into a sewing project is a game changer. And this is especially true when it comes to patterns that have many options.

Enter the Cashmerette Grafton pattern.

The Grafton Dress, Top & Skirt Mix & Match Pack features multiple bodice, skirt, sleeve, and neckline options to make over 400 (yeah, 400!) possible knit dresses, tops, and skirts. All of those options could potentially be overwhelming, but not with MyBodyModel. With MyBodyModel you can plan your makes on a sketch model made to your measurements, try new looks, explore styles, and delve into your new sewing project with confidence.

Whether you’re in the mood for a casual skater dress, a trendy asymmetrical skirt, a glamorous gown, an elevated tee, or a retro frock, you can craft a unique look every time you sew the Grafton, a knit mix and match sewing pattern in sizes 0-32 and cup sizes C-H.

We asked sewists in the community to use MyBodyModel to sketch their very own dream Graftons. Let’s dive in and see what they came up with!

Sean’s Grafton Dress

For Sean’s dream Grafton Dress she utilized the scoop neck, fitted bodice and bishop sleeve features. She also sketched her dress with three skirt options: A-line knee length, straight skirt midi length, and an asymmetrical draped skirt. 

Here’s what Sean had to say about her Grafton Dress:

“I knew I wanted to have a scoop neck and bishop sleeves, but I wanted to see the different skirt options with that combination since the fabric I would like to make it out of is more expensive and I would like to visualize my perfect Grafton. The fabric is a copper/ metaling lightweight poly and has a beautiful drape, so the movement of the A-line would be great, but also the asymmetrical skirt is perfect for this. I want to be able to wear this dress to my company’s holiday party. I need to be the best dressed and it is not too early to start ;)”

Check out more of Sean’s makes on Instagram at @Qfacepaint.

Theresa’s Grafton Tops & Dresses

One look at the Grafton, and Theresa had a million ideas pop into her head. She was able to take these ideas and integrate them into her MyBodyModel sketches using Adobe Fresco and created two tops and two dresses utilizing an array of the Grafton’s features. Ranging from fitted to relaxed bodice, turtleneck to scoop necklines, long sleeves to sleeveless, she truly made her dream Graftons her own.

Here’s what Theresa had to say about her Grafton Tops & Dresses:

“Honestly, I have a million ideas when I look at the Grafton and had the hardest time narrowing it down to four designs! I have four fabrics in my stash that I am planning to turn into Graftons – I have included a photo and descriptions in the image for each design. This pattern is fuelling my sewing creativity like nobody’s business! All of these will be coming, though I will need to be patient, as I always have a long sewing queue. I’m hoping to make the turtleneck first.”

See more of Theresa’s makes on Instagram at @lostmythread and on her YouTube Channel.

Kirsty’s Grafton Dress

A comfy yet dressy work outfit with plenty of versatility was the assignment when it came to Kirsty’s dream Grafton Dress and voila, her Winter Fancy Work Dress was born. Kirsty used the turtle neck on the fitted bodice with mid length sleeves and an asymmetrical skirt.

Here’s what she had to say about her Grafton Dress:

“I was wanting a dressier work outfit for those days that I need to look more put together but still want to be comfortable. I have some gorgeous teal merino jersey in my stash that I had originally bought for another project that never got made. I think the drape and warmth of the merino will be perfect for winter while the style of this Grafton with the asymmetrical skirt will elevate it. I chose the mid-length sleeves as I felt that it would allow it to be worn for more months of the year.

I have a lot of other ideas floating about waiting for their opportunity to be made too. I love all the options!”

Follow along with more of Kirsty’s makes on Instagram at @kiwisewswien.

Basma’s Grafton Dress

The Grafton square neckline was a must-have on Basma’s dream Grafton so she chose the sleeveless fitted bodice with square neckline and a three panel circle skirt in a vibrant red and white polka dot scuba knit.

Here’s what Basma had to say about her Grafton Dress:

“I’m sure I’m not the only one who saw the square neckline and immediately wanted it on my body. I knew that whatever I made would have a square neckline. My favorite dress silhouette is a fit and flare, so I chose the fitted bodice and the circle skirt. I designed my dress to be sleeveless, but it’s very possible that I’ll start sewing and decide to add short sleeves. That way, I can wear it to work and out on the town. I’ve ordered this stunning red and white polka-dot scuba knit, which I think will be PERFECT for my Grafton. 

Drawing is not my strong suit, but it was really fun designing my Grafton!  Being able to play around with different styles and silhouettes on a model that looks like me really makes all the difference.”

Follow along with more of Basma’s makes on her website and on Instagram at @basmashimmies.

Flavia’s Grafton Dress

Flavia’s Grafton Dress is going straight from the machine to the suitcase for an upcoming Japanese holiday so she went with relaxed bodice with long sleeves and a straight midi length skirt.

Here’s what Flavia had to say about her Grafton Dress:

“I took the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone as I’ve always avoided fitted garments in knit fabric. I love the drop shoulder on the relaxed bodice and the straight fit skirt was my “body confidence” challenge 😊. I intend to make my dress in scuba crepe (pictured in the background). We’re off to Japan on holidays next month where the weather will be much cooler than Australia, my Grafton will go from the machine to my suitcase!

I’m glad I spent time sketching my Grafton. I’m one of those that believe “I can’t sketch” so I’m surprised with the final result. My Body Model also allowed me to picture the garment on my own body as I wasn’t sure such form fitting dress is for me. I love the result and I’m looking forward to cutting my fabric and getting into action!”

Check out more of Flavia’s makes on Instagram at @flav_made_this.

Anna’s Grafton Top

A fitted green Grafton is what Anna had in mind so she chose the fitted square neck lined bodice with fitted mid length sleeve options.

Here’s what Anna had to say about her Grafton Top:

“I chose to make a fitted square neck top as I don’t have any of these in my wardrobe at the moment and I know that a jersey top like that will get a ton of wear! I went for the mid-length sleeves because they work so well for the transitional autumn weather in Scotland.

I love the versatility of the Grafton – you can truly make any everyday top/dress/skirt from it, but also make an absolutely party showstopper! The sky is the limit.”

Check out more of Anna’s makes at @annatriestosew.

Kelly’s Grafton Capsules

Kelly created two complete capsules with her Grafton: a cozy winter capsule and a dream fabrics capsule. The features she utilized include the scoop neck with neckband + short straight skirt + bishop sleeve, the funnel neck + 3 panel circle skirt + sleeve, and the lined scoop neck bodice + 3 panel circle skirt + 3/4 sleeve.

Here’s what Kelly had to say about her cozy winter Grafton capsule:

“I made a winter capsule by putting together 2 tops, 2 bottoms and a dress. I started with a smart look, a cosy retro look (both made in light sweater knits) and a glam velvet dress. Because the tops would be made from sweater knits they can double up as outerwear so there’s lots of layering potential! 

I had a lot of fun coming up with this capsule. The Grafton gives you so many options!”

See more of what Kelly is sewing up on Instagram at @thingskellymade.

Christiana’s Grafton Dresses

Christiana honed in on the square neck and turtleneck options for her Grafton Dresses. She sketched a square neck with and without sleeves and a mid length pencil skirt with slits and slash pockets. For the turtleneck version, she chose the bishop sleeves and an asymmetrical draped skirt to mirror the drama of the sleeves.

Here’s what she had to say about her Grafton Dresses:

“The teal is something I’ve been thinking about as a ponte interview dress to go with a suite jacket. I love the idea of it being comfortable, as well as having pockets, and slits to make it more practical to move in. I have the ponte already in my stash. I love the idea of adding a black piping at the waist and pockets to break up the single color. For the turtleneck dress this seems like a nice every day teaching dress for the cooler months. 

I have a digital drawing board that I hadn’t used in 2 years and it was fun to relearn how to use it to do these digital sketches. There are so many other versions I’m tempted to draft together quickly.”

Check out more of Christiana’s makes at @Christianaopus.

Kamali’s Grafton Dress

It’s the dramatic square neck and asymmetrical skirt combo that Kamali was after so she chose the short sleeve square neckline with separate asymmetrical skirt features.

Here’s what Kamali had to say about her Grafton Dress:

“I love the way the asymmetrical skirt looks and I’m a big fan of the square next! I plan to make this and wear it for date nights with my husband. I have some CL for the top and lyocell spandex for my skirt. 

I cannot wait to sew this up!”

See more of what Lynn is sewing up on Instagram at @kamali.obiagu and on her website.

Amanda’s Grafton Dresses

From holiday parties to everyday wear, Amanda’s dream Grafton Dresses are versatile and chic. She chose the following features for her three Graftons: fitted bodice, turtleneck and square neck; long sleeves, sleeveless, and bishop sleeves; asymmetrical, drape skirt, circle skirt, and A-line skirt in maxi length.

Here’s what Amanda had to say about her Grafton Dresses:

“I sketched 3 Graftons to explore its versatility. The first is a long sleeve, turtle neck Grafton with an asymmetrical skirt. I’m envisioning this in a black Tencel Spandex ribbed fabric that’s both stretchy and body hugging, but cool, soft and a little slinky. I’m picturing this for night out to a show. The second is a sleeveless, square neck Grafton with a circle skirt . I’m picturing this with a cotton spandex fabric I have in stash from the Pop Collection at Joann. It’s called happy fruit and it’s a whimsical navy fabric patterned with smiling fruit. I see myself wearing this as a fun everyday dress. The third is a turtle neck Grafton with bishop sleeves and an A line maxi skirt. I’m picturing this in an emerald stretch velvet. This would be the perfect comfortable dress to wear for winter holiday parties or weddings.”

Check out more of Amanda’s makes at @TrashPandaFashions.

Jenny’s Grafton Dresses

For Jenny’s two Grafton dresses she went with grown-up rainbow and a blue casual look. For her first look she chose a fitted bodice with waist darts, short sleeves, scoop neck, with a short straight skirt with slash pockets. For her second look she chose a relaxed bodice with short attached sleeves, scoop neck, and asymmetrical skirt without pockets.

Here’s what Jenny had to say about her Grafton Dresses:

“I’m always playing around with rainbow colors, but often end up dissatisfied with the results because they seem somehow more chaotic than I prefer for my business daily wear.  With the Grafton, I’ve decided to go for some extreme color blocking but use cotton lycra fabrics that come in a variety of shades so I can cleanly select colors that feel work-ready but still offer that fun.  I also have an idea for finding colors that support my #BiPride as I always love wearing something that shares that often hidden part of my identity.

The slash pockets are one of the few kinds of pockets I like – so I was glad to find them here!

For the casual version, I was looking for a casual dress I can wear to concerts, and other events, so I want a back that’s ready for patches, and a skirt that shows a bit of leg.  Here I’ve sketched it in denim blues (though made from comfy mid weight cotton lycra) & added a favorite Godzilla patch to the back that includes a quote about the environment.

This skirt is so amazing!  It’s going to add a whole new set of options to my dress wardrobe for both dressy & casual events.  The draping is FIRE.”

Follow along with more of Jenny’s sewing adventures on Instagram at @Johassler.

Preeti’s Grafton Dresses & Top

Dress it up or dress it down, Preeti’s two Grafton Dresses and Grafton Top were sketched with an array of features and fabrics making it purely Preeti. Her three sketches include the following features: 1- fitted bodice, scoop neckline, bishop sleeve and A-line skirt. 2 – fitted bodice, V-neckline, mid sleeve and circle skirt. 3 – top with relaxed bodice, turtleneck and long sleeves, separate straight skirt.

Here’s what Preeti had to say about her Graftons:

“The first dress I envisioned in a green sweater knit as a dress to wear this winter to parties and performances. The second dress I envisioned in a navy rayon spandex blend to wear out to dinner on date nights. The Grafton top and skirt I envisioned in more casual cotton spandex to wear to book club or out with friends.

I didn’t have enough fabric to make my green dress. So, I made it as a top. I can imagine dressing it up or down for formal outings or more casual ones.”

Check out more of Preeti’s stunning makes on Instagram at @expressionist.makes.

Marissa’s Grafton Dresses & Top

Marissa got carried away by the possibilities of the Grafton and ended up with two dresses and a sweater. She drew the square neckline paired with the A-line skirt, the turtle neck sweater, and the balloon sleeve with the knee length pencil skirt. She loved the versatility of the pattern and is looking forward to getting it printed as she knows that it will be dynamite!

Here’s what Marissa had to say about her Graftons:

“I’m starting to think about sewing for the holidays and what I’d like to wear. I think the semi formal square neckline and Aline skirt dress in a semi-stable knit would be perfect for an office holiday party or as a winter wedding guest. The slightly less fitted cropped turtle neck sweater is ideal for daily wear during the holiday season including drinks with friends. I’d likely make this in a rich emerald green sweater knit. And my last dress, the balloon sleeves with a pencil skirt, would be perfect for a stylish AND comfortable NYE.”

Check out more of Marissa’s stunning makes on Instagram at @Sew_Help_Me and on her website.

Kacy’s Grafton Dresses

Four dresses with four completely different looks and sketches, Kacy’s Graftons are an array of features and fabrics. Here are the features that she chose:

• Red Dress – square neck fitted bodice + sleeveless + A-line skirt knee length. 

• Pink Dress –  Turtle neck fitted bodice + bishop sleeve +A-line maxi skirt. 

• Black Dress- Turtle neck fitted bodice + short straight sleeve + asymmetrical skirt. 

• Green Dress- scoop neck fitted bodice + circle skirt.

Here’s what she had to say about her Grafton Dresses:

“I had the red merino already in my stash and really wanted to put together a really sexy dress with it. When I saw the purple dress from the Grafton examples I knew it was exactly what I was looking for!

The pink one is more of a dreamy dress in a soft knit with lurex for a little sparkle and a slightly loose weave with nice drape, so I thought it would pair beautifully with the bishop sleeves and maxi skirt.

For the black I really wanted to do something really bold with the asymmetrical skirt as I haven’t worked with that shape before. I thought hacking the turtle neck with some cap sleeves would make a really striking silhouette. I have ordered some rib knit for a bit of extra structure to try this design out. 

And the green was inspired by a soft printed cotton lycra I thought would be lovely for an every day comfortable dress to wear.”

When it came to her sketches she played around with a drawing app on her tablet adding some extra sketching layers to MyBodyModel. She added a layer for skin, a face, two different hair options, two undergarment options and then started sketching dresses. Finally, she added some different shoes so that she could visualize how she could style the different dresses. She could click the different outfit combinations on and off much like a paper doll which was really helpful as she worked out her designs and what combinations worked best.

“I can see this being a very addictive pattern to design with and I can’t wait for a good sewing day to bring these to reality.”

Check out more of Kacy’s makes on Instagram at @KrakenKacy.

Tegan’s Grafton Dresses

With so many potential looks for Tegan’s Grafton Dresses she decided to go with a number of feature variations including a fitted bodice, lined v-neck, bishop sleeves, midi a-line skirt.

Here’s what Tegan had to say about her Grafton Dresses:

“I designed it with rayon spandex jersey in mind, I think the midi skirt and bishop sleeves would be lovely with all that drape! I see it being a fall wardrobe staple with tall boots and a cowl.

There are so many different options with the Grafton, it’s easy to come up with a wide variety of looks!  I went through several ideas before picking what I wanted to work on first, but I can definitely see myself making several variations of it.”

You can follow Tegan on Instagram at @tl_mathews.

Samantha’s Grafton Dresses

With a slew of weddings coming up, Samantha was matrimonial-minded when designing her Grafton Dresses. For her purple lace dress she chose a fitted lined bodice with darts, square neck, short fitted sleeve and A-line maxi skirt. And for her dark purple dress she went with a fitted lined bodice with darts, square neck, bishop sleeve and A-line maxi skirt with an added 1/4 circle flounce from side seam to waistline. Her sketches were drawn on an iPad using the Pret’a’template app. 

Here’s what she had to say about her Grafton Dresses:

“My designs are for weddings I have to attend next year, I wanted something formal but comfortable. For autumn a purple stretch lace over a light lining with sheer sleeves and a short lining hem to showcase the lace. 

For the winter wedding a stretch velvet in dark rich purple with sumptuous bishops sleeves.”

Check out more of Samantha’s fabulous makes on Instagram at @Samanthapopecreations.

Sheree’s Grafton Outfits

When she couldn’t pick just one, Sheree decided to go with four Grafton outfits, all designed to be mixed and matched and perfect for everyday life. These are the features that she chose for each: 1. Short sleeve turtleneck & straight midi skirt 2. Dress square neck fitted bodice, relaxed sleeve with maxi a-line skirt 3. Relaxed fit turtleneck and asymmetrical skirt 4. Short sleeve Crew neck t-shirt with a 3 panel circle skirt. 

Here’s what Sheree had to say about her Grafton Designs:

“I drew four designs because I couldn’t just pick one combination. I love how all of these pieces go together so nicely. All of the combinations I put together are perfect for my everyday life, perfect for working in a classroom and going to church. For the 3 skirts I was thinking of using a nice ponte and the 3 tops would likely be made out of a bamboo knit, nice cotton jersey or double brushed poly. For the green dress I’d love to use a nice ponte or a designer deadstock knit that I have in my stash as well. I’m definitely thinking of fall weather. 

I cannot wait to start sewing different versions of the Grafton. All of the pieces look so lovely. “

Follow along with more of Sheree’s makes on Instagram at @shereethomas30 and on her YouTube Channel.

Whitney’s Grafton Dress

With the perfect fabric already in mind and in her stash, Whitney sketched out her flirty Grafton Dress and chose a square neck bodice, bishop sleeve and straight mini skirt.

Here’s what she had to say about her dream Grafton Dress:

“I designed this dress with a Minerva French Terry fabric in mind.  I’ve had this in my stash for a while and it’s always been destined to be a dress.  The Grafton gave me the components to make up the flirty knit dress I was dreaming about!

I love the mix and match components of this pattern.  What great value for my money and with the fabulous fit I get from Cashmerette patterns!”

See more of what Whitney is sewing up on Instagram at @tomkatstitcherycarmel and on her YouTube Channel.

After perusing all of these Grafton sketches, are you inspired to create your own? What features would you use in crafting your own dream Grafton? We’d love to hear in the comments below! And make sure to check out the Grafton Dress, Top & Skirt Mix & Match Pack over at Cashmerette for more inspiration.

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