Fiona's Tips: Creating a Stunning Skating Dress with Moonray on Alicante Mesh
By FunkiFabrics, 24 June 2026
Our Moonray print has been turning heads, and Fiona has created a beautiful skating dress using two panels of the design printed on Alicante Mesh. In this edition of Fiona's Tips, she shares her approach to adapting existing patterns and working with printed stretch fabrics to create a bespoke skating costume.
This project is best suited to confident sewists who are comfortable working with Lycra fabrics and adapting patterns.
The Design
The dress was created for ice skating and features a fitted silhouette with a dramatic keyhole back. The design combines a base leotard with an overlay dress, allowing the Moonray print to flow beautifully without disrupting the overall design. Because the dress was intended for skating rather than rhythmic gymnastics, several pattern adaptations were required to achieve the desired fit and skirt shape.
What You'll Need
• Jalie Pattern 3356 (dress)
• Jalie Pattern 3138 (leotard)
• Optional: Tessa pattern for skirt guidance
• Two panels of Moonray printed on Alicante Mesh
• Plain Lycra for the base leotard
• Pattern paper
• Matching thread
• Elastic
• Bikini clip or hook fastening
For the base leotard, Fiona chose Matt Nylon MF5009 Navy. When selecting your base fabric, try draping the Moonray print over different shades to find the combination you prefer.
Adapting the Patterns
Jalie 3356 is designed for rhythmic gymnastics and has a very close fit. For this project, Fiona increased the size by two sizes to achieve a more suitable skating fit. The skirt also needed to be longer and fuller than the original pattern. Fiona used the skirt from the Tessa pattern as a starting point, although simply extending the skirt to your desired length can also work well.
One important tip is to create the front pattern piece as a full piece rather than cutting on the fold. This makes it much easier to visualise and position the print before cutting. For the back, Fiona created a large keyhole opening on both the dress and leotard patterns. However, she retained the centre back seam on the dress, which is essential for achieving a good fit.
To create the custom leotard, the upper bodice from Pattern 3356 was combined with the lower section of Pattern 3138. Fiona also adapted the neckline to create a flattering boat neck shape while ensuring the front and back shoulder seams matched perfectly.
Make a Toile First
Before cutting into your final fabrics, Fiona strongly recommends creating a toile using test fabric. This allows you to check the fit on the skater and make any necessary adjustments before committing to your Moonray print.
Planning the Print Placement
One of the most important stages of this project is deciding how the print will sit across the garment.
Lay your fabric flat on the floor and place your pattern pieces underneath. Spend time moving the pieces around and exploring different layouts.
Match the dress at the shoulders seams to the shoulders seams of the leotard, right side of dress fabric on top of right side of leotard, back and front, baste and then sew together.
Cutting Out
From your chosen Lycra, cut:
• Leotard front
• Leotard back
From the Moonray Alicante Mesh, cut:
• One dress front
• Two dress back pieces
• Two sleeves
Sewing Construction
Once your pieces are cut, construction follows a straightforward order:
Sew the centre back seam of the dress below the keyhole opening.
Attach the dress shoulders to the leotard shoulders.
Sew the side seams of the leotard.
Sew the side seams of the dress.
With the dress layered over the leotard, baste the armholes together.
Baste the neckline and keyhole edges together.
Add elastic to the neckline and keyhole before folding and finishing.
Sew the gusset seam and finish the leg openings with elastic.
Sew and insert the sleeves.
Finish the cuffs using your preferred method.
Anchor the dress to the leotard at the waist if desired.
Attach the bikini hook or clip fastening.
Finish the hem.
Fiona's Final Tip
Take your time with the print placement. The Moonray design creates incredible movement and visual impact when positioned thoughtfully, making it perfect for skating costumes where every spin, jump and glide showcases the fabric.
With careful planning and a little pattern adaptation, you can create a truly unique performance dress that looks spectacular both on and off the ice. Shop Moonray
