Love Notions Serenade Pattern Review: Top and Dress

The Love Notions Serenade Top and Dress* immediately caught my attention because it combines a current wrap-style silhouette with the versatility I expect from a Love Notions pattern. I made both views, but thoughtful fabric choices and a little print mixing gave me two garments that feel completely different—one playful top that will transition into my fall capsule and one easy cotton-linen dress with just enough structure.

Both versions were quick, enjoyable sewing projects, but they also gave me a chance to think through fit, fabric weight, sleeve choice, and print placement. Read on for my full Love Notions Serenade pattern review, or watch the video on YouTube to see both garments in motion.

Meet the Love Notions Serenade Top and Dress

The Love Notions Serenade* is a woven pattern with enough options to create several very different garments:

• Views: A true wrap top or a faux-wrap dress with a softly flared skirt and pockets

• Sleeves: Sleeveless, short, flutter, short puff, straight, or three-quarter-length bishop sleeve

• Closures: Side tie or button; the wrap top also uses interior snaps for security

• Construction details: Front waist darts, visible bias-bound neckline, and back elastic on the dress

• Sizes: XS–5XL with a full-bust front option

I made a size medium with the full-bust front for both garments, and it was the right size for me.

Grab the Love Notions Serenade* for 10% off when you use code SEWWHITNEY on Love Notions purchases of $8 or more.

My Print-Mixed Serenade Wrap Top

Tie-front and wrap tops are everywhere right now, and I had been saving inspiration images that mixed two plaids or paired noticeably different prints. When I saw the Serenade, I knew it would be a great pattern for trying that look.

For my top, I chose two Fableism fabrics from The French Seam: a plaid and a coordinating stripe. The contrast is obvious enough to feel intentional, but the shared colors keep the combination cohesive. I used the plaid for most of the top and brought in the stripe on one wrap front, the bishop sleeve, and the handmade bias binding and tie.

How do you mix prints without making the garment feel chaotic?

Start with a common color palette, then vary the scale or direction of the prints. Here, the shared colors connect the plaid and stripe. Repeating the stripe in the binding and tie makes the placement feel deliberate.

The front pieces, sleeves, and binding provide natural places to change fabrics. You could make the contrast bold, as I did, or use two prints from the same collection for a quieter effect. I also matched the plaid across the side seam for a clean finish.

How does the Serenade top stay closed?

Because the top is a true wrap, two small snaps secure the underlayer to the side seam allowance. I used clear snaps so they disappear into the garment. The outside layer can then be finished with either the tie or button option. Together, those closures keep the wrap secure and help prevent an unexpected wardrobe malfunction.

Fitting the Serenade Top

I made the top in a size medium with the full-bust front and did not make any fitting adjustments before sewing. Although the front fits well, the finished garment helped me identify one length adjustment I will make next time.

• Size: Medium with the full-bust front

• Adjustments for this version: None

• What I noticed: The back catches slightly at my rear and creates some gaping.

• What I will change next time: Shorten the bodice one inch at the waist so the entire top sits higher on my body.

I am 5 feet 2 inches tall with a short, high torso, and I usually make this one-inch adjustment to Love Notions bodices. I skipped it this time because the top does not have a closely defined waist, but the finished garment confirmed that I should trust my usual adjustment. When a top pools near the hip, ask whether it needs more width or is simply too long. In my case, length—not hip width—is the issue.

I still love this version and will absolutely wear it. It works now with shorts during warm early-fall weather, and I can already picture it with the wide-leg beige jeans I have planned for my fall capsule.

My Cotton-Linen Serenade Dress

For the dress, I used two coordinating prints in an ochre cotton-linen blend. The print mixing is subtler than it is on the top because the colors and motifs were designed to work together. I placed the smaller-scale print on the front bodice and back, then used the larger print for most of the skirt and the straight sleeves.

My original plan used more of the large-scale print, but narrow fabric and limited yardage required a change. Because the fabrics coordinate so closely, the smaller print across the back still looks balanced. Print mixing can solve a yardage problem while adding a design detail.

I chose the button closure for this version and sewed the button directly through the layers without adding a buttonhole. The subtle button came from my stash and blends beautifully with the ochre fabric.

The softly flared skirt has lovely movement without requiring a fluid fabric and, most importantly, it has pockets.

Choosing Fabric for the Serenade

The Serenade works with light- to medium-weight woven fabrics, including chambray, shirting, quilting cotton, linen, and cotton lawn. You could also choose a rayon challis, rayon crepe, or rayon twill for a softer, more fluid result.

Should the top and dress use the same kinds of fabric? They can, but the garment should influence your choice. A lightweight voile or lawn could be lovely for the top. For the dress, I wanted enough body and opacity to feel comfortable without a lining, so cotton-linen was a better fit.

Fabric body should also guide your sleeve choice. My cotton-linen has more structure, so a flutter or puff sleeve could have stood farther away from my body than I wanted. The straight sleeve lets the fabric hold its shape without creating extra volume. On the lighter Fableism top, the bishop sleeve has enough softness to gather nicely at the cuff.

A drapier rayon would create a softer skirt, more fluid wrap, and less structured sleeves. Applying bias binding to slippery fabric takes more patience, but it is manageable if that is the look you want.

Fitting the Serenade Dress

The dress also began with a size medium and the full-bust front. Because I already knew where Love Notions patterns typically need adjusting for my body, I made two small changes before cutting.

• Size: Medium with the full-bust front

• Swayback adjustment: Removed one-half inch at center back and blended back to the original side seam.

• Skirt length adjustment: Shortened the skirt by two inches.

• Front bodice adjustment: None

I made these changes digitally before projecting the pattern. Although I normally shorten Love Notions patterns at the waist, I left the Serenade front unchanged because its waistline sits slightly above my natural waist—not quite at an empire waist. The original front length worked well, while the swayback adjustment removed the extra length from the back. The finished dress fits exactly as I wanted, so I would make these same adjustments again.

Is the Love Notions Serenade a Quick Sewing Project?

Yes. I cut and sewed both versions in one day, and each took about the length of a favorite movie to assemble once cut. Sewing speeds vary, but this would make a satisfying weekend project.

The bias binding is probably the step that will require the most care, particularly if you choose a drapey fabric. Making your own binding takes a little extra preparation, but I think the coordinated finish is worth it—especially if you are mixing prints.

My Final Thoughts on the Serenade Pattern

The Love Notions Serenade* gave me exactly what I hoped for: a current wrap top and a comfortable dress that will both work in my real wardrobe. Its different closures, sleeve options, and top and dress views provide plenty of reasons to sew it more than once. It is also an excellent canvas for playing with contrast binding or mixing prints.

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