Here’s three rad reasons to sew your own dress this spring. One: making your own dress is a super-satisfying way of showcasing your personal style. Two: you get to say “I made it!” when all your friends and acquaintances ooh and aah over your outfit. Three: you can wear your handmade dress for a good cause!

And there’s no better time to break out your stitching skills than Frocktober, a month-long fundraiser for our pals at the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF). Every October, the OCRF asks folks of all genders and backgrounds to frock up to raise money for vital research into ovarian cancer – the most lethal and least understood reproductive cancer which is critically underfunded. Sadly, we lose one Australian every eight hours to the disease.

But you can help change that by saying “Frock Ovarian Cancer” and registering for this year’s Frocktober campaign, where you commit to wearing a dress for a day (think ‘Frocking Fabulous Fridays’ in the office), week or the whole month of October. Every dollar raised is donated directly to life-saving ovarian cancer research. Huzzah!

If you’re keen to make your own frock, we’ve pulled together a few of our favourite dress patterns from around the sewing world this year. That way, you can celebrate Frocktober in a handmade garm that’s totally unique to you. So, prep your fabric, fire up your sewing machine and get ready to frock up for a good cause.

THE FANCIEST FROCK (Bow Patchwork Elysia Dress by ROBERTS | WOOD)
If you tend to think of “patchwork” clothing as being cozy, casual and cheerfully folksy (Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors, etc.), prepare to be wowed by ROBERTS | WOOD’s utterly dreamy patchwork sewing patterns. The custom design label has started releasing sewing patterns, like the swishy, ultra-romantic Elysia Dress, designed to help you use excess fabric to make elevated patchwork garms. This pattern’s a bit exxy, but you’ll wind up with a very special heirloom frock.

THE GREENEST FROCK (Zero-Waste Tier Dress by Birgitta Helmersson)
Looking for an environmentally friendly Frocktober get-up? Swedish designer Birgitta Helmersson is a wizard of the zero-waste sewing pattern (her ZW Gather Dress is a huge favourite), which means there’s no pattern printing and little to no fabric waste. This year she released the remarkably detailed and customisable ZW Tier Dress, which comes in sleeved or sleeveless options.

THE CUTEST FROCK (Bubble Frock by Lydia Naomi)
This adorable empire-waist dress was a massive hit with sewists this year, and it’s perfect for Frockers aiming for a baby-doll Bridgerton aesthetic. Designed by Canadian pattern-maker Lydia Naomi, the Bubble Frock has skinny straps and a scalloped bodice.

THE PUFFIEST FROCK (Cloud Dress by Sewing Patterns by Masin)
Do you like your frocks to be roomy and floofy — like, say, a cloud? Float on over to Sewing Patterns by Masin (a Swiss pattern designer who used to live in Melbourne) to check out her Cloud Dress, a versatile, beginner-friendly design that can be shortened or lengthened by adding tiers.

THE DRAPIEST FROCK (Gatherer Dress by Jacqueline Cieslak)
Swan about the room at your next Frocktober event in a dress that exudes effortless glamour — that’s bound to happen when you drape a whopping 4 or 5 metres of fabric about your person. The full and drapey Gatherer dress was designed by California fibre artist Jacqueline Cieslak, who creates inclusive and accessible knitting and sewing patterns.

THE EASIEST FROCK (Oona Dress by Sew Over It)
Three big cheers to British patternmakers Sew Over It for creating a true beginner’s dress pattern that’s not a boxy shift (though we do love those, too)! The Oona Dress has two wide straps, optional pockets and is fitted around the waist with ties or elastic.

THE TWANG-IEST FROCK (Ramona Noon Dress by Spaghetti Western Sewing)
Yeehaw, it’s the Frocktober dress of your country-western dreams! Spaghetti Western Sewing made the Ramona Noon Dress with western design details and vintage nightwear in mind. Think Laura Ingalls Wilder by way of the Texas honkey-tonk. Add extra ruffles to the sleeves and yoke to make it even more rootin-tootin’, if ya fancy.

And how’s this? The delightful folk at The Fabric Store are offering a 20% discount on full-priced fabric for your Frocktober projects. Just apply the code FROCKCANCER at the checkout, or show Frocktober registration in-store (discount up until October 31, 2023).

This mighty helpful list was created in partnership with the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, Australia’s leading non-government funder of ovarian cancer research. This October, they’re calling on one thousand people to save one thousand lives by frocking up to raise much-needed funds for early detection, treatment and prevention for ovarian cancer. Pop over to the Frocktober website to learn more and to register for #Frocktober2023 and say #FrockOvarianCancer!