My unofficial knit month continues, this time with an incredibly comfortable “frankendress”! The top half is KnipMode April 2008 #13 (still available to buy from Naaipatronen, fyi), which you should remember from when I made it before in blue for myself and then again for my mom:
I absolutely love my top, and I often find myself in my wardrobe late at night picking out clothes for the next day, holding that shirt and asking myself “wait – did I already wear it this week?”. I just knew I had to turn this pattern into a dress to get even more wear out of it, so I searched my back issues of Burda WOF magazines and found a great knit dress to use for the bottom half: Burda WOF 05/05 #125.
I sat down with the two patterns and sketched out a combined technical drawing and then started thinking about my plan of attack to serge this all together, keeping in mind that it’s a lot easier to construct flat seams than in the round… I didn’t follow my plan exactly, but I did stick to the basic idea, and I’d definitely do it this way again.
(Let’s hear it for James, eh? He’s really outdone himself with this photoshoot in my opinion…)
It’s a little hard to see the print in the dappled sunshine above, but the fabric is a fabulous green and white chestnut print lycra jersey from Crybaby’s Boutique (you can see a swatch of the fabric in my summer sewing plans). They also stocked a brown and slate blue colourway of this print back when I bought this, and now I’m really kicking myself for not grabbing that, too. Then I could’ve had summer and winter versions of this dress!
It took a few bouts of pinning and basting to get the waist seam placed at the most flattering point for me, but I think I tackled it in the end, especially getting the “V” shaped seam in the front to lie nicely. I’ve since worn this dress to work (and then to an impromptu launch party at swanky Shoreditch House, where I got a “you look summery!” compliment), and then to a family barbecue where the sun even managed to come out for the occasion.
The lycra jersey is just so comfortable and the cut feels so flattering on that I’m really finding this version just as irresistible as the top. Now I only wish we were going on holiday this year so I could unfurl this, wrinkle-free, from my case in some foreign land! This dress just screams to be taken out and picnicked in…
I’m still clearing my backlog of posts this week, so there’s plenty more in store. And big thanks to Stacy for naming me an “Excellent Blog”! I’m not really into the meme stuff, but I still blush at compliments…