KnipMode 2017/08 - 19 Summerdress (Hack!)

Actually this blog should be about the #4 (and last) fruit of my sewcation back in spring, but that one is about pants-fitting and I still haven't taken the right pictures for it. I do however have pictures of other projects to show. This summerdress is one of them. 

(Pardon the blue shoes I'm wearing. They are not matching very well with the dress, but at this point my head was almost exploding with a headache and the shoes were the last thing on my mind. I don't know why I chose one of the hottest days of summer to take pictures of 4 different outfits.........)

Image from KnipMode August 2017

As you can see in the linedrawing, the original pattern  is a jumpsuit. The first time I saw it in KnipMode I was immediately drawn to the designlines. But a jumpsuit is just not for me. However, it was clear to me that I could easily hack this pattern and make a dress of it by turning the pants into a skirt. All I had to do was extend the vertical seamline of the pants at centerfront and centerback to the required skirtlength, keeping the pleats of the pants at the waistline. 

I always have a bit of trouble deciding where my waistline should be. The fabric I used is a heavier knit and I knew that the weight of the skirt would pull the waistline down. So I needed to put it higher, but since you can't tell how much it will pull it down, it's hard to estimate hów much higher. If I make this dress again in a similar fabric, I think I will put the waistpline (top of the waistpiece) about 2,5 centimeter higher. 

To give the waist some extra support (with all that weight hanging down from it), I used a double layer of fabric. First I sewed the outer waistpiece to the top. Then I sewed both outer and inner waistpiece together at the bottom, sandwiching the skirt in between, which makes for a neat finish. The top of the inner waistpiece was then handsewn onto the seamline of the top and outer waistpiece. This was a good decision, it certainly gives it a bit more structure in the waist. Using this technique involves some wrong side on right side sewing and that always messes with my head. I had to be very careful to sew everything together correctly. There's not much fun in unpicking seams in a knitfabric. 

Assembling the rest of the dress was very easy and straightforward. To finish it off I sewed a tiebelt which ideally should be much longer but I didn't have enough fabric left. (I can wear it with a storebought belt as well.) Something to keep in mind if I make this dress again. Which will absolutely happen but not any time soon. (Fall sewing, anyone?) With this dress I'm still contemplating whether or not to shorten the skirt a little. It seems quite long but on the other hand, that was the whole idea to begin with. I will probably leave it this way and maybe adjust the lenght in a next one. All in all, I consider this sewingproject a success. 

Now, what project will be next on my sewing table? I wish I knew!! Maybe it's because we are on the brink of fall but are still experiencing summer weather, that it is so hard to decide which path to choose. I guess I'll have some more planning to do.

Keep safe! Talk to you soon.

Lilian

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

My preferred way of finishing necklines and armscyes on a knit shirt

Let's start 2011 with Top 3b from KnipMode 2008-08

My (re)view on KnipMode September 2015 - The Make-over