Here it is… my first(ish) knit dress, Vogue 8728.
I absolutely love this dress and it’s fabric oohh soo much.
I snagged this floral & stripe fabric from Emma One Sock a couple months ago for a pretty penny. I shudder to tell you that I spent $54 on this fabric… imported from Italy. Luckily, I am such a shortie and I didn’t need too much yardage – but still….It’s a lot of $$$. It’s a rayon/spandex blend fabric – very light weight but opaque so I don’t need a lining or slip with it.
As much as I wanted to sew up the Vogue 8728 dress right away, I decided to be smart about it and cut a red cotton/poly/spandex blend version first to test the fit. Well… I wore it for all of like 5 minutes, deemed it fine and cut this floral/striped version.
The only unfortunate issue of my proceeding so fast is that I should have put in some darts at the back of the neckline. Not really wanting to unpick the neckline, I just left it. It’s not too terrible anyhow and it doesn’t make me love the dress any less.
I could probably add a black belt with this, but I really didn’t see the need with all of the horizontal strips running across the bodice. Maybe I’ll add a belt come winter when I layer it up with a cardigan and tights.
I gathered the skirt like instructed, but I went and added clear elastic to the whole inner waist, using a zig zag stitch, when I attached the bodice to the skirt piece. I think this adds plenty of stabilization here for this full, drapey skirt. I also added the clear elastic to the shoulders – because I read you should do that with knits.
Check out this mad stripe matching at the side seams!
This dress was my first time using stitch witchery to glue down the hems before stitching them up. This dress wanted to curl a tiny bit at the edges, but not terribly. I thought using it would give me a nice clean finish at the hemmed areas – which it did. I don’t have any wonky or twisted hems – everything lies perfectly flat.
I also went and used my walking foot on nearly this whole dress. I had found on my first red version that I couldn’t sew the gathered yoke section to the waist without raising the presser foot every two stitches without the fabric bunching. That seam took ages!
This is one of the first dresses I own that I feel like I can throw it on & go in a vintage style, albeit a modern print.
I went and broke my own rule and wore this dress out before I blogged about it. I feel so feminine yet comfortable in this dress, both while at work and while running errands over the weekend.
While the fabric was expensive, I have no regrets about it. I’ve always loved the juxtaposition of flirty florals against the harsher backdrop of B&W stripes (or polka dots). Sadly there is no more of this fabric for you guys. :( Plus, I wish I could get myself some more for a top.
There seems to be a similar version of the fabric up on Gorgeous Fabrics. Before you get excited, it’s listed as Out of Stock… but perhaps she’s left this fabric up online since she could be getting more in. (As it’s been in the “out of stock” status for a couple weeks now instead of being removed.) If it does come back in stock, I’m very tempted to buy this one too.
This print just makes me so happy. I’m 100% happy that I decided to splurge on this fabric (on pay day) – zero regrets.
Now… I just have to make like 5 more versions of the dress and I’ll be satisfied. So far I’m loving sewing with knits. :)
In: Sewing
Just lovely!
LIZ! You look amazing in this dress! I love the print of the fabric, and I totally understand why you splurged on it! It’s beautiful. You’re killing it with knits, my friend. I’m very impressed that you so quickly picked up the torch and started running!
I luuuv this fabric so much still. I have a love affair with Floral & stripes now. heh Don’t tell Felix…
Thanks for the knit love; once I got cutting it was all downhill from there. :)
This is so cute! Love it on you!
Thanks Ms. Ginger. :)
Oh I love this! Both the pattern and the fabric are just perfect. xx
Thanks so much Tilly!
Just realizing that the last photo looks really, really similar to the second photo… Ack! Forgive me?! LoL
Fantastic, that fabric was well worth the splurge. The dress is a lovely combination of modern and easy to wear with a vintage look.
What a glorious dress! You look lovely, Liz :)
Aww thanks Sarah. :)
You look fabulous; love the shoes too. I have a similar print fabric (but woven) that I want to use for a vintage swimsuit. Still need to get around to that… I’ve made a lot of knit separates, but never a dress for some reason–might be time to remedy that as well. Love your dress!
Thanks so much Jacqui. I’ve been hunting for more floral and stripe fabric but I keep falling short of finding any. A woven in a vintage swimsuit would be sooo wonderful! You HAVE to make it. :D
The fabric is awesome, just forget about the price tag, just tell yourself it would have costed just as much in store! Like this dress even needs excuses… ;)
Anyway, I follow loads of blogs, also quilting one’s and I’ve seen some dots come by several times now, maybe that’s something for you for another knit dress? http://www.hawthornethreads.com/fabric/designer/sara_lawson/jungle_ave
And I found another, more abstract, floral/stripe: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/253820128970121103/ Seems like you kinda missed out, there were many last year… :(
It’s such a lovely dress, so it’s worth every pretty penny :) It looks woven but I can imagine how comfy it feels.
[…] of them, yet. I’d been toying with the idea for awhile, and having recently seen Liz (omg her latest dress!) and Michelle learn to sew with knits thanks to the help of unafraid Meg the Grand, I was doubly […]
Liz, this is such a perfect dress, you really have me wanting to make one (or more) of these. Maybe you should stop posting as I’m starting to get some serious sewing envy over here :) Actually you should keep making fabulousness as I find it so inspiring.
I love the floral-stripe combination and have started noticing it in some RTW fashion as well. Good job snagging up the fabric, wouldn’t you have been so sad if you decided not to buy it right away and then saw that it was sold out? Buy with your heart, not your head (my little motto).
Thanks so much Annabelle. It feels really good to be sewing & sharing again. The house project is a continuous thing but its never finished, just in a state of disarray. Having completed sewing/knitting project really make me feel better and motivated. :)
Oh wow, this dress is so lovely! And stripes and floral and such a good combo, well worth spending some extra $$$ if you really love the fabric! :)
This looks amazing, I’m so impressed it’s your first knit dress! I also just splurged on some expensive fabric that I’m going to use for my first knit dress (the Colette Myrtle). I hope mine turns out as well as yours!