Results tagged “Dresses” from Fabric.com Blog

Create Kids Couture has blessed us with another delightfully feminine sewing pattern: Allison's Ruffled Pillowcase Dress. They have put a very ruffley spin on the classic pillowcase dress. I love the details that have been added to this favorite dress pattern. A hidden elastic neckline disguised with a fabulous bow that looks like a tied neck. There is also a banded hem and oversized neck ruffle that will delight any aspiring princess. 

As always, I put my own spin on it to reflect my love of graphic fabric and bold colors combined with my little girl's love of simple dresses. While I adore the pattern as designed and would swoon to see my girl twirling around in it, getting her into it would have been like wrestling a greased pig. We don't always agree on wardrobe. I lean towards "Oh, this would be so cute on you" and her retorting "but I can run around and climb in this" or just simply "No". I decided that this pattern could fit both of our desires with a few tweaks.

First, I slimmed down the dress and made it into an A-line by taking off 8'' total off the top on both front and back pieces and then angling down to the original hem. I then lined up the armhole pattern pieces on the angle and then free-handed the remaining ½'' or so to the top.

 I cut wider bias trim (4'' wide to be exact) for the arm holes in a fluorescent yellow (remnants from my Sewing with Voile post). I also scaled down the ruffle to 3'' wide and twice the length of my new neckline. The ruffle was cut from an organic jersey knit so which is 100% cotton and has a softer drape than the quilting cotton used in the original. A small serged edge was added (just like a rolled hem I removed the finger but did not set my machine settings to rolled hem).  I also left one end of the elasticize neckline open to accommodate the loss of the extra fabric. Without this extra fabric my daughter's head would not fit in. So I left the elastic which I loved and made the faux tie useable by first running the elastic into the neck line and then pinning each end 1'' away from the edge and topstitching in lace. This left room to tuck in the raw ends and the ties (which I also made smaller with the finished ties being 10-12'' each) and topstitching in place.

Lastly, I only used one row of shirring because I had already slimmed down the dress and didn't want to make it too tight in the waist. Oh, and I also eliminated the band at the hem and made the neck edge the same material as the dress because I felt with my color choices added something else at the neck or hem would have been too much. I hope you enjoy my changes and the original whether you have a girly girl or a less ruffled girl like mine you can get the perfect pillowcase dress from one great pattern. 

Liberty of London- Just say it out loud. It just sounds like great fabric. Saying that words bring pictures of English countryside, blooming flowers, tea heavy in the air and double-decker buses. Saying the name "Liberty of London" makes me want to sew. And sew I have. I was given 2 yards of Liberty of London Lawn Pepper Green (one of our MANY gorgeous prints from Liberty of London) as soon as it arrived in our shop and told to make something great but try to keep the project small and fun. Well, that was no problem given that it is spring, almost summer. I decided on 2 projects to show the variety of Liberty. These prints are perfect for wee people as well as adults and it is perfect for warm weather.

My first project was the trickiest because I wanted a sleeveless shirt but nothing with too much detail to compete with the print of the fabric. I sorted through the Fabric.com pattern catalog but didn't find anything I loved! Well, I became sidetracked with a personal project of making new PJs for myself and found the pattern that was perfect for the Liberty of London. It is HotPatterns Cupid Cami (And it's a free pattern download!). Originally designed as a PJ top, I didn't see why with a fabric substitution it would not make the most wonderful summer top. I love being right. With some Hanky Weight Linen as my bias tape, this cami took approx 1 yard of Liberty of London (you are safe with just ordering 1 yd) and about 2-3 hours to complete (having had to make the bias tape). I did have to add darts of 4 in. long by 1 in. wide at the bust but that was my only modification. This top is easy to make and can be easily modified for a longer length; it hit right at my hips. The ties at the top are so much fun and make me feel like a kid again. I do recommend that when you sew the front to the back that you start at the bottom when matching up the sides. If you start at the top, it will not match up once you get to the bottom. Once you sew the seam, it will all work out.

My second project also took approx 1 yd and came from Heather Ross Weekend Sewing. I have made the Flower Girl before and know it runs a little small so I made the size 4 for my 2 yr old; I want her to have it for several summers. This print really brought out something in this pattern that the other dress did not have. The Liberty of London print sort of 'fits' this pattern like no other fabric. The Flower Girl dress also went to together super quick, 2 hours or so. I cut my skirt length to 20 in. to make it longer like in the book photograph. The other modifications were to topstitch the gathers in place once I had pressed the bodice seam towards the skirt and I made the straps a bit wider at 1.5 in. I think even a bit wider than that would still look great. You could even get away with some flat piping where the bodice and skirt meet. You could not ask for a better combination of dress and print for little girls.

The flow and drape of the Liberty of London Lawn is light and delicate with an airiness that will be most welcome come the balmy days of summer. The print reminds me of my childhood, of picnics and climbing trees. You can't beat the soft hand or bright colors; this is a fabric that needs to be in your closet. 

Infinity dresses are everywhere these days; a call back from their heyday in the 1970's. And why not! They are classics and modern perfectly combined because you can wear them to suit your style, event or mood. Couple that with Fabric.com's amazing selection of dreamy Stretch ITY knits and your infinity dress can be in a rainbow of colors or lengths (Mine is in turquoise). The infinity dress is perfect for holiday weekends or destination weddings because it is wrinkle free and ready to wear in seconds.

There are many different versions in stores these days but some lacked pizzazz or included too much pizzazz. I originally fell in love with the original on Rostitchery's blog but I had trouble with cutting the circle skirt. Rowena of Rostitchery wrote another version with some great additions for Threads Quick Stuff to Sew that included an easier version of the circle skirt and a small elastic casing (among other great tips) but I still didn't want to deal with Pi or a circle skirt so I developed my own work around : a gathered skirt. What I really loved about the gathered skirt- besides not cutting out a circle- is the ease of hemming, no round hems here! Here's how to make an infinity dress like mine.

Materials:

4 yds of ITY Knit

Coordinating thread

1 yd of ½ in. elastic

Measuring tapes of various mediums (seamstress, carpenter's and a solid ruler)

*Always use a narrow zig-zag stitch unless otherwise noted

Measure out your 2 straps which will be 1.5 times your height. I am 5'7" so I rounded to 8ft long for my straps. The width is roughly from your breast bone to under your arm. I measured  11 in. So I cut 2 straps 8 ft long and 11 in. wide. The skirt piece is double your natural waist (mine is 28 in. so I cut mine to 60 in. to make it easy) for the width by however long you want your dress to be. I decided on a  36 in. length and it hits right at my ankle (perfect for dancing). The casing piece is your waist plus 2 in by 2.5 in.

With right sides together sew up the side seam of the skirt piece. Baste 2 lines of stitches along the top and pull the bobbin thread to gather up the skirt until it equals your waist measurement. Stitch the gathers in place. With right sides facing, pin your straps onto your skirt with the seam in the back, fold your casing widthwise and pin to your skirt over the straps, overlapping the ends by 1-2 in. Stitch all these layers in place. Insert your elastic into your casing, making sure not to twist and then stitch the ends of your elastic together and then close and stitch your casing ends (I just tucked one end into the other and stitched over top of the ends. Voila you are done.

Now there are tons of videos on how to wear and wrap infinity dresses on YouTube. But there are also many ways to fancy up your dress as well. You can add a simple ruffle like my Michael Miller Knit post or add many ruffles to your skirt. You can make your dress in white and dye it in an ombre design. You can make your skirt and straps to coordinate but not match. Some designs even feature a built in tube top (just an extension of the waist casing) or a separate tube top for extras modesty or with a built in bra. The possibilities are endless but this is the PERFECT summer dress!

Being a Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross Addict ("Hello, my name is Tara and I am addicted to Weekend Sewing...") and having made the Smocked Dress for my little girl I was over the moon when I stumbled across this hidden gem on the web. The Heather Ross Mendocino Sundress is almost an urban legend with many whispers concerning its existence but few have seen it. There are breadcrumbs to broken links throughout the internet but I have found the direct link and thus made the dress. AND... IT... IS... AMAZING. First, this dress is super fast. You can make it in an afternoon. There are 4 pieces to cut (6 if you want straps) and with the elastic thread the smocking is a piece of cake.

Now for the mods (modifications for you newbies): first, I selected the uber beautiful and dreamy Valori Wells Jenaveve Linen Blend fabric in Pebbles Merlot. Let me mention that this is a cheerful reddish/coral print perfect for spring and summer. This linen (and even more specifically this print) is perfectly paired with this dress. I was more excited to be finished at each stage of construction. There are pockets, glorious pockets! But the pockets that come with the pattern are HUGE so I used the pockets from this dress but you can always just reduce the size of the Mendocino pockets but 10-20% on your copier or at your local copy place. I placed my pockets at 14 in. where the pattern recommends anywhere between 14-18 in. I guess my arms are a little short. I also smocked 8.5 in. where the pattern recommends 6-8 in. I am on the busty side so I wanted to make sure that I was 1) covered and 2) there was some smocking below the bust to nip in the waist a bit to lend a slimmer line. If the dress just goes from bust to billowy bottom then I tend to look bigger than I am. That is why I prefer to make my own smocked dresses and tunics. The store bought dresses/tops do not have enough smocking and it ends up looking frumpy. I also made my straps longer so I could add the cute bow that the little girl Smocked Dress has. I cut 4 strips of 2 by 15 in. The length is just right plus I can tuck them in should I want to go strapless. The hem is a double turned 1.5 in. but I want to make it much shorter so that it sits right at the knee which means I will need to cut off 3-4 in.   

Materials:

Heather Ross Mendocino Sundress Pattern

2 yds of Valori Wells Jenaveve Linen Blend 

1 Spool of Elastic Thread

1 Spool of All Purpose Thread

Conclusion: I adore this dress. Heather mentions that this dress offers enough support for you to go braless and I did try it. In the future, I will opt for the bra just because I feel more comfortable with it than without. It does offer great support but I would only recommend it for those A & B cups. You can also just do 2 straps and wear it as a halter neck. Another version would be to cut it very short to wear as a tunic and then you can tuck in the straps to wear as a skirt as well. This is a great standard sundress with lots of possibility. Sexy and casual it can adapt to your days and events as needed. This is a MUST MAKE Dress!  

Fabric: Michael Miller Interlock Knit Ta Dot Apple

Pattern: Simplicity 2443 Cynthia Rowley

I have had my eye on Michael Miller's Interlock Knits Prints for quite some time now but I put off purchasing it for the simple reason that I had already labeled them as "kid prints". Thus without any conscious thought I had mentally removed it from my list and thus out of my shopping cart. But when I needed project ideas for this month's blog theme of "Spring Wardrobe", I gave it a second look and decided that I would help remove the stigma of "Kid Print" from these great, modern knit prints and show their glam/adult side.

Let me start out with a monologue on how gorgeous and totally awesome this fabric is. I have not been this excited while making a dress since Serendipity Monique Dress (and if you will remember this dress gave me a challenge); this dress is even better. The reason I rank this dress so high is because that it is knit. Knit = Fantastic. First, the interlock doesn't curl so it is easy to work with. Second, the print is just plain fun. The polka dot oval shape gave some definition to the waist band which was cut on the stretch. It doesn't just blend in anymore. Third, the fabric is just SOFT and gets softer with a wash or 2. The stretch is just right for this dress and adds more comfort than you would expect from such a tailored dress. I highly recommend an interlock knit for this, or really any spring knit dress pattern.

Now to the modifications that really make the dress super fun.  The pattern calls for gathers around the waist but I wanted to add more structure and tailoring to counteract the whimsical nature of the fabric pattern so I opted for pleating around the waistline and it turned out even more fab than I was counting on. To make the pleats I folded each skirt piece in half widthwise and marked the center. I then marked out from the center at 1 in. increments to the edges. Working from the center, take your third mark and fold it toward the center, matching it up with your center mark and pin. This makes one pleat. Repeat for the other side of the center and all the way down toward the edges till you have reached the same measurements as your waist band (I spaced my pleats out 1 in.). I made six 1 in. box pleats and two ½ in. box pleats on each skirt piece to make my skirt pieces match the 15 ½ in. of each waist band piece. I added my ½ in. box pleats on the edges to make up for the difference. I also added a very simple and tailored ruffle at the bottom. It adds some definition to the skirt without drawing too much attention to one area and keeps the dress more tailored and sophisticated than the original pattern. To make this simple ruffle, use the same width measurements as your skirt pieces by 4 in. Mine were 31 by 4 in. pieces. Cut 2 and stitch together at the sides using the same instructions as the skirt pieces and set aside. On your skirt pieces mark a line all the way across the front of your fabric with a washable marker 5 in. above your hem line (or if you are leaving it un-hemmed like me: 5 in. above the bottom). Line up and pin the top of your ruffle with this line and stitch in place using a ¼ to ½ in. seam. Your ruffle will fray just slightly with a few washes and add some texture to your ruffle.

Now for the recommendations: I omitted the pockets in this dress to give it a sleeker look but I will go back and add them just because I love them so much in my previous versions and the pockets don't add that much bulk to justify leaving them out. I did use an invisible zipper but there is enough stretch to opt out of this as well.

I added darts to my bodice bands just under the arms to accommodate gapping due to a larger bust line. The illustration is below to make your own. My darts were ½ in.

I shortened the straps by ½ in. on each piece for a total of 1 in. shorter straps for a bit more modesty since I will be wearing this whilst carrying a 2 yr old and bending over.

This pattern can be tricky when stitching the bands to the bodice but if you clip into the bands around the curves while pinning it makes it a lot easier. I clipped about every ¼ to ½ in around the curves. Sometimes you will have to rip back and re-sew; the dress is such a wardrobe staple that an extra 30 min is worth the time investment. Oh and one last tip: Wash this fabric at least twice. Don't just do it once. Mine shrunk a bit more after the second wash.

You can see my previous versions of this dress here and here

And you can follow my projects on twitter: get sneak peeks on upcoming projects, tips and links.

April is a Spring Wardrobe themed month. I am going to feature several great pieces to add to your Spring Wardrobe that will carry you into summer and can be added to your fall wardrobe as well in layers. My favorite fabric for spring is knit. It is so swingy and flexible. Knits are light enough to layer with leggings and a jacket for brisk mornings and can be glammed up with a sleek clutch and heels for a night out. Knits are excellent travel garments as well and are not prone to wrinkle like wovens. Great knit patterns are also easier to find than ever before and Kwik Sew has many fashionable knit patterns. One of my favorites is the Kwik Sew Knit Pull-Over Dress & Tunic. It has a simple design which makes it a shoe in for easy layering and also customization. You can make several in different colors and prints to really flesh out your closet. The fit is flattering without being clingy.

I learned my lessons from my previous knit dress and measured my pattern pieces before deciding on a size. I was between a medium and a small so I went with medium because I fall on the busty side and I didn't want to have the bodice too tight. I realize now that I should have gone with the small. I didn't take the weight of my knit into account. I prefer the medium weights and this Stretch Cotton Jersey is a bit heavy but the drape is just right. There is also considerable ease in the pattern; I suppose to prevent too tight bodices should you decide on the next size down. The fit is still good and I will not alter the dress. The tank style is very flattering, with a scoop neck that accentuates without revealing. I feel very comfortable as a mom with a toddler wearing this dress around to do my mom-like tasks. I did modify the style of dress and am very pleased with how it turned out. I wanted to display how well this pattern lends itself to modification. While a stylish cut, it is also a blank slate. It reminds me a of a really great t-shirt; you can totally wear it as is and look hot but if you add some embellishments, they will look great too.

For my modifications I added a contrasting knit trim on the neckline and armhole. I also added a scallop edging to the skirt. It was really easy too since I made a hem facing. I measured the width of the skirt piece and made a rectangle 2 in. tall by the same length. Then I chose a plate about 4.5 in. in diameter (you may need one smaller or larger if you choose a different size), there was one in my daughter's tea set. I marked on the back 4 marks each indicating ¼ of the plate. I then lined up the half plate on the fold side of my scallop pattern piece and traced it. I moved the plate over so that I then traced half the plate until I came to the edge where I again traced only ¼ of the plate. Cut out the hem facing. Tape this to the bottom of your skirt pieces before you cut out the skirt and then cut 2 of on the fold from your fabric for the hem facing following the same stretch and grain indicators from the skirt pattern pieces. Sew the skirt as directed in the pattern but instead of hemming, add your hem facing. Stitch your 2 hem facings together at the sides and with right sides together, pin and stitch your hem facing to your skirt. Clip and trim around the scallops before turning and pressing. Finish by stitching your hem facing to your skirt. You can topstitch if desired. This scallop hem really adds a bit of spring to this dress in homage to tulips and Easter. Created in a light color or soft print this dress will make a great Easter dress or tunic. I recommend a jersey or interlock, something with a good bit of stretch and experiment with a muslin to get the fit just right. This is a great wardrobe builder. 

If you are in a pinch for a fabulous New Years Dress or just looking for a simple classic but easy dress to wear on the big night. Or you are a budget minded, but not less glamorous Diva looking to out-do all the 'Over-doers' then look no further. I have come up with a great modification of a simply beautiful knit dress, the Nancy Dress found in our Free Pattern Download section. You may previous have tagged this dress as a must-have for spring and summer but you are going to have to add it to your 'little black dress for all occasions' wardrobe category. Not only does this mod make the Nancy dress even better for Spring and Summer but also kicks up the wear ability for dates, dancing and enjoying the night into the wee hours. Because the Nancy dress is a knit dress you know it will be Uber comfy, will not wrinkle, super washable, packable and will swing and clingy like nobody's business while you shake your groove thing on the dance floor. But now you can add some extra style and security that strapless dress cannot offer. My modification is a simple an extra wide, one shoulder, gathered strap that really matches what is hot on the runways this fall. The best part is you don't need to purchase extra fabric to add this detail. You can find it in your scrapes from making the original Nancy dress. Here's the low down

Make your Nancy Dress according to the instructions. Once complete, cut a 6 in. by 19 in. strap from your remaining fabric. With right sides facing pin one end of the strap rectangle to the front of your dress on the side that you would like to have your strap, 1 in. in from the side seam. I put mine on the same side as fullest side of my hair (you ladies know what I mean) that way I could wear a chic barrette to keep that side of my hair back and show off my strap detail. With a ¼ in. seam allowance, stitch your strap on the front, back stitching at both ends. Now, on the back of your dress pin your strap (right sides facing) to the opposite side of the dress and stitch in place. Now mark the center of the strap and using a basting stitch, sew across that line. Gather your strap and secure with a regular stitch. This will add gathers on your strap which you can leave as is or highlight with a ribbon or pin. Your new fabulous Nancy Dress is done and ready for New Year's Eve Parties. You can be sexy and confident that your dress will stay put and you will look amazing all night long.

Check out our Designer Knits too!

You can follow us on Twitter! Get the scoop on Fabric.com Deals by following @fabricdotcom
or you can get the inside scoop on my projects, see their progress and get extra tips and tricks by following me @tdangermiller