Red & White Stripe Nautical Knit Dress

A magazine came sometime this past month and inside I found inspiration for a nautical type dress.  Red and white stripe knit with a rope type belt.  I looked for the magazine once I found fabric to make the dress but I have no idea where I put it!  So here's my version.

I used my tried-n-true knit dress pattern with the elastic waist.  I added sleeves and hemmed the skirt to hit right below my knee.  I added elastic at the waist but used rope for the ends to that you can tie or knot the rope.

Red white stripe knit nautical dress-Rope knot front

Red white stripe knit nautical dress-Rope tie front

I tried my hand at making a neck band in place of just turning and hemming the neckline.  I measured my dress' neck circumference and made my neck band 75% of the measured length and 3" wide.  It was easy and quick.  I think it turned out great!


Red white stripe knit nautical dress-Neck band view



Red white stripe knit nautical dress-side view

 The sleeves were serged then turned and hemmed.  Pretty and easy!



Red white stripe knit nautical dress-sleeve view



Red white stripe knit nautical dress-back view

I am pleased with the outcome of this dress.  Dear Hubby said it looks like a candy cane!  So now it's a two season dress!!!!!

I purchased the New Look 6104 dress pattern and I am excited to get started on it.  It has been a while since I've sewn a woven pattern, I'm a little nervous.   The use of only 3 yards of fabric caught my eye and the shape of the dress is one of my favorites.  I'm a little hesitant about the button front, being a curvy and button up front can get interesting............



New Look 6104 Dress Pattern

Until next time...........................

Bonnie

McCall's 6074 Knit Pajama Dress M6074

This McCall's 6074 pattern caught my eye last month on Etsy.  It only had three pieces and looked fast to sew up.  I used a 18 top and graded out to a 22 at the hips.  The fit is great, I could have used a straight 18 and it would have been fine.

I did use my faithful knit sleeve pattern so I didn't have to finish the armhole edge.  I made a dress way back and really liked the sleeve & armhole fit so I copied it onto my brown kraft paper and I just use the patterns in place on any knit pattern I want to have that sleeve.  Easy and I know it will fit!

McCall's 6074 M6074 Knit Dress Pattern

McCall's 6074 M6074 Knit Pajamas

The pattern directions have you turn under the seam allowances on the neck edge and stitch, I made a neck band so that it looked a little more like a knit shirt.  I surged the sleeve hem and the bottom hem and left them un-turned.  Since this is only a pair of pajamas to sleep in it really didn't matter. 

The dress if very comfy and I will make another one soon.

I am looking to make a nautical theme dress in red and white stripe with a rope waist tie. 

Until next time................


Bonnie

Muse Natalie Animal Jersey Knit Dress

I did it again!  I made another Muse Natalie dress, this time in an animal print jersey knit fabric.  It's so light and comfy it's almost like wearing my pajamas.  I love the colors of the animal print, I can dress it up or dress it down. I'm thinking it's going to get a lot of wear this summer.



Muse Natalie Animal Jersey Knit Dress



Muse Natalie Animal Jersey Knit Dress-Bust View

Muse Natalie Animal Jersey Knit Dress-Back View



Muse Natalie Animal Jersey Knit Dress-side view



Muse Natalie Animal Jersey Knit Dress

I've laid out two patterns for knit fabric that I am going to try, It's hard to change from a pattern that I love to one that I know nothing about.  I also was gifted two yards of a red and white stripe fabric that is calling out to me for a nautical type dress! 

Wish me luck for a little change in dress pattern!

Bonnie

Color Block Princess Seam Dress

Well, Hello Again!  It's funny how life gets in the way of sewing sometimes.  It seems like when things happen in life, sewing is the first thing that gets pushed aside. 

We've had well troubles.  Our well collapsed a few weeks ago.  We started getting rocks and debris coming out of the faucets!  Messing up the dishwasher, unable to use any faucet in the house for a few days makes you really thankful we have a large pool out our back door!  We were able to hook up to an old well we had on the property but the water isn't so good.  It taste like a rusty penny!  We gave it a week or two thinking it would clear things up but no luck.  We have had to get a whole house water system just to be able to drink water from the spigot.  The good news in all of this is that I can now do laundry, drink water from the faucet and wash my hair!

Since sewing has been pushed aside for so long I thought an easy project was in order.  I forgot to mention that I tried to make a dress for Easter but it was a hot mess!  With my confidence wavering from that wadder, I decided that a tried-and-true was what my sewing mojo needed.

I made my usual princess seam dress from a ponte knit fabric but I thought that a little color block would be fun.  I really like the dress, hopefully it will get a lot of wear to church.



Color Block Ponte Knit Princess Seam Dress

Color Block Ponte Knit Princess Seam Dress-Back View



Color Block Ponte Knit Princess Seam Dress-Side View

I bought a new twin stretch needle and set up my cheapo sewing machine for it.  Believe it or not it did a WONDERFUL job!  Maybe it was the needle, or the fabric, or just a glimmer of my sewing mojo shining!


Color Block Ponte Knit Princess Seam Dress-Twin Needle Neckline


  Inside of sleeve with the twin needle.  Looks almost like a pro did it!

Color Block Ponte Knit Princess Seam Dress-Twin Needle Inside



Color Block Ponte Knit Princess Seam Dress

This dress was a steal again!  Only $11.78!  That makes me smile!

Color Block Ponte Knit Princess Seam Dress $11.78

 I've had my fabric all sorted by color and now I realize I don't like my knits with my other fabrics.  Since I have so many knit fabric pieces I thought that maybe I would resort them into knit types.  Ponte knits, jersey knits and ITY knits.  I need more storage cubes to fold these into since I've had to roll the pieces into a box.  Now I can't see all my beautiful fabric!

Knit Fabric Sort

   I'm thinking of making another Muse Natalie Dress.  My favorite pattern, have I told you?  It's an easy pattern for a quick dress in no time.

Until next time..........................

Bonnie

Muse Natalie Tropical Print Dress

Have I ever told you I love the Muse Natalie Dress Pattern?  I had two yards of this ITY polyester like knit tropical print fabric that has been screaming to me!

I think I have a new favorite dress!  Comfy, goes with anything.  I'm ready for summer!




Muse Natalie Tropical Print Dress



Muse Natalie Tropical Print Dress-Bust



Muse Natalie Tropical Print Dress-Back View



Muse Natalie Tropical Print ITY Knit Dress

Dress for $8.00!

I am thinking I need to start working on my next project, Easter Dresses!  I'm so excited!



Easter Inspiration Fabric Choice

Until next time...................

Bonnie

Chevron Jersey Knit is NOT my friend!

I've recently purchased 5 yards of a multi-colored chevron print tissue like jersey knit fabric from www.fabric.com.  Let's just say that I now know why this fabric was on the clearance rack!

I love the color of the chevron print. I also thought that this thin fabric would make a nice dress for the hot humid summer weather we have here in h-o-t Florida! 



Chevron Jersey Knit Dress



Chevron Jersey Knit Dress-Wonky Lines

Every time I touched this fabric it would grow.  Stretch out, get all wonky, making me crazy.  I did my best to line up the chevron lines when I cut the fabric out.  But as you can see, it was not good.  If you tilt your head a little to the left, it looks ok......


Once I finished the neck line, it was so stretched out that it looked ridiculous.  I remembered a tutorial I saw a few months back in which to add a piece of elastic between the stitch lines to gather the neck a little.  I had used steam a seam 2 hem tape to fold over the neck edge making inserting elastic impossible.  I just folded over the neck edge again and inserted the elastic into the casing that I made.  Great idea I thought.  I tried on the dress and adjusted the elastic, sewed it together, then closed up the casing seam, tried it on again, and it's almost a choker!


Chevron Jersey Knit Dress



Chevron Jersey Knit Dress-Neckline

Besides the elastic around my throat, I let the dress hang for a day to stretch some more so that I could hem it.  Not too bad. 

My biggest problem with this whole mess of a chevron is that I really like the feel of the fabric, but the slanted zig zags drive me C-R-A-Z-Y! 

I think I might have to make another Muse Natalie dress to get my mojo going again!

Until next time.................

Bonnie

Floral Muse Natalie Dress 4th version

I really can't get enough of the Muse Natalie Dress pattern.  I was given 2-1/4 yards of a medium weight knit fabric from my church lady friend.  The fabric had a one way design with the flowers grouped into rows every 24"  I wasn't sure if it would work but the Muse Natalie dress pattern only has a few pieces so moving it around to where I thought the flower placement was needed turned out to be easier than what I thought.

Floral Muse Natalie Dress

 I have to keep reminding myself that the seam allowances are only 1cm.



1 cm seam allowances

 Gathering at the bust and skirt. Keeping the gathering stitches within the 1cm seam allowance. 



Gathering at the bust and skirt



Flower placement Muse Natalie Dress

The dress sewed up great!  I love the easy of assembly.  I looks like it takes a lot of time and fussing, but it just sews together like a dream.

I like the placement of the flowers on this version, it makes my waist look small.  I need all the help I can get in the waist, butt, thigh area.

This fabric seems to want to poof out at the stomach for some reason.  I am hoping that washing the fabric again, will softened the fabric, making it want to hang better. 


Fabric poof at stomach?

 


Floral Muse Natalie Dress



Floral Muse Natalie Dress-Back View

 Gertie, my dress form is closed to the smallest setting and my dresses are having a hard time getting on her!  I'm glad for that, but I'm between dress form sizes so I'm just going to have to make do.

Floral Muse Natalie Dress Bust View

 I have a tropical ITY knit that I think will make another great version. Maybe a sleeveless version and adding length to the hem about 2". Something for summer, cool and light.

Our dishwasher hit the dust last weekend.  I'm deciding on what model to get.  The last one only lasted 5 years.  We do use it A LOT.  At least once a day and on weekends, twice a day.  I'm just having trouble bringing myself to pay $700 for a nicer one.

Until next time.......................

Bonnie