Using some more of the knit fabric I found in Tucson, I made myself a nice summer dress. The fabric is striped and had a bit of a 1980's retro feel to it, so I went with a pattern that matched. I choose Burdastyle 04/2013 #108.

I also wanted to make a dress for the Simple Dress Challenge for the sewing group I'm part of (Stitch Once Rip Twice).

Pattern

Burdastyle 04/2013 #108


This pattern is meant to be used with satin fabric, but I figured I would try it with a knit. 

Materials

• Knit fabric
• 1/4" elastic
• Thread

The pattern itself is nice and simple, but the knit fabric was more of a challenge then I thought it would be. The fabric is very slinky, so I was hard to make it lie flat, let alone try to match up the stripes. I must have spent 3 hours cutting out the front and back, when usually I'm super fast at cutting. Frustrating!


I'm happy with how well I got the stripes to line up at the end. I placed the large dark band at below my waist, so it falls into the background. While, the brighter stripes fall on my bust and hips and highlight those areas. Overall, it gives more of an hourglass look. 

I knew that I wouldn't need as much ease as I would if I were using satin, but I kept it a bit large anyway. I wanted it to be nice and comfortable. I cut a size 40 on top and size 42 from at the waist down (which is what my measurements are on the chart).


Alterations

I only made a few changes. I sewed the neck and arm bindings on the inside instead of on the outside. And I sew side in-seam pockets instead of front welt pockets.

I wish I had make the neck hole a little smaller. The knit fabric makes the opening larger and my bra straps pop out now and then. Not too big of a deal though. 

I also used 1/4" elastic for the waist instead of a belt. This makes the dress really easy to throw on and go.

Overall, I'm really happy with how this turned out. It's great for hot weather, which is when I like to wear dresses the most.