Friday 25 September 2015

Knit Dress in Black and White Stripes

I came across this lovely black and white stripe ponti on my first and only visit to The Remnant Warehouse in Sydney, way back in March. I have purchased from their online shop many times, so it was wonderful to visit the store in person and see and touch the fabrics. The staff are very friendly and helpful too. I just wish I could have spent more time there, but I had a very bored husband with me, so my visit was limited. The fabric blend is 72% Polyester, 23% Viscose and 5% Spandex.


I have been noticing lots of striped dresses in the shops so I assume they must be popular at the moment. I used the Tilly and the Buttons Coco Dress pattern as a base for my dress. This pattern is a firm favourite of mine, if you didn't already know.


I did quite a few design alterations to achieve the look I was after. The flare of the skirt was significantly reduced at the side seams to create a straighter shape.


The scoop neckline was borrowed from Sewaholic's Renfrew top (another favourite pattern).


Originally the neckband was cut with the stripes running in the opposite direction, but it was a disaster. Because the fabric didn't have quite as much stretch in that direction, it made the neckline gather up and not lie flat. I contemplated unpicking the overlocking stitches for a moment, but I then came up with a much easier fix. I simply trimmed the whole neckband and seam allowance off and started again. The neckband was re cut along the direction of the stripes and I carefully positioned it so that the neckband would show a centred black stripe. I then reattached it using a much smaller seam allowance, so as not to increase the size of the neckline too much. 


Although it is difficult to see in the photo, I added two fisheye darts to the back to provide a little shaping. The neckband and hems were all top stitched with a twin needle.


The stripe matching during the construction of this dress was quite fiddly. It involved pinning every black stripe very carefully, then basting the seam, checking for accuracy, unpicking parts and re basting, and then finally sewing the seam. I was using a walking foot too. I am a bit over sewing with stripes and can't wait for a nice easy plain fabric to sew.


These photos were taken last week in Dad and Elizabeth's garden during our visit to Wollongong. I'm loving all the spring flowers. Just wish this last blast of winter weather would go away, so I can enjoy wearing my new spring dress.


Happy Sewing


28 comments:

  1. You did an excellent job on matching the stripes and love the look with the black tights.

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    1. Thanks so much for your lovely comment Beverly. The black tights were certainly a better look than my lily white bare legs.

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  2. This dress looks really nice on you . The neckline stripe is amazing & professional !!

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    1. Thanks MaryEllen. I'm glad I went back and redid the neckline. That bit of extra effort has really paid off.

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  3. I really like this dress. I second Mary Ellen's comment about that neckline finish. I bet this becomes a firm favorite and a "go to" dress you wear often.

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    1. Thank you Nadine in NC. This is an easy dress to wear and I'm certain will become a favourite in my wardrobe.

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  4. What a great dress. I'm sure you will wear this a lot. The trouble you took with it is definitely worth it too!
    I've just spent a few days on the far south coast and saw some beautiful gardens down there. This time of year is definitely my favorite, but it could warm up a bit!

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    1. Thanks Paola. Sometimes I get impatient and just want to sew something up quickly, but when it involves stripe matching, it's never going to be quick. I'm glad I took the time to do a good job because now I will enjoy wearing it without fear of cringing at the sight of poorly matched stripes, something I see often in RTW garments.

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    1. I love it too Nakisha, and I also love your recently made striped dress. I think I prefer the shape of your neckline so I will make a mental note of that for next time. Thanks.

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  6. Wonderful job on the stripe matching and I understand why you might be over matching them! Great version of the Coco, this will be s really useful transseasonsl dress.

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    1. Thank you Sue. If it ever warms up around here I plan to get loads of wear out of it. Pouring rain and miserable weather here again today.

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  7. Perfection on the neckline and I love your beads.

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    1. Thanks Ruth. The neckline did turn out pretty good after my second attempt. I love my beads too and they add a nice splash of colour to the outfit.

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  8. Lovely Aussie-mid-season dress - the stripes definitely were worth the pinning as your matching is spot on!!! ... J

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    1. Thanks Judith. That pinning is very tedious but well worth the effort in the end.

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  9. Matching stripes are so tricky but worth it, a lovely dress. All your modifications to the pattern have worked so well, I'd call it a design by Jean.

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    1. Thanks Barbara. I don't think I can lay claim to the design, but I'm happy with my modifications. Your comment made me smile.

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  10. Fantastic job! The dress suits you beautifully :)

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    1. Thank you Hana. I appreciate your comment very much.

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  11. Stunning! All the effort was worth it...brilliant job with matching the stripes, and the neckline is the jewel of the dress. This dress is an excellent example of the work that really goes into a garment that might appear simple.

    And I can't leave without complimenting you on that pop of colour necklace. I love it!

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    1. Thank you so much Sue. Only a sewer can truly appreciate the effort required to match stripes, even for a very simple pattern. The necklace was a great find at half price, in a local dress shop. I love the way it lifts the stripes.

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  12. A very nice dress! Stripes are so useful and versatile :) Your neckline binding looks perfect to me :)

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    1. Thank you so much Carolyn. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

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  13. Re-working on the neckline paid off for this dress! I think positioning the black line in the center made it looked so neat and organized. Great dress and that extra addition to detail really paid off!

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    1. Thanks Kayla. I'm glad I made the extra effort to re do the neckline.

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  14. Stripes are everywhere and you have done a fantastic job in matching them. Great idea to save the neckline.

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    1. Thank you Sharon. I have been enjoying wearing my new stripey dress and that extra effort has paid off.

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