Continuing my love affair with Style Arc patterns, I have tried the Twiggy Dress and I have not been disappointed. Hot off the sewing machine, I wore this to work yesterday, my first day back after the Christmas/New Year break. This was a lovely bright dress to cheer me up as my holiday came to an end.
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| Style Arc Twiggy Dress |
The pattern had a few details that I thought were unnecessary and only made the construction of the dress a little more complicated, with out really adding anything to the look. I eliminated the side zip and the button closure on the back yoke. The back yoke was cut as one piece like the front yoke and the neck opening is plenty wide enough for the dress to slip on and off quite easily.
The print caught my eye as soon as I laid eyes on it at Spotlight in Queanbeyan. It is a scuba knit and the black contrast is a ponte knit purchased from Knitwit.
I cut a size 12 which is my usual Style Arc size. I found the fit to be a little loose and I ended up running the side seams in a little to get a better fit. Next time I will take in the princess seams at the back for a little more shaping there too. The seam allowances were all top stitched down to get them to lay nice and flat. The scuba knit is quite springy and doesn't hold a press very well.
The neckline and sleeves are finished off with separate two piece, interfaced, shaped bands. Constructing the bands was probably the most fiddly and time consuming part of making the whole dress. However, they sit very well and add a nice quality finish to the dress.
The photo above shows the bands a little clearer. It is quite difficult to photograph details in black. I turned the hem up 3cm and stitched down with a twin needle as I thought this finish looked good with all the other top stitching on the dress. My mind has been racing with more colour blocking ideas for this dress, so expect to see another one in the not too distant future.
I got a few lovely compliments on my rainbow dress from my work colleagues and also one from a complete stranger I passed in the carpark at the shops. There is nothing better than that feeling, when you get to say "and I made it myself".
Wishing everyone a successful and joyful sewing year ahead.
Jean
Fabulous frock! How did you manage to score such a lovely fabric from Spotties? I must start checking out the shelves more carefully.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue. I managed to get quite a few lovely prints during that particular trip to Spotlight. I think it was just good timing, as I have been disappointed on other trips.
DeleteLove your color blocking. This dress really suits you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Beverly. I did enjoy wearing this dress, as I felt good in it.
DeleteA great way to counter back to work "blahs". This dress also reminds me that there are lots of interesting patterns in the Style Arc back catalogue, too.
ReplyDeleteNothing like a new dress to cheer you up. Thanks Paola, and yes there are some great older patterns from Style Arc too.
DeleteGreat dress, I especially love the colour and I think the black yoke makes the colour pop even more. The neckline looks a lot higher than the Style Arc drawing though, which is a good thing
ReplyDeleteThanks Kristy. I thought the same thing about the black yoke. The dress is a little different to the illustration...higher neckline and not as close fitting as shown. This seems to be a common problem with a lot of Style Arc patterns.
DeleteBeautiful dress and fabric combo and it fits so well. I hate that back to work feeling.
ReplyDeleteThank you Janine. I am very happy with the dress for all those reasons, and it did help me get over the back to work feeling.
DeleteGreat dress! Love that rainbow fabric!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Meg. I am drawn to bright prints like a moth to a flame.
DeleteI love this dress. The fabric is gorgeous and the black really shows it off!
ReplyDeleteThank you Andrea. I love it too...just planning the next one.
DeleteI really love this dress! Gorgeous colour blocking and it suits you perfectly :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely comment Hana.
DeleteI just love the title of this post - makes me smile and your dress is perfect. I'm not a big fan of vertical colour blocking so your version is all the more impressive.
ReplyDeleteI was trying to think of a way to describe the fabric and the idea of a rainbow seemed to fit well, as it has all the colours of a rainbow. I'm glad you like my dress Ruth. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteLooks great! I really like it. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Leigh for your lovely comment.
DeleteThat dress is fantastic on you Jean! Another success.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Lara. I do seem to be having quite a lot of success with Style Arc patterns lately.
DeleteVery nice- I'm a huge fan of StyleArc and have three versions of the Twiggy. It's a lovely make. I also missed out the zips- I keep the button detail, but not functionally, just for the trim.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing your reviews of the Twiggy Dress on Pattern Review. Very inspiring. I particularly love your green one with the leopard print and piping. I agree this is a great pattern. Thanks for your lovely comment.
DeleteThat is a lovely dress - the style and shape, and the beautiful colours suit you well. Scuba is a great knit because it tends to skim curves, not cling to them. And the princess lines just add a lovely subtle shape.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sarah Liz. I agree that scuba knit is great for skimming rather than clinging. It can be a bit hot for our summer, but it works fine in an air conditioned office.
DeleteBeautiful dress! And great eye, to pick out this pattern. It has clean lines and a great silhouette. Can't wait to see what else you do with the colorblocking!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ebi. I like the silhouette too...a bit of shape but not too close fitting.
DeleteGreat dress! It is similar to an easy vogue I made up but I like the more fitted style. No iron work dress for the win!
ReplyDeleteThanks Emma. No iron work dresses feature prominently in my wardrobe.
DeleteWhat a lovely dress, that fabric is awesome and I love how you paired it with the black yoke. I would totally buy this dress if I saw it in a shop!
ReplyDeleteWow! Such a lovely compliment. Thanks so much IngeMaakt.
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