Style Arc Mary Shift Dress in a Jacquard Knit

Style Arc Mary Shift Dress

My version of the Style Arc Mary Shift Dress did not go quite as I had planned...all my own fault. Apparently, when working with a fabric where either side can be the right side, you do need to focus and apply a certain amount of concentration as each construction step is executed. I originally planned to have black sleeves (using the reverse side of the fabric) which would have highlighted the raglan sleeve design, but I only realised my error when I went to press the raglan seams which I had already overlocked. The prospect of unpicking all those stitches in a knit was just too much so I went with a design change, mid project.

Style Arc Mary Shift Dress

I also disregarded the suggested fabrics of silk, rayon, crepe or lace and used this lovely Knitwit Integrity Jacquard Knit. This fabric is so lovely to wear. It is a double knit with a lovely drape, but not as much body as a ponte. It also has a lovely quality feel about it too. Due to my fabric choice, the dress turned out very roomy and I ended up running in the side seams, including the sleeves to achieve a nicer fit. This has added to the A line shape of the dress too.

I do love the nice fit around the shoulders in this pattern. The darts at the top of the raglan sleeves certainly contribute to this.

The centre back seam was eliminated so I didn't have to match the print. Instead of hemming the sleeves, I added black bands to match the black trim on the pockets and the black neckline binding. I think this ties everything in together nicely.

Sorry for the blurry side shot, but this is the only photo we got of the side view. Our photo shoot in the front yard was interrupted by our neighbours calling out. It's always awkward taking blog photos when other people are watching. The design on the fabric seemed to be a little distorted, although I centred the black motifs directly down the centre front and centre back, they didn't run exactly straight horizontally.  

This made pattern matching the pockets very difficult, but I am happy with the final result.

The 4cm hem was cover stitched. I used a very helpful tip from Emma who blogs at Earnest Flagg. She suggested I use the seam guide that came with my Bernina 350PE to set the distance from the edge that I needed to position the cover stitching. This worked a treat. Thanks so much Emma for sharing that tip.

This is how I wore the dress to work, dressed up with a bright scarf. I can see this one working with tights and boots for winter too. I had a request on my last post, from DarlaB to share how I do my neckline knit bindings. I know a lot of you already know how to do this, or have your own preferred way. As I used this technique during the construction of my Mary Shift Dress and remembered to take photos I thought I would share them here.

Step 1:
Leaving one shoulder seam open (or in this case one back raglan seam) sew a line of stitching around the neckline at the position of where you want your finished neckline edge to sit. Then carefully trim fabric as close to the stitching as possible. The stitching line simply serves as a guide line for trimming the fabric.

Step 2:
Cut a strip along the stretchiest grain of your fabric for the binding. Calculate the width required by adding 2x binding depth + 2x seam allowance and maybe a smidge extra to allow for turn of cloth. Make the length a little more than the neckline edge. The excess length can be trimmed off. Press in half lengthwise. Stitch one long edge of the binding to the neckline, right sides facing each other using your desired seam allowance. Apply a slight tension to the binding when stitching...no need to stretch it.

Step 3:
Flip binding over the raw neckline edge. The crease in the binding will be the finished edge of the neckline.

Step 4:
Press seam allowances towards the binding.

Step 5:
Pin the binding so that the creased edge sits at the finished neckline edge and the binding overlaps the stitching line on the back. Stitch in the ditch from the right side to secure the back of the binding.

Step 6:
Carefully trim off the excess binding close to the stitching line. It is fine to leave this edge raw in a knit that does not unravel. This creates a nice neat and not too bulky binding.

Step 7:
Trim off any extra length of binding not required. Sew that final shoulder seam, carefully aligning the edges of the binding at the neckline. Finish off the seam allowances as usual.

Step 8:
If overlocking this seam, I thread the tails back through the stitching to leave it neat and secure. I then stitch the seam allowance down on the binding only to prevent it peaking out and looking unsightly. As you can see in my example I have done a terrible job in matching the width of the binding at the join. I think I can get away with it here as it sort of blends into the black motif pattern of the fabric. A true perfectionist would unpick and redo this but I quite honestly, couldn't be bothered.

I hope I have explained this so it makes sense.

Happy Sewing

Jean

Style Arc Mila Designer Dress

Style Arc Mila Designer Dress

This is a stylish design that is also quick and easy to sew. Style Arc's description: "Use your creativity to make this dress your own.  The flattering bodice seam allows you to colour block or use different textures to suit your individual style. This is a simple pull on dress with a slight cocoon shape that is so simple to make but will look amazing once done." I can't argue with that.

Style Arc Mila Designer Dress

If you are experiencing deja vue, you are right. I have used the left over knit from my Style Arc Rae Tunic for the bodice in my Style Arc Mila Designer Dress. The skirt is a crepe knit in a coordinating blue that I picked up from Spotlight. The colours didn't photograph exactly right and I assure you the skirt is blue and not purple as it appears in the photos.

Made up in a knit, this dress really is like wearing secret pyjamas. The subtle cocoon shape skims over the body, hiding any lumps and bumps and is just so comfortable.

I cut my usual size 12 with no alterations except for using a knit binding for the neckline instead of the facings provided. The length is a little longer than I usually wear but it got the hubby's tick of approval so I didn't shorten it.

I used my new cover stitch to finish off the hems, even changing the thread to blue for the skirt hem. I find if I position the raw edge directly under the stitching it goes all wonky because one needle is stitching through two layers of fabric plus the Bondaweb, and the other needle is only stitching through one layer of fabric. Any suggestions for how to overcome this issue would be most welcome.

I used a single knit binding on the neckline. This is fast becoming my favourite neckline finish for knits as it is less bulky than other bindings and always turns out so neat.

The trickiest part of sewing this dress is getting a nice sharp point at the centre front. I struggled to achieve this in the knit fabric as it all seemed to stretch out to a gentle curve when I sewed this seam. I imagine it would be more precise in a woven fabric. I top stitched the seam allowance up towards the bodice as this is the direction it wanted to lay. The crepe was quite heavy and this extra line of stitching gave it a little more support.

I'm pretty happy with how this dress turned out. It is a great pattern to experiment with some colour blocking too.

Happy Sewing

Jean

Vogue 8805 in Black and White

Vogue 8805

I purchased this pattern in the recent pattern sale at Spotlight and I was keen to try it out. There are loads of positive reviews on Pattern Review so I felt confident that this pattern would work out well.

Vogue 8805 Line Drawing

I made the long sleeve version with some changes. The fabrics I used were from my stash and had been purchased with other plans in mind, but have worked out well for this pattern. The black fabric is a ponte from Knitwit and the black and white print is a scuba knit from Spotlight. I decided not to follow Vogues order of construction, and construct the back and front of the dress separately so I could sew the side seams last, and adjust the fit as required.

I cut a size 16 which I did think might be a bit big but I wanted to be safe. In hindsight, I could have cut a size 14 as I had to sew 2.5cm seam allowances for the side seams. The back slit opening was eliminated by cutting the yoke on the fold and I removed 2cm from the entire neckline to ensure it would be large enough to fit over my head. I did away with the neckline facing purchased bias binding finish and used a self fabric binding instead.

When cutting out I added 5cm to the length of the lower panels. After trying the dress on during construction I felt that the proportions of the panels were wrong. The middle panels just looked too long. Lucky I had added the extra length to the lower panels, as I was able to remove them, cut 5cm from the length of the middle panels, and reattach the lower panels. The proportions looked so much better with this small change.

The seams joining the contrasting panels were top stitched to hold the seam allowances down nice and flat and add some visual interest. The bust dart worked out in the correct position without any changes. Normally bust darts are too high on my mature figure. Vera was a fabulous help with fitting this dress. She has been such a useful addition to my sewing room and the cost has been quickly forgotten.

This is how I wore the dress to work today. It has been the first real Autumn work day since our late run of summer temperatures. It won't be long before I will be wearing this dress styled with tights, boots and a scarf. Have you started sewing for the new season yet?

Happy Sewing

Style Arc Kate Dress... with some changes

I knew it wouldn't be long before I sewed the Style Arc Kate Dress again. My first version has become a firm favourite in my wardrobe and been worn at least once a week since completion.

My second version was made specifically to wear to my work Christmas Party which was being held at a fancy restaurant on the river front. I chose to stay with the 3/4 length sleeves as I knew we would be dining alfresco and it could be a little chilly on the water. There were a few changes made to the pattern for this version: I lowered the waist by 3cm and retained the extra length at the hemline. I also did away with the gathered front piece and just cut one pair from the left hand front.

This fabric was another poly/spandex knit purchased from Spotlight. It was quite lightweight and gave me a lot of grief during the sewing process. There was a lot of Bondaweb iron on adhesive used on all the hems to give  enough body for my twin needle stitching to lay flat. The print had some large darker areas and some large lighter areas and this proved a bit of a challenge to get the dark and light areas distributed evenly over the dress. I ended up with too much of the lighter area on the front, so I switched the overlap...problem fixed. You may have noticed that this version ties on the opposite side.

The neckline was lowered by 4cm at the back between the shoulder seams and then tapered to nothing at the waistline on the front. This gave the dress a more "party like" vibe as opposed to a "modest and work appropriate" vibe that the original pattern gives.

Self fabric binding was used to finish off the neckline. This time I didn't turn the binding to the inside. It gave a less bulky finish to leave the binding exposed and secure the seam allowance down with a twin needle. This gave a nice secure neckline with no gaping issues at all.

Very happy with my new party dress and I can report that I felt appropriately dressed, comfortable and feminine at my Christmas Work Party last night. I can assure you that I have not finished with this pattern yet. I have some short sleeved, work appropriate versions in the pipeline so stay tuned.

On a sad note, my Bernina 350PE died a very sudden and unexpected death, just as I was finishing this dress. There was a loud POP! and then ...nothing, no lights, no screen, no life.
It has been packed up and sent back to Bernina for repairs, hopefully covered under warranty. In the meantime, I have dug out my faithful old Bernina 1005 and dusted it off. Despite being totally neglected since the arrival of my new Bernina almost three years ago, it still sews like a dream. So the sewing will continue!


Happy Sewing

Style Arc Slip-on Suzie

Style Arc's Slip-on Suzie Dress has been on my "to sew" list for ages. I finally bought the pattern and made it up in this bright floral poly/spandex knit, a part of my recent fabric haul from Spotlight.

This is a fake wrap dress and it comes with the choice of a cap sleeve or a long sleeve, so it can be made to suit all seasons. It just slips on over your head and there are no closures which makes it nice and easy to sew.

Style Arc Slip-on Suzie

I didn't follow Style Arc's instructions exactly, or should I say "order of construction". The neckline was finished off with a strip of binding cut from the same fabric. I didn't measure it, I just stretched it slightly as I sewed it to the neckline, to ensure a snug fit and it worked. It was then turned to the inside and secured with a twin needle. I did end up stitching the front crossover point with a few hand stitches, as it wanted to pull off centre, and this fixed that problem.

The sleeves are a double layer and so don't require hemming. Style Arc instruct you to set the sleeves into the armhole after sewing the bodice side seams. I thought I knew best and went ahead and sewed the sleeves in flat. Then I sewed the side seams of the dress and the sleeves in one continuous seam. This was a disaster in this slippery, slinky fabric and I am not very proud of the result. Next time I will follow Style Arc's directions for the sleeves.

I decided to wear a narrow belt with my Slip-on Suzie today, as it seamed a little loose and shapeless without the belt, despite me running in the side seams at the waist. As I am quite rectangular and thick around the waist, this was a bit surprising.

The belt also disguised the weird pulling at the side seam from the front wrap. I found the sleeves to be quite loose and floppy, but that may be due the the drape of this poly/spandex knit. The hem was turned up 3cm and stitched with a twin needle.

Despite all my gripes, I am quite happy with how this dress looks in the photos. I wore it to work today and it was very comfortable (like secret pyjamas, so they say). I will wear this a lot over the coming summer.

Happy Sewing

A Firework Style Arc Kate Dress

The Style Arc Kate Dress has been around for quite a while and there are many lovely versions out there in blogland, which I have been admiring. I am happy to say that I have finally got around to trying the pattern and I have not been disappointed.

From the Style Arc website: "KATE DRESS: Fabulous versatile wrap dress – easy to wear, great for any occasion."
This is a perfect description for this classic style, and the pattern has met all my expectations.

Style Arc Kate Dress

This fabric was purchased recently in my binge shop at Spotlight (Queanbeyan). It's a poly/spandex knit in a very busy print called firework. I wanted to try this dress in a busy print because I was worried that all my lumps and bumps would be very obvious in a solid colour. I think the print has worked well camouflaging my problem areas, so that was a win.

The fabric requirement for this dress is 3 metres at 150cm wide. I only had a little over two metres of the firework fabric, so by using a creative cutting layout and shortening the sleeves to 3/4 length I was able to eke it out of the fabric available. I did have to cut the back piece out running in the opposite direction to the front pieces, but this is not a directional print and I don't think it is noticeable.

I tried to position the pattern pieces so that there was no unfortunate print placements and I am pretty happy with the outcome. I did make a few small changes to the design after conducting quite an extensive amount of internet research. The general consensus was that this pattern runs extremely long. I'm sure I read somewhere that Style Arc have shortened this pattern recently. I only purchased my copy recently and I only had to shorten it by 3cm. 

I was not keen on the belt tying at the back. I thought it looked a bit too young for a woman of my age. I lengthened the ties so that they would go right around me and tie at the front...a much more grown up look, in my opinion. I found the ties were positioned a little above my waistline, so next time I will lower the waistline by about 3cm. To be fair, the line drawing is quite accurate and shows the ties to be quite high and this would probably work quite well if they were tied at the back. The tucks at the waistline on the outside front piece were extremely fiddly to sew in this slippery knit and I did rather a sloppy job of it. Thank heavens for the busy print, this is not too noticeable. Next time I might try eliminating the tucks by cutting two of the under front pieces, which others have done with success.

 I absolutely love this neckline. It's quite modest and workwear appropriate and just sits beautifully. The pattern suggests sewing rubber swimwear elastic (clear elastic) to the neckline, turning over and stitching. I elected to make my own binding out of some white cotton/lycra.

I cut a strip of binding approx 5cm wide and a similar length to the neckline. I folded it in half  lengthwise and pressed. Then I overlocked the binding to the right side of the neckline (using 10mm seam allowance), stretching the binding a little as I sewed. I then cut off the excess length of binding, turned the binding over the seam allowance to the inside and secured with a twin needle. This has created a nice snug neckline with no gaping issues.

The wrap edges of the front pieces were secured with some Bondaweb Iron on Adhesive and then stitched down with a twin needle. The hem was turned up twice at 1.5cm and secured with a twin needle. I often have problems with skipped stitches when sewing poly knits, but this one behaved quite well.

Notes for next time:

• Lower waistline by 3cm.
• Lengthen waist ties to reach right around waist.
• Remove 3cm from hemline.
• Cut two left fronts (one pair) to eliminate waist tucks.
• Use binding on the neckline.

As you can probably tell, I love my new Style Arc Kate Dress. It feels so comfortable and so feminine to wear. I already have some fabric in the stash ear marked for future Kate's.

Happy Sewing