Vogue 8138 – Three Hour Dress

Vogue 8138

Vogue 8138

Pattern: Vogue 8138 (OOP), View C
Fabric: Matte jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics
Size: 10 graded to a 12, with fit modifications

Cardigan: INC
Lipstick: NARS Manhunt

This dress sprung from an idea one night on a train ride home from work.  I work in retail, and on that particular day I was in my dress department for most of the day – organizing racks, putting out new merchandise, etc.  So while I was sitting on the train, listening to my iPod, I kept thinking about all of the cute spring dresses I was playing with all day and how I really wanted a new dress to wear.  As in, to wear to work.  Tomorrow.  Hmmm….

I ordered a swirly matte jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics a few weeks prior and couldn’t remember what I bought it for – it was probably one of those “ooo I want to put that in my shopping cart!” kind of purchases.  One thing I’ve learned about sewing with knits is that simplicity is key: a busy print like this doesn’t demand a complicated garment design.  It seemed like a simple pull-over dress would be the right choice, and lucky enough, I had a basic pattern in my collection.

For some reason, I felt it necessary to post on Facebook, ” I’m crazy…sewing a dress tonight to wear to work tomorrow. ”  And of course, the follow-up comments were “can’t wait to see!” and “pics plz.”  So it was on!  People knew and there was no turning back!  

Vogue 8138
Honestly, I can’t remember a time I made something this quickly, and I really think I am the world’s slowest stitcher.  The dress is only a two piece tank dress with four seams total: the side seams and shoulder seams.  I think the most time consuming part was fitting the dress since my typical cutting mods (10 graded out to a 12 from waist to hip) ended up fitting too loosely, or at least, not how I wanted this dress to fit.  I pulled it on, pinned it how I wanted it to fit, and marked stitching lines to take it in.  I probably ended up making the top a size 8 and the skirt a size 10 based on how much I took the dress in, but I’m not certain.
So yes, I pulled it off and wore this to work the following day!  It was slightly not in dress code (I’m supposed to wear mostly black), but I think I sneaked by because when asked about what I was wearing, I told everyone that I whipped the dress up the previous evening – that was enough to distract from the fact that really, I was out of dress code.  A little.  Maybe.
This pattern has been hanging out in my stash since 2008 when I first sewed the failed convertible cardigan, a very popular cardigan at the time.  It’s nice to go back and resurrect a pattern that didn’t work the first time, kind of like what I did for my Vogue 1020 pattern.  Sometimes patterns are worth a second shot, especially if it’s a wardrobe pattern with multiple basic garment options.  I can definitely see making this dress again in the summer with a bright floral fabric, or maybe altering the neckline and coming up with an entirely new design.  This dud is now a keeper.

Vogue 8138
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4 Comments

  1. March 13, 2012 / 7:29 pm

    This came out adorable! I love the pairing with the cardi and leggings, and I really like the combo of simple silhouette and active fabric design. I've been wanting to sew more clothes this year – I need to dive into your past pattern reviews!

    • March 14, 2012 / 1:47 am

      Thank you so much, Diane! Knits are my absolute favorite to sew with and I highly recommend them. Plus, when sewing with prints, the end result looks much more impressive IMO, especially with a simple silhouette. Best of luck on sewing a wardrobe this year!

  2. March 14, 2012 / 10:34 am

    Lovely dress and nice pictures! I need also cute spring dresses! Winter is ending!

  3. March 15, 2012 / 9:01 am

    Love the way you have paired the cardi with the leggings, really compliments the busy fabric in the dress. Fabulous.

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