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!
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.
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!
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!
Lovely dress and nice pictures! I need also cute spring dresses! Winter is ending!
Love the way you have paired the cardi with the leggings, really compliments the busy fabric in the dress. Fabulous.