Pattern Mash-Up: RenVogue Dress

Pattern: Renfrew bodice/Vogue 8663 skirt
Fabric: sweater knit from Joann Fabrics
Size: Renfrew – 2; Vogue – 8

Boots – Nine West

The idea for this pattern mash-up came from Sarah’s awesome SkaterFrew dress over at Katie and Laney – the Renfrew is a great pattern that I’ve made many many times (like most sewists in the sewing blogosphere!), and I loved the fit-and-flare style of Sarah’s dress.

I can be a bit of a lazy sewist – I’ve curbed some bad habits I used to have, but I like things to be as uncomplicated as possible when it comes to certain things in my sewing.  Take PDF patterns – ugh!  I hate the idea of printing them out, taping them together, cutting them out, and then still having to cut out my fabric!  Way too much work, but I make the exception with some patterns that are truly awesome or I know are well worth the effort (hello, Grainline Studio!)  So, the idea of going through hoops to print out and assemble the Lady Skater pattern when I had a perfectly fine flared dress pattern in my stash.

This dress is so comfy and easy to wear!  I wanted it to be a little more fitted than my other Renfrew tops, and I learned from another dress I made based off of the pattern that it would look better fitted.  But the best part is that because it’s a fit-and-flare, you can eat a big lunch and no one will know! (I did that the day I wore this dress and it was awesome)

It was a little tricky getting the skirt to match up to the waist, and I had to do some adjustments off of a mock-up I made first to get it just right.  Just a little grading magic and redrafting between the two patterns and the dress was all set – had this done in about half an hour.  The waist is slightly higher than I would have liked (I wanted it more at the natural waist), but ah, live and learn.

Back view – the waist line is a teensy bit lower than in the front, oh well! 

Hemming this dress was a biotch, there was no way I could do it by myself – knit fabric on the bias?  Yuck.  I actually had to bring it home with me during Christmas vacation so my mom could help pin up the hem while I wore it.  It totally sold me on the fact that I need to get one of those nice dress forms Gertie posted about a few weeks ago… 

I ended up catch-stitching the hem by hand since there was a bit of easing that needed to be done with the skirt hem.  After some vigorous steam with my iron, you could even see the tiny hem stitches (because, you know: “it’ll steam out”).

I love this dress!  It’s perfect for wearing with boots and is great for cold snowy days, which seem to  be happening even more frequently every week in the Northeast.

Is it spring yet???