03 August, 2014

A Striped Knit Dress - With Sparkles!



I bought this organic cotton jersey a few months back, after seeing this knit dress from Madewell (no longer available). I have been loving the combination of horizontal and vertical stripes for a while now, and there's nothing better than a looming essay on rhetorical criticism to motivate me to sew!

Warning: Despite my sad hair day, this is a pretty picture-heavy post. This dress is that awesome!


If you have been reading this blog a little while, you might recognise the bodice from my blue striped top. The unexpectedly trusty Simplicity 9427 was a pretty perfect candidate for this dress style.

I cut the size XS, stopping at the waist-line, plus taking a slice out of the center back and a decent amount from the side seams to account for stretch. As happy as I am with the result, I sort of wish I had stayed true to my inspiration and straightened the front side seams. 
Next time I guess!


All seams and top-stitching were done using a ballpoint needle and zig-zag stitch on my regular machine. I used a strip of elastic to gather the skirt pieces before attaching them to the bodice. This means that the waist seam is extra flexible when pulling the dress on and off. PJ level comfort!

The jersey is pretty lightweight, so it's going to be awesome in Summer. For now, though, it goes nicely with tights and a cardigan!


Because the fabric is so thin, I decided to line the bodice for a bit more structure and opacity. The back panel is lined with self-fabric, and was literally the only stripe-matching required for this dress! I lined the front pieces using a soft and slightly thicker cream knit from my scrap pile. 

The greatest thing about this jersey is near invisible in the above photos, so here are some gratuitous close ups. Gold sparkles!

If you want to get your hands on some of this gold striped organic cotton jersey, it's still available via The Remnant Warehouse (AU & NZ). I'm hoping to scrounge a casual top out of my leftovers!

Lining a knit garment is not something I have done before, but with careful pinning it was pretty straightforward. The result is beautiful. I love the clean neckline and the way it makes the whole dress feel more secure. I'm positive that it will last longer too. 

Have you ever lined a knit garment (the Moneta dress, perhaps)? I'd love to hear what you think!


Happy Sunday!

12 comments:

marcy harriell | oonaballoona said...

i love how you played with those stripes! and cute hair always equals good hair :)

Lindsay said...

LOVE IT! Especially the contrast pockets. And the metallic stripes. And the way you lined it. All of it really - it suits you perfectly!

I've been really into metallic accents in fabric lately. I just bought some white and gold striped cotton to make into a Rigel bomber. :)

Erika A said...

Oh man, I'm a sucker for playing with stripes! This is fabulous!

Kat said...

I love stripes, honestly who doesn’t! I’ve a pinterst board solely dedicated to my love of stripes. And this dress is now on it!
Beautiful dress for you! And best of all, stripes almost without the need to match them – pure perfection!

Unknown said...

:D Thanks Oona!!

Unknown said...

Ooh I can't wait to see your jacket! White and gold stripes sound like perfection.

I have some olive green suede type stuff waiting to become a bomber jacket too, but I'm still deciding between the Rigel and Burda patterns.

Unknown said...

:D Thanks!

Unknown said...

Haha thank you!
Yeah, the lack of stripe matching made it come together so quickly :D

Kristina said...

Love it! It looks great on you. I really like the contrasting stripe panel in the middle. I actually just sewed a grey and cream striped knit dress as well, I had to laugh when I saw you made something similar :) Must get around to blogging mine!

Unknown said...

Haha! What a coincidence :P
Can't wait to see yours!

thequirkypeach said...

This dress is GREAT!!!! Definitely worth all those pictures - the horizontal stripes on the front bodice AND pockets is genius - I love it so SO much! Must make a copy ;)

Zoe May said...

I'm glad you think so :D
Wasn't sure how I felt about the pockets at first!