Hello and Merry almost Christmas!! I hope none of you are still desperately sewing Christmas presents like me!
I might not have finished any of the presents I’ve planned but I made sure to get my Christmas dress done! This is the first dress I’ve made for christmas and I went from planning a ball gown, too impractical for a day of eating and tv watching. To planning sewing up some pyjamas to spend all day in, which I started to question. Is it really OK to plan spending a day, already completely gluttonous, not bothering to change clothes?? So, I went for a comfortable, loose dress instead.
The Pattern
This is the Drapey Knit dress from the Great British Sewing Bee book, Fashion with Fabrics.
This is my first project sewing with jersey and using my overlocker. This pattern was a lovely project to start with. Interesting enough to not look too basic and it came together pretty easy. It took me a bit of head scratching to understand how to do the necklace origami but not for too long!
The book does a version in stripes and brilliantly showed me how to put the pattern pieces to get the stripes right. Which was such a relief!!!
One thing I’ll mention, and I don’t know if this I did the origami bit wrong, but getting this over my head takes a bit of effort! I used interfacing on the facing, which the book says to do, and it’s too tight. Anyone else get this?? Or is it just me and my big head haha
I sewed a size small and (apart from the head thing!) It’s fits lovely.
The changes
As usual, before I make a pattern I track down every blogger who has made the pattern previously to see what they changed/liked/adapted. The general consensus was to ditch the pockets. They added too much bulk about the middle and never stayed flat. So I left the pockets out.
There were two versions of this dress a longer one without sleeves and a shorter, more tunic style version with sleeves. I meshed them together for a long dress with sleeves combination #winterishere
I could have gone more playful with the stripes but I wanted to go with flattering. All diagonal stripes on the back to slim my derriere 🙂
I only shortened the dress a little and didn’t change the sleeve length, which is supposed to be 3/4 length but because I’m shorter I knew it would be longer.
The Shame
Now it’s almost Christmas my usual tea has been replaced with a mug of mulled wine but I repeat I was NOT drunk when I hemmed!!
I’m almost questioning my sobriety when thinking back to sewing this bit. I completely lost control of the fabric! I only used my sewing machine to hem and the bottom of the dress and sleeves both turned out awful!! I think it’s because I didn’t stretch the fabric as I sewed?? Must look this up for the future!
The headband
I am so in love with the matching headband I made with the fabric scraps!! Who knew I could feel like such an old Hollywood movie star in all (questionable fabric content) jersey!! haha
I hate wearing hats in winter, trying to get one to cover my afro is a nightmare, and I have been wearing the same headband since it’s started to get cold. So I copied all its pieces onto pattern tracing paper, added the seam allowance and sewed it up.
Everyone is thinking ‘what on earth is she doing, this is a place to appreciate art’
As you can see there are loads of people in the background of the pictures! It was a nightmare!! I felt like a mug. I was posing for 40 minutes (it’s usually takes much less time but I was so self conscious that loads of the pictures were just me standing looking awkward and loads of pictures had people standing in front of me) freezing and hoping people weren’t judging me too much!
It was completely my fault because even though it was an early Sunday morning, it was the last day of Ai Wei Wei’s exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. Did anyone else get to see it? It was one of those exhibitions that was gripping from the beginning to the end.
Sewing with knits has made me a bit overexcited. The world of quick, comfortable makes has opened up and my me-made wardrobe is gonna get loads more wear now I’m finally sewing with knits!!
Have a lovely Christmas xxxx
Thank you! I think I bought this fabric for £7, I can’t really remember. I know It wasn’t super cheap but it was an alright price.I’m not sure how much fabric I used. I’m gonna look at the book and get back to you! This pattern is free on the internet let me know if you want the link 🙂
This very good love the stripes, im very much impressed! im not sure if it said it but how much was the fabric and how much did you need to make this?
Thank you so much!!!!! ^.^ I hope this gets back to the GBSB!! I would love them to know I existed haha
haha that was my diplomatic way of putting it :p
I’m gonna totally enable you and say go for a second one, especially if that £1 jersey shop that stripes! The dress is so comfortable and you have a back up wearer 🙂
You’re comment made me smile – not being sold on it, an understatement if ever I heard one, lol! Your stripes really worked, and I really am tempted. I can always give it to Sewsouthlondon! I think I threw away my traced off pieces last year in disgust 😂
I love the fabric you used for yours. You weren’t sold on the outcome but if you ever make it again stripes and a knit that drapes more are a winning combo 🙂
How fab is this – it makes me want to make another!! 😃
This is definitely the best version of this dress that’s out there. I think if the gbsb peeps saw this they’d be putting you in the book instead of the pic’ they’ve already got! 😃
Super. It looks really expensive and special. And the headband too. Well done Megan – I love your style.
Thank you!! I love how stripes instantly add a bit of class 🙂
Oh my gah, this is fabulous! What a great dress– it’s so chic!
Thank you!! I think I’ll never be able to blog pose confidently in front of other people :/ haha
Don’t worry I started sewing two years ago too and totally psyched myself out of sewing jersey. I’m only started because I got an overlocker but you can sew jersey perfectly well on a sewing machine! Jersey is so comfortable and once you make your first thing you won’t be able to turn back!! Good luck! 🙂
Thank you!!! I’m trying to resist the urge to have an all stripe wardrobe! 🙂
Oh it looks great! Love the stripes and what you’ve done with them. I LOL’d at your ‘I felt like a mug.’ I still haven’t done anything with jersey and I’ve been sewing for nearly 2 years. It’s embarrassing. And I also have no idea why I haven’t really. Anyway, 2016 is the year! I almost bought some sweatshirt fabric the other day… progress.
This is so cool! The stripes are the way forward! It came out so so well, loving it!!
Thank you so much!!!! 🙂 Adding the headband was such a last minute plan because I had so many scraps I didn’t want to throw away, it turned out making it turned this into my favourite outfit 🙂
I absolutely love this! The dress is amazing on it’s own, but the headband is a brilliant idea and TOTALLY makes it EVEN MORE great! Wow!
Thank you!!!!
You look fabulous in that dress and headband!
I love using mine. For me, it has opened up the world of knits, even if last night I spend my time shortening 3 of my daughters t-shirts!?
Thanks so much Linda!!! I will definitely go and see your examples. I’ve been a bit afraid of twin needles but now I’m gonna face that fear as soon as possible because I have a pile of knit patterns I want to start sewing 🙂
Yes, It is! In all it’s dodgy hem glory haha
Yes stretching it would make it worst! What I need is to stabilise it more. I definitely need to use my walking foot because I think that will make a difference.
Thank you!! It was such a nice location I had to get it but never again in front of so many people!! haha xx
Thank you!! Making the headband was such a quick and easy sew, go for it!! 🙂
Merci!! 😉 xx
Thank you for letting me know!! I didn’t use a walking foot and now kicking myself. I’m going to look into stabilizers 🙂
Your dress looks lovely! The styling is perfect for a Christmas day of eating and eating…! If you keen on sewing more knits then invest in a twin needle for your machine, it takes care of all hems beautifully and I have examples of the stitch on my blog. When I got my new machine, about 5 years ago now, I was so happy that I could sew knitted fabrics!! Merry Christmas holidays!
This looks brilliant – I think you were wearing it when we met for the Carol Concert? I love the stripy fabric. I can’t give you much advice about hemming as I have totally avoided hemming my first ever tee shirt (on my blog at the moment) but I think stretching as you sew would make the rippling worse?
I love this whole outfit! The design of this dress is so clever. Headbands really suit you too. I’ve got so many jersey scraps and off cuts I might have to start doing the same!
Love it & these pictures are amazing, so it was worth the 40 minutes! x
Très jolie robe ! Bravo !
It’s a wonderful dress. It looks like you need to use some stabilizer on the hems. It looks like your machine pushed and stretched the hem out of shape as you sewed. Stretching as you go would make the edges even more wavy.
I love the placement of the stripes. Very nice!
You have modelled your dress beautifully and the headband looks great as well. Merry Christmas Meg x
I was thinking of you when I was taking these pictures. I did the aeroplane pose but in front of so many people didn’t pull it off as good as you!!
If you ever have time next year before the baby comes you can always come to an exhibition at the RA with me, just let me know. I’ve got the membership and me and a guest go free.
Have a brilliant Christmas too xx
Ah well done, I love it, great interpretation of the pattern, the headband is lovely. I heard the exhibition was amazing but I didn’t go, hope you enjoyed it though. Have a wonderful Christmas xxx
Thank you! I loved reading the debate about this dress. I loved it from the start, it’s the perfect amount of classy slouch haha
Not sure how Christmassy it’s gonna be in your part of the world but have a brilliant day too 🙂 xx
I really love this dress and you’ve done it so much justice with your lovely stripes and headband. Merry Christmas to you. X