Making over Knit Dresses

As some long-term readers might know, one of my favourite knit patterns is Kwik Sew 3559, an older OOP pattern that I've made 10+ times. Two of my 3559 dress versions haven't been worn much, so I decided to remake them into tee length tops instead. I really need more comfy tees, and these were easy fixes. 

The first was a plain black short sleeved version. I never wore this, as I had added a band on the bottom to get it to the right length, and somehow it just didn't sit right. The hem curled up after a couple of wears and I just couldn't sort it. Perfect candidate for a chop! I sewed the pocket openngs shut from the inside & then cut off the pocket bags. This one I cut to a high hip tee length, and just ironed on some knit interfacing to keep the hem smooth, I didn't sew it at all. Quick and easy, and will mostly be worn under a cardigan or jacket anyhow. 

The second one was a little bit fussier. This knit is really lightweight and springy, which is why it never worked well as a dress. I wore it a couple of times, but I found that once I put the sash on, the back of it clung to my bottom more than I liked. Also it is a bit static which doesn't help. So I wasn't reaching for it often, but I love the pretty fabric and how soft it is to wear. I thought if I made it over into a tunic, I wouldn't be tying it around my waist and the fabric could fall more naturally. So I did the same with the pockets - sewed the seam shut and then cut off the pocket bags. I then measured down from the yoke and cut this one a bit longer than the black one. I also added hem tape to the bottom of this. 

I then took the 9" that I cut off and sewed into a tube for a quick infinity style scarf that I can add to this if I want a little extra coverage or just a different look. This was fun to do and I'm glad I could use the fabric for another piece. I think I will get a lot more wear out of this tunic version!