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! 

Burda Swing Top in leafy print

The Make a Garment a Month Group on Instagram had a January challenge -- "Jungle January". I really wanted to make something as I had two excellent fabric choices in my stash. After some waffling, I decided to reuse a pattern for a swing top from Burdastyle magazine which I've made before (Burda 115-11-2018). I had just enough fabric for this easy top. 

My fabric is a light and stretchy knit, so I used straight stitches on the shoulders to try to keep them from stretching out too much. There is supposed to be a bit more gathering on the shoulder seams but I found that the weight of the shoulder seam has reduced the effect a bit. I'm thinking of going back in and stitching a small piece of elastic to the shoulder seam to regather and hold the gathers too! 

Otherwise this was a quick and fun make. I'm used to the pattern now, with all my adjustments (mainly adding 3" to the hem length) even if it does look a little different in each fabric I've used. I love the bright green (more vibrant in real life) and the rayon knit is super soft to wear. 

This is a fun silhouette and I do love an oversized top with a straight skirt. I'm wearing my staple knit skirt, the free Lindy Skirt from Itch to Stitch (with added pockets) which I wear constantly. Burda does have some fun designs and I'm glad I saw the IG sewalong to give me a bit of a boost to make this top. I got it done on the last day of January, so just squeaked in to the sewalong, but would definitely would not have finished without a deadline! Do you enjoy contests/sewalongs/challenges? I often find them stressful, but in this case, I had something in my long-term queue that fit into the challenge and this gave me enough of a kick to get going on it. I'm finding I like these deadlines more and more ;) 

Anyhow off to swish around in my flowy new top! 

A Batwing Burda, for Fabricville and beyond

My second project for Fabricville this fall was a shimmery black batwing dress. I love a good 80s influence, and when I saw Burda 6074, I knew I had to make it.

For my Fabricville version, I used “Dazzling Black” evening fabric, a poly knit with printed sequins. A print is so much easier to sew than real sequins! In fact, this fabric was very easy to handle. It’s lightweight with fairly minimal stretch, and it behaved nicely when sewing. I used a stretch needle, though, as this fabric was both thin and tough at the same time. It worked really well, where a regular ballpoint needle was just not working out. 

The Burda pattern is a quick and easy sew, as promised on the pattern envelope. There are 5 pieces; front & back, sleeve, collar & self-tie. Because this fabric is so lightweight, I interfaced half the collar with some light knit interfacing. You won’t need that if you have more heft in your fabric, or if you’d prefer it to be more squishy and cowl-like, as designed.

I only changed the pattern slightly, shortening it by 1/2″ above the waist and adding the 1/2″ back at the hem. I wanted my version to be knee-length so I didn’t shorten it at all (I am only barely 5’2″).  I made my usual Burda sizing of 42 at the shoulder and 44 at the hip, although I also added a bit extra at the hip when cutting it out, probably 1/4″ on each side. I also shortened the sleeves by an inch. 

I enjoyed sewing this up, but when I put it on, well, I did feel it reminded me quite strongly of a Hefty trash bag! The combo of fabric and pattern perhaps wasn't the best here, even though both on their own are pretty great. 

So I decided to make another version, this time is a lighter weight knit from my stash. I got this green and black soft knit at Fabricland locally, quite a few years ago. I had just enough to make this dress. (the pattern calls for 3 m. but I found I could fit it into 2.5 m. quite easily). 

I made all the same sizing adjustments, as I found my first version fit very well. But this is where fabric makes such a difference! I found the cuff area of the sleeve on the black version quite tight, so I added 1/2" to the diameter on the green one. But the green fabric has a lot more stretch than the black, so I find it is now a little too large! I'm going to narrow it back down to the original sizing.

 

I also added pockets to my green version -- I didn't think the thin and shiny black fabric of the original could handle pockets, but this thicker and squishier knit worked just fine. I placed the tops of the pockets just below the match points for the sleeve (which basically sit at the waist). This seems just right, and it's very convenient to have pockets! 

I love the silhouette of this pattern, especially the sleeve. The 80s vibe is strong, and it's also a very comfy outfit to wear. I think it looks quite different in the two fabrics, and enjoyed that it's also a quick sew. 

Another Mandy!

When I was recently making the free Athina Top from Tessuti, I started thinking about some of their other free patterns... namely the Mandy Boat Tee, which I've made a few times now. This is one of my fave t-shirt patterns, as I like the silhouette and fit, and it's really the only kind of 'tee' I wear.

Well, this seemed to be the perfect fit for this piece of lovely soft knit I had in my stash. I received this fabric from a library patron who knows I sew; she was clearing out her stash a bit and thought that this print would be perfect for a librarian. She was right! 

I was pleased to find that there was enough fabric here for the Mandy, with just a sliver left over. I cut it carefully, trying to get the centre line of the print down the centre of the front and back. I think it worked! I really like how comfortable this top is, and in this super soft knit it's really fabulous.

I made it with the minor fit changes I have figured out for myself - basically adding 1/2" width to each sleeve at the seam, and making the neckline slightly narrower. The neckline finish is a nice touch, with a dart of sorts put in at the side seams of the neckline; it makes it sit so smoothly. Something to note is that this pattern does have quite limited sizing.

The only small difficulty I have with it is that the fabric is so very soft and stretchy (maybe a bamboo knit?) that it has grown a little in the 3 times I've worn it since I finished it. The hem is a little longer than it was originally! Otherwise I really love it, and hope that the patron who gave me the fabric will pop back into the library on one of the days that I'm wearing this :)

A Green Grass Print for Sisters of Grass

For my project for this round of the Literary Sewing Circle, I went with the overall impression I got from this book. Right from the title onward there is such a strong sense of place, of the grasses and sunlight and the landscape that the story is set in. I had been thinking about a print I've had in my stash for a few years now, a lightweight knit that has a grass-like print. I knew I really wanted to use it, but couldn't quite come up with the right pattern match for it. 

But then I put this sense of grass together with an almost throwaway moment near the end. Margaret is shopping for new clothes in Kamloops in preparation for her travels to New York. 

Margaret found the shop where she had bought trousers the previous May -- John T. Beatton, Clothier -- and bought dresses to supplement her rose muslin gown, one of dark blue and a simple green one of soft wool. The saleslady showed her some collars, one of lace, one of beaded silk, that could be worn with the green dress to make it versatile.

While my dress isn't wool, it is green(ish) and it is versatile. I've used my TNT knit pattern, KwikSew 3559, which I can wear in a variety of weather depending on the jacket or sweater I pair with it. I might not be wearing collars but the neckline is a great spotlight for jewellery! This is definitely a daily wear dress that will get much use, likely just as Margaret's green dress would. 

This pattern is pretty straightforward. I am very used to making my adjustments to it, as I've made about 8 tees and 2 dresses from it already. I add width to the hips on the front and back pieces and both narrow and raise the neckline by about an inch. This time I also added pockets to it, although with the very light weight of the dress I'm not sure they will sit right -- but I'll wear it a couple of times and decide. I can always snip them out and sew up the pocket openings if I find I don't like them! 

Since I had some leftover fabric I whipped up a sash as well. It adds options to how I can wear it. Lightly tied it gives some shape to the silhouette but on days I want more swish I'll wear the dress loose. It's super soft and comfy and I'm so pleased to have finally used this fabric that I've had for a long time and have always loved the feel of. And also pleased to have used it in conjunction with such a truly lovely book.  

Purple Dolman Top for a Retro Feel

This fun top was inspired by the fabric -- I got this soft double sided knit in a fabric swap at my Garment Guild in December. I've been wanting to make an 80s style dolman top ever since! I finally got around to it, and I really like it. I used McCalls 8024, View B -- that's the view with the longest length and sleeve cuffs. The shape is fantastic, just what I was looking for.

I didn't really make many adjustments to this at all. I didn't shorten the body or sleeve at all, the only thing I changed was to narrow the neckline at centre front and back by 1/4" each and shorten the neckband slightly to match. This one cut and sewed up very quickly and easily. 

The only real issue I have with it is that it is a bit staticky so sometimes clings to bits I'd prefer it didn't cling to ;) But I love how the soft knit drapes and how soft it is to wear.

I'm not a huge fan of polka dots, so used the striped side as my main fabric. But then I thought, why not use the dotted side as a contrast, so cut the neckband and cuffs the opposite way. I like it.  But stripes don't like to photograph too well so there are some funny distortions in these photos - and these are the best ones!

This was a fun one to make, and the pattern worked out very well with hardly any adjustments. The fit and natural ease in it are just right - not gigantic but nice and full. I have fulfilled my 80s dreams with this top, and it pairs so well with my thrifted beads! Super fun to make, and really comfy to wear - plus in a colour I love that doesn't show up in my closet enough. A win for sure. 

 

Burda Sweater in Black

It's funny how I never think about making basics, but when I saw this Burda sweater (#102) in the Sept '22 issue I immediately pictured it in black, as an elevated basic.

I love the tie feature on the neckline, and wanted a pullover basic black top to wear with my coloured and patterned skirts. So this one became a project on my mind, to complete before the weather warms up! This week was chilly, so good incentive to finally get this underway.

I had this really nice sweater knit in my stash -- it's medium weight, and quite stable, perfect for a comfy squishy sweater. It was easy to cut and sew; it took pressing well despite its poly content, and ended up being a very easy and quick project, just what I needed. It reads as more silvery than black but I can always make another ;)

I made a few changes to suit my style preferences. The pattern has full length sleeves that are quite wide, but I don't like a lot of fabric at my wrists, so I shortened the sleeve to 3/4 length. And then I added length to the body of the sweater, as I didn't like the waist/high hip length of the original. So I've changed the proportions of the sweater quite a bit but kept the bell sleeve shape and most importantly, the tie neckline. 

I sewed this up using a narrow zigzag on my regular machine (I don't have a serger). This sweater knit is super forgiving anyhow, and you can't see the stitches at all (more reason to be careful so I didn't have to try to unpick any stitches!) The neckline feature was actually very easy to put together, you just have to remember to carefully mark the notches on the neckline and the tie so that they go together easily. 

The sizing is generous on this one. I made it in my regular 42 but it is roomy, so if you want a closer fitting sweater more like the magazine photo I would recommend going down a size. Personally this loose fitting shape is just what I was looking for. And that neckline finish adds some fun to the design as well as keeping the back of your neck warm too! Love this comfy top. 

Red Remnant Skirt

I have been trying to use up my stash as much as possible in my recent sewing. And after I finished the red ponte dress for the Sewing Bee, I found I still had just over a metre of this fabric left. I didn't want to put it back into the stash to languish, so I decided to make a basic knit skirt to use most of it up. 

I chose New Look 6977, as I've made it previously and have worn it quite a bit. I like a good pull-on skirt that you can feel comfy in! I made it with the same addition as the last time I made it -- I added side seam pockets. I used some black broadcloth, and anchored the pocket bags into the waist seam. This time I followed the pattern and just inserted a thinner piece of elastic into the wide waistband rather than stitching one down; that just makes it easier to alter in future. 

I really like the fit of this skirt. It sits comfortably and securely at the waist, but also skims over the hip/butt area fairly well. This fabric is soft and stretchy, and it's a colour that goes with a lot that I have in my wardrobe. I was pleased with the way this went together without much struggle, and now I have one less piece of remnant knit in my stash, and one more useful basic skirt in the closet. This wardrobe pattern has a lot of good options, and I do recommend it if you can find it.