Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Dramatic Double Knit Swing Dress

Happy New Year, Fabricistas! 


It's Meg from Cookin' and Craftin', back here with another double knit project. Can't stop, won't stop...



With so many stunning double knits regularly popping up in the Fabric Mart listings, how could I resist?! This designer black and white jacquard double knit fabric, in particular, is so unique because of the design and the fabric content.


A cotton, rayon and lyrca blend? Yes, please. The fabric is super soft to the touch from the cotton, perfectly drapey from the rayon, and has fabulous stretch and recovery from the lycra. A unicorn blend, folks.


Plus, the design is really striking. The double knit fabric has a large scale black and white design woven into it with overlapping, patchwork-looking designs, ranging from geometric to floral.


I vacillated between different pattern options for my project with this jacquard double knit. Initially, when I saw "double knit," I thought it would be perfect for a Fulton Sweater Blazer. But then, once I got my hands on it and had a better feel for the fabric's hand, I changed my mind. I knew just the pattern to make this fabric shine...


I wanted to do justice to both the huge print and the fabulous drape, so I opted for a swingy t-shirt dress instead. I chose the Madeit Patterns Groove Dress, figuring it would serve as the perfect blank canvas for this dramatic print. I'd made summery versions of this dress in the past (here and here), and loved the movement and simplicity of the pattern. I like that you don't have to break up the print with lots of seam lines, and can show off the print to the full extent.


This Groove Dress is a size 18 with the straight (as opposed to high-low) hem, high, round neckline, and long sleeves. Since my previous versions were for summer, I hadn't printed out the long sleeve pattern yet and my printer was out of ink, so I laid my Cashmerette Pembroke long sleeve pattern over the Groove Dress short sleeve pattern and sorta merged them. Worked out great!


I just love my dress! The combination of a simple pattern and a dramatic fabric was just how I envisioned it!  So twirly and cozy and fun.

Thanks to Fabric Mart for yet another killer fabric...


Comments

  1. Absolutely fabulous! What a great balance between dramatic and wearable! Black and white is so striking on you Meg!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Falling for Knits

We are now well into Fall, even though the temps are still relatively warm here in Texas.  I love the fall season and dressing for Fall.   When it comes to the conversation of knits vs. wovens I typically sew mostly wovens. So for this post I decided to sew completely knits!  With the holiday season right around the corner I saw these three dress styles as perfect for Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving gatherings.  The first look is a tried and true pattern Simplicity S9372.  Using this gorgeous burgundy ponte knit , I like how this pattern fits throughout. I chose this color to add to my typically neutral palette in my closet.  I also wanted something I could wear to my sorority meetings and found this color perfect.  It's an easy sew with back fisheye darts  and invisible zipper to add to the tapered style.  The neckline and armholes are finished with bias binding giving it a clean finish on the inside.  I used a universal needle to sew a...

Made By A Fabricista: Closing 2025 with a Lined Jacket

Hello again, sewing friends! It seems we have arrived yet again in the grandest season for layering, all this oncoming cold weather. I like ending the year with something warm and very useful. Seems based on my past Fabricista posts, I love to sew year-end outerwear, and this round is no different!  I challenged myself with a new lined coat (wait, jacket? Coat? I feel like the presence of wool changes things?). Anyhoo, since the lovely Chalk & Notch Den Jacket has been in my queue, I proceeded ahead. I like the large pockets, the option to line or not, and the extra bodice and sleeve seams for topstitching.  Sewing this coat is not at all difficult, but the many pieces and loads of topstitching will take a bit of time. My version took me a few multiple-hour sessions to complete. I sewed a size 2, which matches my measurements, and I made no alterations. Hint: for a quick size test, just employ the lining pieces.  Gorgeous, muted blue as a soft wool flannel ? This is ...

Made By A Fabricista: Chalk and Notch Wren Dress: My Buffet dress for the Christmas season!

  I recently sewed the Chalk and Notch Wren dress using a beautifully soft black voile from Fabric Mart, and it turned into such a satisfying, enjoyable project. The pattern itself is very easy to understand and straightforward with clear instructions, intuitive construction, and a relaxed fit that makes the sewing process easy. A buffet dress in the sewing community is a dress that is loose fitting, so you can eat at the buffet without your dress being uncomfortable afterwards, lol! Because the voile I chose is extremely thin and transparent, I opted to line the bodice and first tier. Adding a lining not only provided modesty but also gave the delicate fabric a bit more stability, especially around the neckline and button placket. A helpful tip when sewing a lining into a lightweight bodice is to treat the lining and the main fabric as one. I sewed the bodice as you would for a lined bodice, and the first tier I sewed the pieces together with a basting stitch to make the process...