Made by a Fabricista: Spring Equals Dresses

Y'all know I love dresses and I wear them year round, but they are almost all I wear in the warmer months. So to kick off the spring season I have TWO new dresses to share. I used two types of double knits for this month's post.  I love double knits because they are sturdier than jerseys or ITYs and easier to sew for most.

Up first I paired a bold print with a standout pattern. This leopard print techno was an immediate must have for me. I love leopard print anything; fabric shoes, purses, whatever. Don't believe me? Check out my Jasika Blazer that I whipped up with some amazing leopard corduroy from Fabric Mart last year here. 

This print was more abstract take on leopard spots, but I loved it for this fun dress. I love a techno knit, it's very similar to scuba, but smidge lighter. It has a slinky feel much like a ITY but with the weight of a light ponte. (Head over to my latest video to hear how I distinguish neoprene, scuba and techno knits). 

McCalls 7833 was the runaway hit for the fall releases last year. Initially I was going to pass on it as I knew I could draft this myself, but laziness got the best of me and I grabbed it during a sale. I think it did so well for a few reasons:

1. It's flattering. Who doesn't love ruching?
2. It stands out. Hello dramatic hem!
3. It's a quick sew. Instant gratification.

This view only requires three pieces, but I cut it down to just one because I eliminated the facings. I HATE knit facings so instead I folded over the seam allowance and finished with my coverstitch. Sadly a drawback only having one main body piece is that the neckline is the same for the front and back. For me the front neckline was too high. After trying on the dress I decided which way I wanted my hem to fall and deepened the front neckline by about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.

This techno knit was great for this pattern, the lighter weight allowed for great side gather and yet it has enough heft not to show every lump or fold. Sadly this fun animal print is sold out, but it's currently available in a fun teal colorway here. If animal print isn't your thing, no problem! There's also a bright graphic floral here.  

Next up is a little black dress I whipped up using this lovely black ponte. I'm a sucker for ponte but this has a very smooth hand and is a rich deep black. It also has a good medium weight and nice stretch. There is still a little left, so stock up here. 

Simplicity 8330 has been in my queue forever. I grabbed it couple of years ago when it was released because I loved all the views. My lifestyle doesn't give me a reason to sew the two longer views, but I can definitely put the short dress use. 

I think this sat unsewn for years because the options with this dress or endless. It calls for a woven though I knew it would work with a sturdy knit. It works equally well with prints and solids. I considered sewing one up in bright red, deep eggplant or royal blue, but after realizing that my closet lacked a LBD I knew I had to go black.

Though I was tempted to go with the open back I decided that the closed back is more versatile. I love everything about this dress. This pattern calls for full interfacing of the front and back bodice, which I suppose is necessary for the open back view, but I omitted it since I chose to use a knit. I did however keep the interfacing for the collar because it needs to have some structure.

Now that it's officially spring I will really have to force myself to sew something that is NOT a dress.

I hope the weather is warming up where you are. Follow along with all my make on my blog, TipStitched.

See y'all next month,

Tiffany