Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Crinkle Foil Knit True/Bias Lodo Dress


Oh how heavenly it is to sew up a gorgeous dress in a few hours!

December is tough for everyone.  Most of us have our regular jobs, plus all the extra stuff around the holidays to bear with.  In my case, I have to write high school recommendations, prepare students for their parts in the Christmas play (eighth grade gets to play the parts while the other grades provide the beautiful music), teach my usual classes, and get ourselves ready for all the feteing we do (Christmas parties, saying hi to Santa, etc.).  I even manage to do most of my shopping online, but this year I had to at least go one time to the mall.  My choice as it fit my timeline best?  A Sunday night at 8 pm!  (Yikes!)


Knowing this, I asked Fabric Mart to send me some festive fabric along with the True/Bias Lodo dress.  I figured out of all items in their catalog of wonderful patterns, this one looked to be the biggest bang for the buck.  And I truly think it is, especially if you choose a very pretty fabric to use with it.


I loved the look of this crinkle foiled knit.  It seemed that it would have just enough stretch to work with the dress, and though it says online that it is a mechanical stretch (so not much), it was actually exactly the stretchiness needed by the pattern.  This means it is also a stable knit, which I feel is important in a semi-fitted party dress.


I decided to lay the fabric so the wavy pattern was vertical as opposed to horizontal, and I like the effect.  Both directions would look lovely with this dress, but for my frame I prefer the up and down waves.  The stretch seems to be about the same in both directions, so it is a versatile fabric.

I laid out the pattern pieces, adjusted the sizing for fit (though I could have gone with an 8 throughout, I went with an 8 at the bust, a 10 at the waist, and a 12 at the hips), and added two inches to the length.  The pieces cut out easily enough, and along with woven facings for the neckline and the armholes, it took mere minutes to cut out.  This is a first as it normally takes me forever to get through the cutting process.


I was surprised that the facings did not ask for interfacing, but the dress feels secure and the facings don't seem to be affected by the lack of an interfacing.  The one thing I will note, though, about the facings is that the pattern does not mention understitching.  Understitching is critical in the neckline to keep it flat and pretty.  Without it, and only using topstitching to secure it, I am sure the neckline would not look as lovely.  The armholes do not need understitching as much, and the topstitching is fine to keep the facings secure.


Also of note, this time about the fabric, is that I expected pressing it would be an absolute nightmare.  As it turns out, this 100% polyester fabric is capable of withstanding pressing with a hot iron (and a press cloth, of course).  I was able to press the facings into the neckline and armholes well, and also able to press out a couple of creases that were there from when the fabric was on the bolt.  This is a fabric that will travel well.

Though I used this fabric for a closely fitted dress, it is light and drapey enough to use with a more flouncy type item.  It could go super 80s retro with a cute fluffy skirt and fitted top.  I went 80s, as well.  Luckily our auction theme for the school this year is 80s, so I may be able to use this dress then!


I have a few thoughts on the pattern itself.  It is a good pattern and the instructions are clear.  This is the first time I feel I have ever successfully sewn a v-neck.  This one looks good and I am super proud of it.  I also like the sizing, and the finished measurements are exactly what they said they would be.  I wanted to make sure this fabric didn't get too stretched out (as it would distort the wavy pattern), so I went with a larger size at my hips, but I think if I had chosen a solid color knit, I could have gone more fitted through the hips for a bit more va-va-voom.  ;-)  The dress glides over my frame in the larger size, but is in no way body con, which this dress 100% could be if made up with the right fabric and in a smaller size.


I am so excited this took me one night to make and it looks so good.  I may shorten the dress.  I think the knee length looks pretty, but I am thinking I will hem another inch.  Belting it could also reduce its length, so I may try that, too.

In the end, I highly recommend both the fabric and the pattern.  I look forward to wearing this soon for all the fun festivities in this busy season!

Do you have any recommendations for quick satisfying sews in the busy times of year?  Do share, I am always looking for new fast fun projects!

Dina, My Superfluities.


Comments

  1. So. So. So. AWESOME! This is gorgeous on you!! And I love a bob (the most!) but I am loving your hair a bit longer!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This dress is beautiful! Classic and timeless.

    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: Workwear Ready

I'm excited for my first post in 2023! At the beginning of the year, I recently went back to working in person so now I am looking to make and wear pieces that I can wear to work.  The goal is to be functional but also very fashionable since I am a fashion design professor. I saw this blue denim fabric and knew I wanted to make some pants; I just wasn’t sure what kind.  I decided to make Mimi G x Simplicity S8985 View B pants.  I liked the oversized flare look, I just made one slight modification to them by adding a pintuck along the front.  This was easy to add since the waistline was called to be slightly gathered to fit.  The fabric had a hand closer to linen and was very lightweight which was great and very satisfying to sew.  I lengthened the pants by 3” and finished with a 2” hem. The top I used Simplicity S9707.  It’s an oversized partial button down top.  I decided to create a high low hem by combining two different views.   I loved the print of the fabric but honestly as s

Made By A Fabricista: A Denim Set for Spring

Happy Friday All! I am ecstatic to share my latest make that I had on my to make list for a while.  My goal for the month of February was to sew a mini vacation capsule for a trip, but unfortunately I did not get a chance to. I was able to make 3 of the 6 pieces including this denim set. When this beautiful denim fabric arrived, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I have been wanting to recreate a linen look I made a few years ago using the Montoya coat pattern with a few adjustments.  I created VIEW A without the peplum and lengthened it by 6 inches. Instead of sewing the tie inside the seam of the top like I did here, I wanted to make it separate so that it looks like a jumpsuit. (Read the blogpost here ). Moreover, my body has changed and I needed to cut a size larger so that I can rock it as an open vest or a top tucked in. I love the way it turned out but wish I had extended it by 8 inches instead of 6. For the pants, I went to my tried and true simplicity 8605 pants pattern and

Made By A Fabricista: Three Spring Basics – With a Twist

Hello Sewing Friends! By the time spring rolls around I am ready to pack away my winter wardrobe and wear my warm weather clothes. Since I don’t go into an office setting – and I like to be comfortable - basic essentials in my wardrobe include t-shirts, cardigans and knit dresses. The Cardigan The idea of sewing elevated basics came about when I spotted this fabulous FTY knit with a sequin floral and scrolls pattern.  With sequins for daytime being a spring 2023 trend, I decided to use the fabric to sew a cardigan. This is not your typical cardigan. Not only did I choose a sequin knit, but I chose what I consider to be a unique pattern, the Cascade Dress from The Sewing Workshop (now out of print). I have sewn it a few times but never with sequin fabric. My cardigan is actually a top that is designed to button down the front but I made a few small changes to the pattern. I lengthened the front by four inches, removed the front plackets, and added a button and fabric loop at the front n