Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: ITY Knit Ebony Raglan Dress.



I may be less active on the internet than I used to, and far more active as a school teacher than I ever thought I would be, but I still find time to at least visit my favorite places in cyberspace at least once a day.  And of course sewing blogs and sites are right up there.  Since I don't live under a rock, I have at least peered at one of the cutest "made by me" dresses that made the rounds in overabundance the last year, the Ebony Dress by Closet Case Files.  It is adorable in all of its iterations. :-)




It is also seemed to be a very quick make, and as this is one of my school year sewing needs (items I can cut and sew up in less than a few hours, as that is all I have most weeks between September and June), I asked Fabric Mart to send me that pattern stat.  I was a bit more unsure of what fabric to choose, and it took me a while to come up with a choice, but I eventually chose a very abstract paint splatter/animal print border print.  It is a very unique print, and I had to finagle the pattern to work with the border on the bottom, but in the end, it looks really special and pretty on...this fabric is gone, but there are a whole host of really unique ITY prints right now at Fabric Mart.


I knew I wanted the raglan sleeve and the collar (I think they are super fast sews), but the pattern was only for a top.  I was a bit unsure if I wanted to take time I barely have to make a traced pattern, but I am glad I did since I definitely want to use this particular pattern again asap.  I wasn't sure where to go and would have figured it out, but thankfully Heather Lou, the creator of the pattern, decided to do this very same "hack" a few months ago and has the photos of the creation and how to adjust the pattern.  Yay for making my life easy!


I lengthened my version to the length of the longest size, so it is perfect for work.  I also took out a bit of width on the side seams (I made a size 6) as I knew the ITY had plenty of drape so that even without extra fabric, it would still have that super relaxed loose shift silhouette that the original Ebony dresses all have.  If you notice above, I was very careful to place the pattern pieces where the side seams would match up perfectly where the border print line begins.  It would drive me mad to know they didn't match up at the side seams.

Anyhow, the sew itself was fast!  I even had to rethread my serger in the process (one of my spools ran out of thread), and even with that ten minute delay, I managed to sew all the bits up in around 100 minutes or so (I am including pressing and such here, too).  Yes!  So now I know I can get a very cute, comfortable dress sewn up as often as I want.  (Maybe a few more will come down the pike in the next few months?)


Here's a side view, where you can see how the seams match up at the border.  The hemline is swingy, so the border print doesn't run completely parallel to the floor, but it makes for a pretty front, with the middle of the border print up higher than the side seams.


I love the back view.  It fits so well!  The drape is perfect for my pear shape.  On the back, the hemline is not as swingy or uneven, so it stays straighter and more parallel to the floor, so the border print reads even too.

I look forward to wearing this and many future Ebony dresses in different fabrics!  Do you have any Ebony dress makes?  Have you used this fabric?

Thanks for reading, and happy sewing!

Dina--My Superfluities.

Comments

  1. I agree what a nice and comcomfortable dress for work. I love the fabric. Too bad that specific print is sold out. You look wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your dress is so cute, I have always been scared to sew a dress with that knit choice. Thanks for your post.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am a huge Ebony fan!! Your Ebony dress in this border print is gorgeous. At first glance I assumed you had sewn a band around the bottom but how clever to use a knit border print this way. Brilliant. Thank you for pointing out that Heather Lou has directions on her site for how to turn the Ebony into a dress. I actually made the longer version but found the silhouette suited my body shape much better in the shortie so I cut it down and now wear it all the time.

    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: Revisiting a Pattern After Five Years

Have you ever used a sewing pattern and then immediately vowed never to sew it again? Well, I have. It all began in the spring of 2020 at the start of the pandemic lockdown. I tackled sewing projects that were more challenging to help me grow as a seamstress. There was one pattern in particular that almost did me in, the Seamwork Penny shirt dress. The Penny dress pattern has a classic button-up dress shirt style bodice with a gathered skirt and pockets. It is a beautiful take on a shirt dress, and my sister and I loved it. The only downside is that it was recommended for intermediate-level sewists and I was only an adventurous beginner back then.  I think I had only ever made one button-up shirt before attempting this Penny Dress and it didn’t even have a collar! Despite all of this, I thought “Why not try it, what’s the worst that can happen?”  Thankfully the worst didn’t happen, and the dress turned out surprisingly wearable, but I had some intense frustration at the end. I...

Made By A Fabricista: A Simple Frock for Spring

Hello friends! I’m really into sewing and wearing tent dresses at the moment. A tent dress is basically a wide A-line style gown. For this month’s project, I’ve opted to try out The Assembly Line’s Square Neck Dress. This style is a little avant-garde in its enormity and shape, and boasts the squared neckline it’s named after, plus some cute hem side slits.  All that volume is fun to move around in, plus there’s loads of air circulation which is cooling. This dress’s main feature–its wide and high squared neckline–really piqued my interest recently, and I added it to my Make Nine plans for 2025. I find it so satisfying to check off those boxes as I sew!  This beautiful shirtweight linen is a color I simply adore; a muted medium blue. Stormy skies, worn-in denim, and ocean waves all come to mind, and that is exactly what I want to be all wrapped up in. While I think a wild or large print would be amazingly on display in this big canvas of a dress, I also thought that a subtle ...

Made By A Fabricista: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

 As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...