I had always used my trusty old 1960's Lemair machine, however it skipped stitches and looked a mess. I was using the correct needle, but the results were terrible. When my Mum gave me her 1976 Bernina 807 I decided to give knits another try. And it worked! No skipped stitches or breaking stitches, happy days! I even used a double needle for the hem with no dramas!
I had this lovely red organic cotton jersey in my stash which was just asking to be a Christmas dress! I found this free pattern online by So Sew Easy, which promised to be simple, and it was!
I didn't make a muslin, so the fit is not perfect. I would have liked the shoulders to be slightly wider, but other than that I am happy with it. I didn't have to add length to the bodice, which is unusual for me. If you're not tall or don't have a long body you may need to shorten it. I did add length to the skirt (standard!).
To dress it up a little I added some vintage sequin trim from Nona's stash. It's actually a dark brown, but looks black from a distance.
Friends on Instagram had been telling me how easy sewing with knits was, and they were right. I just needed a machine that could handle them!
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| Photos c/o my wonderful Husband |
You look stunning in red and the fit of the dress is really flattering. I bet the fabric is super comfy too. Ok...so...I was curious what you meant when you said "I didn't make a muslin, so the fit is not perfect". Having now been educated by Google and Wiki, I can say that making a muslin sounds pretty genius in general and I'm impressed that this dress fits so well even though you didn't do it. Hope you enjoyed your Christmas and have a Happy New Year
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too! Well researched! Yes, a muslin is a good idea if you're making something for the first time especially if it is fitted. However, I was in a rush (story of my life!) and knew the stretchy material would be forgiving. x Allison
DeleteFabulous dress, the colour really makes it sing! Great shape too, glad you got over your fear of knits they are fun.
ReplyDeleteThank you Louise! I'm happy to have had success with knits, the right machine makes such a difference! x Allison
DeleteThank you Dawn Lucy! Happy New Year! x Allison
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