Bad Blogger

So I’ve been slacking in my blogging, bad blogger. It’s been a crazy, wild, fun summer. Trips, visits, concerts…very busy to say the least. Last post I said would put up pics of my projects, those are still coming, but in the mean time I wanted to show the last piece I finished. This would be New Look 6936. It is a lovely kimono sleeve, empire waist, cross front dress. I would consider this a Spring, Summer or Fall dress, as the sleeves would make it difficult to fit a jacket or sweater.

Fabric Used? I used a T-Shirt type knit fabric I got off Joann’s clearance racks. I guess it’s bad I don’t remember this stuff, if I pay attention to it at all. I mostly go by touch and if the pattern envelope says I need one with stretch or not. It’s a lovely purple snake skin print, and the instant I saw it I knew I wanted to make a dress of it.

Were the instructions easy? Very easy. The directions were clear and concise and the pictures were not confusing to follow, which is mostly what I do. The pattern envelope promised a 2 hour dress, and that’s about what it took. The pattern was cut out one night, and the dress sewed the next while I watched parts of White Collar and Covert Affairs.

Pattern alterations? The only alteration I made to the pattern was to add 2 inches to the upper front pieces, to accommodate my ample boobage, and 1 inch to the back to make the transition easier. Also, instead of folding and stitching the neckline I did a binding technique I learned from Rachel over at designrefinebemine. It is so simple and easy, and now I do it on every single knit piece I make. It is so much easier than stay stitching or worrying about the fold over puckering. And with this technique you get a nice finish that will lay against your chest and neck.

Her technique, and my new technique

Measure

Cut

Sorry about the blurry-ness, if you can't make it out

you fold the binding in half

Attach it to the right side of the garment

At this point you want to stretch the binding just a 

little to ensure it lays flat

At the end, and only if your thread is a perfect match,

zig-zag the two pieces together where they meet. Otherwise

use a needle and closely matching thread to tac ends together

Likes/Dislikes and would I make it again? There weren’t any dislikes. The pattern was very straight forward and came together very quickly and easily. I don’t believe it took me more than 2 ½ hours total to cut it out and sew it, interrupted by me watching TV of course. I would definitely make this dress again, and will. I kinda want to make it out of every knit in my stash, but I think people at work would think me weirder if I started showing up in the same dress in different colours every day. 

Thanks for tuning in, come again

Angie