1930s Knitwear

I just love it when a plan comes together!

After thinking about this pattern/fabric combo for quite some time, I finally went for it.

The current Pattern Review contest gave me the motivation I needed to jump right into another knit project.

(Not that I need an excuse to play with polka dots!)

And while I had to fight with my serger to get through this project, I am beginning to get over my fear of knit fabrics.

The way the skirt is drafted does not allow for pattern matching, so the cut off polka dots are driving me slightly crazy, but it is also rather freeing not to worry about those sort of things every once in a while.  And besides, the dots are so random, I don't think most people would even notice.

I do think this design works quite well in a knit.  

One of the reasons I attempted it was because the skirt is fairly slim fitting for a contemporary Butterick pattern.  I knew this because of the rayon version I previously made, and I thought it would be an interesting experiment to use a knit without making many fit changes.  The most exciting part was not having to add a zipper!

I have a fair amount of the ivory with black dots version of this fabric leftover - definitely enough to make myself a top.

I have a couple of ideas, and I could absolutely use more polka dots in my life!  So there may be more knit projects in my future . . .

Black & Ivory Polka Dots

A couple of weeks ago, I decided it was time to make another knit dress.  Yes, my first and only other knit dress is also polka dotted.  So sue me - I have a polka dot addiction - they are very hard to resist, in my opinion.

The pattern I chose for my polka dots was Butterick 6410.  Ever since I pulled my first version of the dress out of the closet last September, I wanted to make another.  But this time, I thought I would try using the design with a knit fabric.

But then, my silly phobia about working with knits would rear its ugly head and the project was put on the back burner.

Since I had two contrasting polka dot prints in black and ivory calling my name, it was only a matter of time until I got the courage to cut into the rayon/spandex knit.  And after a bit of a hunt to find my fabric, I was off to the races.  (It's a clear sign that there is too much fabric in my home when I can't put my hands on a specific piece that I know I have.)

I used a narrow zig zag on the sewing machine to stitch the seams.  And then I pulled out the serger . . .

Yikes.  To be honest, there were some harsh words, and a threat to pitch the whole thing out the window.  You see, I decided to be a big girl and change the threads, and that's where it all went wrong.

I must have re-threaded the darn thing four times.  And it turns out, the only thing I was doing wrong was not pulling the thread taught through the tension dials (a step which is inconveniently left out of the YouTube videos I was watching - Arghhh!).  But reading the instruction manual out loud step by step finally made me realize my mistake.

At least I feel a lot more comfortable re-threading the darn thing after that ordeal!

And there is something very satisfying about sending a raw edge through a machine that comes out neatly finished on the other side.  I remember that feeling when using sergers in the costume shop in college.  Of course, I was not expected to maintain and re-thread those machines!

And while we are not best friends, I am learning to cohabitate and be civil with my serger.

One thing is for sure, using knit fabric and a serger sure speeds the sewing process up.  

But rest assured, I am never going to give up my Hug Snug seam binding.

I actually used it to stabilize seams on this dress - first, on the shoulders, and also on the front neckline opening.

There are probably more popular stabilizing options when working with knits, but I hate that clear elastic stuff, not to mention the fact that I don't have any in my sewing room, and I love when I do not have to buy any new items to make myself a new garment.  This was one of those projects, and for that reason alone I wan't about to make a special trip to the fabric store to purchase clear elastic. 

I borrowed a technique used in the Vogue 1027 instructions - adding a piece of elastic to a casing made using the waistline seam allowances.

With the help of my serger, this looks slightly more professional looking than my navy polka dot Donna Karan knock-off, but I am still going to have to work on my serger technique.

And I never really know how tight to make the elastic, so I inevitably need to shorten and re-stitch the ends together which happens to be one of my least favorite things to do on a sewing machine.

But I think the weight of this textile and the length of the garment will be served well by the addition of said elastic.  The fabric does have good stretch recovery, so I am hoping it doesn't  stretch too much vertically.

The final piece of the puzzle was the hem.  I am still not sure what to do with a knit hemline, but this time I used EZ-Steam.  It's a bit finicky to work with, but it does make topstitching look a lot nicer.  But what do you use if the hemline needs to stretch in order to get a garment on and off the body?  Because this stuff definitely would not work for one of those garments!

Dress Up Time

I have been meaning to make Butterick 6410 for years.  The copyright on the re-issue is 1999, and I imagine I purchased it soon thereafter.  Every time I have an event, I pull this pattern out and wonder when the heck I am going to try it out.  

A Symphony fundraiser last week was the perfect opportunity to get started.  I did not have a whole lot of time, but there are not very many pieces to deal with and the construction did not look terribly difficult.  After admiring the illustration, for instance, I assumed that the skirt would be cut on the bias – I was wrong.  Which means that this pattern did not require the massive amount of yardage I was expecting.  Whoo-hoo!

I purchased a bunch of rayon jacquard in different prints from fabric.com ages ago for an incredible deal.  Over the past couple of years it has come in handy.  This dress is one of my favorites (and I actually wore it to work today) and I recently made another in the second print/color.

There is quite a bit leftover in this red, so back in the drawer it will go until the perfect pattern comes to mind.

The pattern comes with its own jacket, which is always handy.  I actually made a version years ago - it matches nothing in my closet, so it was probably worn once or twice at the most and is keeping company with other abandoned articles of clothing.

Since I was going to be out at night, I thought it would be a good idea to make the jacket if a suitable fabric was easy to find.  What I came up with was a length of velvet.  And the jacquard pattern in the rayon almost matches the velvet perfectly!

The bolero in black velvet made me think of vintage Balenciaga and Schiaparelli, which in turn reminded me of the ball fringe that I came across last time I walked through JoAnn Fabrics.  No, my fringe is not made of silk, and not nearly as stunning, but I do love the look!

While the exact fiber content is long forgotten, this velvet must have a significant bit of rayon because a quick steam and the seam allowances flattened right out.

And there happened to be a bunch of fake flowers in my sewing room that match back perfectly – a quick snip with a pair of wire clippers, and I had the perfect accessory.

This is one of my favorite pictures because if you look very closely, you will notice a photo-bombing quail in the upper corner with his cute little topknot.  There are usually a ton of busy bees buzzing about, but since the flowers are missing from the hedge at the moment, they are on hiatus.  Instead, I have a friendly little bird looking over my shoulder.

But back to the pattern!  I love the two-tone look of the illustration, and think that I love this design enough to try another version at some point.  The skirt would look lovely in a deep burgundy silk velvet with a ivory silk bodice . . . or something like that!

Dress & Jacket:  Made by me, Butterick 6410

Earrings:  Judith Jack

Shoes:  Nine West

Clutch:  Banana Republic