Supplement 292 - Model #202 - Spring 2014
Knit Sheath Dress
Next week I'll be on vacation in Mexico and figured I would need some dresses that were easy to wear as well as easy to pack. This Lutterloh dress certainly fits the bill. The bust darts appear as tucks in the shoulders and there are long shaping darts on both front and back.
Pattern Drafting Hints:
I love the shoulder darts on this dress and found with the fabric that I used I didn't even need the long shaping darts in front or back. With a thinner knit or one with more drape the darts would likely be necessary to give this dress some shape.
Fabric Used/Suggested:
The label for this fabric is long gone from my collection but it appears to be a "techno knit" of some sort. The zebra print only appears on the front surface and is really soft and slightly "brushed" feeling. The back of the fabric is a strange nylon looking, almost spongy texture. There is most definitely some spandex in this fabric because despite its medium weight it has great stretch and excellent recovery. I made leggings for my niece out of the leftovers from this fabric and they don't even bag out at the knees.
Although a medium weight knit is not necessary for this dress I would definitely suggest your fabric have good recovery once stretched.
Design Changes:
I already mentioned skipping the darts for this dress but I also left out the back zipper and back vent at the bottom. The stretch of this particular knit is so comfortable they just weren't necessary and I admit I was in a bit of a hurry to get this done. My well known distaste for facings in knits forced me to use my satin edge elastic again on both the neckline and arm holes. You can see the application for that elastic on this post.
Closing Tips:
This dress pattern really is a classic shape with the additional comfort of an easy fitting knit. I'll certainly have to try this again in another fabric to see if I like it as well.
Well, off to Mexico for me! I hope you all find some time for sewing while I'm gone.
Hasta la vista,
Ann in Calif.
