Supplement 320 - Model #54 - 2021
Sheath Dress for knit fabrics
Hi there folks, here we are, sliding into another new year. It seemed a good time to sort through the fabric stash that I inherited a while back. Well, ..... this piece of fabric practically called to me as I handled it. I was blown away by how much it reminded me of the Tommy Hilfiger apparel I had just seen at the stores! The next step was to find a classic knit dress pattern to replicate the shape. Luckily, with Lutterloh patterns, you can exchange similar sleeve patterns so I knew this model #54 would suit the purpose just fine.
Pattern Hints:
After drawing many Lutterloh patterns the process does get quite a bit faster and this pattern was no exception. Without the sleeve to draw out, it is really just two pieces, a front and a back. Your sleeve pattern, whichever you choose, is just one more piece. If you choose to use facings you'll still be using the same pattern pieces.
It
seems the trick to getting a really great fit on such a close fitting
dress is to make sure the waist and hip curves are in the right places. Fonnell wrote a great post a while back that explains a way to help get this just right. There is a link to that post on our side bar, #7 adjusting for the curves, shoulders, hips etc.
Design Changes:
I did notice, after enlarging the pattern, that the neckline, like so many others lately, was a little too open for me. I knew I could change that at the same time that I made it a deeper scoop. 
The photo above represents the changes that I made to the front of this pattern to get the dress I am wearing in my completed photo. I lowered the neckline by an inch and a half and extended the shoulder line inward by a half inch to give me more of a scoop neckline. I also cut the pattern apart below the line for the shorter version so I could add 3 more inches to the length. When altering the back pattern to match, I only changed the shoulder and length. This was always intended to be a casual dress for me so rather than using facings I finished the neck, sleeves and even the hem with a ribbing band.
Fabric Used/Suggested:
The model for this dress appears to be wearing a sweater dress and I'm sure this would be a terrific option for this pattern. Because it's such a classic shape, there are so many knits that would work great for this pattern. As I mentioned earlier, this particular piece of cotton knit fabric dictated the pattern for me. Unfortunately, I only had a limited amount of this fabric and just couldn't find a way to squeeze out the sleeves. I decided a coordinating yet similar fabric would have to do. I love the result of my intentionally different fabric! The ribbing seemed like the best way to pull all this together and now I have a nice, casual dress to wear once the weather warms up.
Closing Hints:
I have been looking for a classic knit sheath dress pattern and I think I've finally found it. I made a sheath pattern some time ago by combining two patterns and that actually worked just fine. You can see that dress here. The best part about having a pattern already drafted for the right shape is the ease with which you can draw it again in any size. This one is a keeper!
I hope you are all finding some time for sewing or at the very least perusing your Lutterloh patterns for the future. Stay warm everyone.
Happy Sewing then,
Ann in Calif.
