Monday, July 30, 2018

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 309 - Model #188 - Summer 2018
Knit Dress with Contrast Bands (plus updated shorter version)

I recently inherited a bunch of fabric from a dear neighbor and as soon as I saw this fabric I knew exactly which pattern to use. This turned out to be a very comfortable pullover type dress with enough style to dress it up for evenings too. 

Pattern Hints:  
There are a few pattern pieces to draw for this dress but in my opinion it is well worth the time. 
There is one error on this pattern. The arrow in the photo below points to where there is a number missing. There are ten dots to draw for the back piece but only nine numbers. I just drew a line perpendicular to the center back at the same level as the dot on the opposite side.
Fabric Used/Suggested:  
My fabric is a medium weight knit interlock with fine ribbing for the contrast bands. I'm sure many knits would lend themselves well to this pattern. I'm thinking of a sweater knit with long sleeves for a Fall into Winter version. You might even get away with a very stretchy woven as long as you install the side zipper. For the contrast bands I would suggest a fabric with a good amount of stretch and excellent recovery so the waist band can hold the weight of the full skirt without distortion.

Design Changes:  
The only design change I made to this pattern was to leave off the side zipper. My fabric was plenty stretchy enough to slip it over my head. I do have a few design changes planned for future iterations of this dress though. I can see this becoming a staple pattern for me by switching out different sleeves and skirt shapes.

Closing Hints:  
The shape of the skirt and the bodice of this dress are so appealing to me that I already have plans to make it into a short dress to wear with leggings and even a top to dress up some jeans. With the ability to exchange skirt and sleeve pieces this pattern becomes endlessly versatile. 

Maybe my next version should be a darker one so I can wear it to work at the chocolate 
shop. 😉

Happy sewing everyone,
Ann in Calif.