A Little Dress For Fall

When this season started things were still quite warm outside and the autumn-themed dresses I'd bought for my little lady were still too heavy.  I wanted to make a good layering dress for the in-between weather and came up with this simple one:

It's a littler girl version of my Sleeveless Sunday Dress, which I have free PDF patterns for in size 8-10

and tween size 10-14: 

  I'd been wanting to make a smaller one so my two girls can have matching dresses and finally got around to mocking one up with these fabrics.

I'd been hoarding this fall-themed organic cotton fabric (Fort Firefly by Birch) for AGES.  I had a selection of these pretty coordinating 1/2yd cuts but could never come up with a good enough project to justify cutting into them.  So they sat on the shelf for many an autumn.  Since this was a small enough sized dress, it meant they finally got used, which is great since they're so cute:

Like my bigger girl versions, this lined bodice dress snaps up the back:

  I paired it with a little crochet sweater I'd found tucked away amongst my great grandmother's things.  She'd made it more than 25 years ago, but had never gifted it to anyone.  She had been an avid crocheter her whole life and had made countless sweaters, hats and blankets for us when we were small.  I'd loved putting them on as a child.  It warmed my heart to see my littlest daughter wearing this one, as though it was meant just for her:

I made the bodice a bit shorter on this toddler size.  

I do plan to offer this as a free PDF pattern like my bigger ones, but this was my test version to make sure the fit was right.  Apart from her drooling all over it just before I took the photos, I was happy with it.

Since I only had 1/2yds of these particular prints, the skirt wasn't as full as I'd originally planned.  I've got a lot more yardage of a Christmas print that I'm planning to use with this pattern to make her holiday dress this year so that version will be fuller and I'll roll out the free pattern with that one:)

Now that the weather is turning colder, I'm pairing it with some cable knit tights and either a long sleeved onesie underneath or a cardigan over it.  A cute little outfit and I finally stash busted a bit.  Hooray!

Melly Sews Empire Waist Maxi Dress Pattern Review

More maxi dress making over here!  Today I'm sharing my latest maxi dress make and accompanying pattern review of Melly Sews Empire Waist Maxi Dress Pattern. 

In June I shared that one of my summer sewing goals was to make myself some maxi dresses.  I made it into a dress making challenge for myself (and anyone who wanted to join me) by noting some maxi dress patterns I'd found and was considering trying and this is one of them.  

A few weeks ago I shared my results with the 

Seamingly Smitten Racerback Maxi Dress Pattern:

And now I'm onto Melly Sews Empire Waist Maxi Dress Pattern.  One of the big reasons I decided to try this one was that it was free.  You can't beat that price!  Another was that I've sewn some of her other patterns and they were straightforward, simple sew items that were really flattering, like this Blank Slate T-Shirt Pattern: 

So I felt confident giving this pattern a go and it did not disappoint.

The finished result is definitely flattering and comfortable.  I LOVED the colors and print of the fabric chosen for her sample, so I was hoping I could make one I liked as much with fabric I had in my stash.  My 4 way stretch knit was one I'd bought on a vacation eons ago while in Canada (because prioritizing going to fabric stores on vacation is totally normal, right?).  I'd been saving it to make myself something to wear, but hadn't found the right thing until now.

As I've mentioned in past pattern reviews I'm not any kind of affiliate, so this is an unbiased, independent review.

Pattern Review Time!

The big plus for me was this free pattern came in my size, S (4-6).  If you need bigger, you'd need to scale it up accordingly.  The original pattern tutorial (which is where the actual pdf pattern pieces can be found) was called the Striped Maxi Sundress and also featured a drawstring waist.  I skipped that bit and just ran elastic through the casing and sewed it closed.

The bodice is the only printable part of the pattern - you do have to measure out the skirt portion.  My print was non-directional so I was able to place my pieces creatively to make the entire dress from 1.5yds rather than the 3yds indicated in the how-to.   

The dress is self-lined at the bodice which was SO nice and easy to sew.  No fiddly bits on the neckline or arm areas, which made it come together really fast.  

It's also nice in that it gets the all-important neckline right.  It's not too low and lies flat at the chest:

The instructions are really clear and there are lots of photos, so if even you're a new to sewing or just to sewing with knits you'll be fine.  Melissa also has a helpful YouTube channel, Melly Sews, where she shares a lot of tips & help for apparel sewing, modifying patterns and sewing with knit fabric.  

Now I've got another beautiful, bargain priced, summer dress and another go-to maxi dress pattern for future seasons. 

My Pattern Review Score?  

Sewing With Double Brushed Poly Knit

Sewing with new-to-me fabrics is one of my favorite things and I've been spending the past couple weeks trying out an incredible versatile fabric: Double Brushed Poly Knit Fabric.  Besides always wanting to give it a whirl, my other reason is that I've just added this fabric type to my shop and I needed to test drive them to see just how well they'd sew in a number of different projects.  

There wasn't a ton of info out there about sewing with this fabric, so I'm sharing a few simple DBP knit sewing tips I've learned to make it easy to get great results and have maximum project possibilities with this wonderful type of fabric.  

Dream Big DBP Knit

What is Double Brushed Polyester Knit? 

A medium weight stretch knit fabric that:

- is 95% polyester, 5% spandex

- brushed on both sides to give it an ultra soft feel

-  has 4 way, 50% stretch 

- has good recovery to give it the perfect drape and shape

It also 

- does not shrink or fray

- is 56 inches wide for lots of project possibilities

Love Never Fails DBP Knit

What can you make with Double Brushed Poly Knit?  

SO many wonderful and wearable things.  Leggings, dresses, tops, scarves, headbands, loungewear, pajamas, underwear, plus blankets, soft toys, pillows....sky's the limit!   

I've been sewing up a storm with them and have LOVED the results.  I made myself this maxi dress...

which is SO comfy to wear thanks to the buttery soft finish:

And a sweet tween dress for my 11yr old to wear to church:

With a matching headband with the scraps leftover since the fabric is so nice & wide:

I also made some relaxing lounge pants that are the perfect weight for summer:

How do you sew with it?  

You can use a regular sewing machine, overlock or serger.  

Here are the best ways to sew with it on a basic sewing machine for perfect assembly & finish.

Needles

Start with the right needles for knits.  

Those designated as stretch or ball point will easily go through this knit without pulling.  

I also recommend using a stretch twin needle for a professional finish on hems & necklines and to have that all important stretch too.

The result is two perfectly even rows of stitches:  

Stitches

It's key to use a stitch that will stretch.  Basic narrow zig-zag, triple stitch, triple zig-zag, overcasting/knit stitch (this being my favorite one) all work great, as do a few others.  Consult your machine manual for all possible options.  Unlike normal straight stitches, these provide give and strength which are needed when sewing with knit fabric.  Sewing straight stitches means the fabric can't stretch without breaking the thread - you definitely don't want that!

Walking Foot  

Not required, but this specialty presser foot grips fabric from the top (instead of just the feed dogs underneath), so the even hold keeps layers from creeping or stretching while you sew.  Most machines do not come with one, but it makes a big difference when sewing knits, so it's worth getting one and they are not very expensive.  Added bonus: it's great for quilting & woven sewing!

Paper-backed Fusible Tape

This item is also optional, but makes hemming Double Brushed Poly Knit very easy.  Simply iron onto the wrong side along the fabric edge and then peel away the paper, fold closed and press into place to fuse the hem, then sew.  It stabilizes the fabric so it won't pull or stretch while sewing and no pinning will be needed, which saves time too. It also means you'll measure a perfect hem every time!

With these few tips in mind you'll be ready to sew all sorts of soft & beautiful things with Double Brushed Poly Knits!  If you like these prints, you can find them, and more lovely DBP knit fabric designs, HERE.

My DIY'd Little Lamb Easter Baby Dress Set & Teether

What could be sweeter for Easter for a baby girl than a little lamb outfit?  I thought it would be an ideal change from the usual bunnies & flowers and better suited to the meaning of the holiday.

 

I couldn't find a pattern that had all the features I wanted: puff sleeves, full skirt, pullover neckband, so I drafted up my own. 

 

 

Since the weather here usually is chilly at Easter, I also made a coordinating pair of leggings with the Ottobre Design Lola pants pattern:

 

 

I used that pant pattern it just a month ago with this outfit:

 

 

The fabric I used this time was a soft rib knit velour, that is cuddly, but light in weight:

 

I also used it for the neckband on the dress and the color was a perfect match:

 

I also found some decorative lace elastic in my stash so I added that as an extra detail on the sleeves:

 

I even made a matching silicone teether toy (and one to send as a gift for my baby nephew too):

 

 

I'll be honest though, I didn't think this new Easter outfit would be done in time.  I literally just finished it and it was 50/50 until the last stitch that I was going to have to scrap the dress and scramble to do something else.  The fabric was super cute, and I'd bought it months ago eagerly waiting to use it for Easter, but it just didn't seem to want to cooperate.  Literally everything seemed to go wrong. 

 

 

There were several times when the thread randomly bunched up during basic stitching.  Total bird nests.  The fabric curled quite a bit when cut and shifted around a lot when sewing too, even when well pinned and using a walking foot.  Even with fresh bobbin, re-threading & fresh needle it was fiddly, which was odd since euro knits usually sew like a dream.  My seam ripper got a work out!

 

My gathering technique with cord for the skirt portion normally works well too - where you baste a wide zig-zag around some thin cord to easily pull the ends & gather.  This time the cord kept jumping as I stitched so it threaded through the cord in a number of spots.  That meant I couldn't pull it without snipping those stitches.  It should look like this, captured between them:

 

And I'm not going to totally blame the fabric, because I may have made the sleeves a little tight with the elastic as well. 

 

 

When I first stretched the elastic to gather the sleeves it didn't seem to cinch up enough and looked too loose despite it being several inches shorter than the sleeve width.  I tried steaming it to shrink up a little, but it did nothing.  So I unpicked an entire sleeve and stretched the elastic a bit more as I sewed, which looks better, but may now be a bit too snug on her chubby arms.  

 

I'm going to try it on her today & if it is I may do a chop shop on the sleeves to remove that section and re-hem them (thank God I made them a little longer than I usually do so there's a little extra length there!).  I also ran out of my favorite fusible tape, which makes hemming on knits that curl MUCH easier, so there was more messing around to finish that too.

 

I was really pleased with how quick the teether toys came together though.  I'd bought the beads from different places, but I feel like they paired together really well:

 

I'd originally planned to make them circular but didn't like how they looked as I threaded them, so I did clip versions instead and these cute angel wing heart teethers I had in my bead stash were perfect for the tail ends:

 

When all is said & done, the outfit did turn out as I'd imagined despite the hurdles.  I'm going to try my pattern on another fabric and if it works out there, I'll make it into a free PDF & tutorial.

 

 

Happy Easter!