This year I have decided to focus more on my garment sewing, and I have joined #SewMyStyle2018 to help keep myself motivated throughout the year. Each month there is a different pattern to be made plus chances to win prizes and discounts on each of the patterns!
The January pattern was the Sunny Dress/Top by Friday Pattern Company. To avoid printing and taping together a PDF I decided to purchase the paper pattern. The pattern is a simple t-shirt style knit dress and packaging is absolutely amazing. I love that the pattern and instructions come in this little box!
I’ve sewn with knit in the past so I wasn’t worried about tackling this project. My only hesitations came from a few of the comments in the Sew My Style Facebook group about how the pattern was written. The pattern calls for set in sleeves, but with a knit that can prove to be tricky. So I ended up not following the directions and stitched the sleeves on flat then stitched the arm seams and side seams in one stitch.
My first attempt was made using a children’s novelty knit that I had in my stash. Definitely not something I would wear out of the house, but it was a great way to check the fit of the garment before committing to making it with the more expensive knit I had ordered. Plus I ended up making myself some new pajamas!
I cut a size large and overall it is pretty baggy. Since the large was too big, I cut a medium and tried again with another batch of knit that was in my stash. That version made me look like a sausage. There are not enough spanx in the world to squeeze my booty into that dress.
My third and final attempt at making this pattern work was trying to tackle making just the shirt version. Again I cut the size medium but I used a 3/8″seam allowance instead of a 5/8″. That simple change helped with the fit and I actually ended up with something that I could wear outside the house.
Thankfully I had a big stack of knit fabrics in my stash because I went through a bunch of it trying to make this pattern work. I’m ultimately happy with the shirt I made, but I don’t know if I will be trying this pattern again any time soon.
Are you sewing along with Sew My Style?
