I've been in the sewing mood lately, and I decided I needed wanted a new dress! I've had this navy blue and white polka dot French Terry from my favorite fabric company for a long time intending to make a dress and I'm glad I finally made it happen!
I usually never skip pockets in dresses, and this dress was going to have pockets. However, when it was finished, the pockets weren't laying flat so I removed them. I think a thinner, more flowy fabric would be better suited for pockets.
This is the Uptown Downtown Dress by Stay + Stitch Patterns. The company recently updated the women's pattern, which I only realized after I had cut and sewn my dress. The sizes and variations were updated. The version I have comes with knee length or maxi length options. I wanted a dress past my knees so I added length where the pattern indicated at the waist. However, next time I would probably add length at the hem.
The only change I had to make to the pattern was having to cut the back in two pieces instead of on the fold. I didn't have quite enough fabric to cut the back on the fold, but it still worked out!
This is my first time making a dress for myself in French Terry fabric. It is so comfortable and cozy to wear! Perfect for these not quite yet spring weather days. It may look like spring in these photos, but the wind was so cold!
I'm also wearing my own HANDMADE shoes! I used a kit from A Happy Stitch to make my own Espadrilles. I made them almost a year ago and they are the perfect shoes for spring and summer. They are comfortable too and it is so fun to say that I made my shoes!
The pattern has instructions for a knit binding around the neckline, but I prefer a neckband. It was an easy change to make! I just measure the neckline and multiplied by 0.8 to get my neckband length and it worked out great.
Knit dresses are one of my favorite things to wear because you can look so put together with minimal effort! It's like secret pajamas!
~Elizabeth
