A trio of knit dresses, adventures with the Cashmerette Appleton!

It is very rare that I repeat the same pattern 3 times in a row in such a short period of time! However, I just fell in love with the Appleton dress. 

The checked version was my muslin. I used a very inexpensive sweater knit from JoAnns that had similar stretch qualities to my fashion fabrics. It turned out well enough to keep as a wearable muslin! Yay, love when that happens!! I have no visions of this dress lasting for years and years. The fabric is not the highest quality and will surely pill quite badly, which is why it was used as my muslin. With that said, I will enjoy it to its fullest while it lasts.

So, why did I make 2 more versions? Well, I simply could not decide on which fabric to use!! So I cut both out at the same time and sewed them up at the same time with black thread in my sewing machine and serger. Not having to change thread colors helped to simplify my decision to do both.

The second reason for making both was purely a factor of comfort and fit. With the Appleton being a full wrap dress the fit is forgiving as I lose weight and comfortable with regards to my abdomen. Fact is I am steadily losing weight with my current pancreas issues and pants with waistbands and more constricting garments can be quite uncomfortable. Although, I have lost enough weight that all my jeans are loose enough to not bother me. I'm trying to stay positive and look at the positives of the weight loss. Soon, I'll have this health stuff all managed and I'll go back to having to work my ass off to lose even an ounce!!

I digress....

Back to my dresses.

Pattern: Appleton by Cashmerette. Comes in sizes 12-28 with 3 different cup sizes c/d e/f g/h

I cut a size 20 c/d from the upper waist and up and to a 24 from the hips down with a nice blend through the waist. 

Fabrics: 

Blue watercolor double faced ITY knit from fabricmart- 100%poly

Electrical Storm Knit, a super soft French knit from Smugglers Daughter- 96%viscose 4%elastic

Black/Brown checked sweater knit from JoAnne super sale table- Unknown likely polyester

Each fabric gives a different look to the dress.

The electrical storm version is probably my most favorite. The fabric is divine and so soft and it's like being wrapped in the sweetest hug! Ahhhh. 

The checked muslin version bugs me because of not having enough fabric to match at the side seams. It's a great dress to throw on, feel comfortable and warm, and go chat with girlfriends.

The blue one is interesting to me, the fabric does not have as much stretch due to being a double faced ITY. You can see this in the pull lines at the side boob area. With the less stretch it feels more like a formal dress to me. Also the vertical wavy lines make for interesting optical effects.

I washed and dried all 3 on delicate before sewing up and after creation have been a red with cold delicate washed and line dried. It's nicer to these fabrics to keep them out of the drier.

So what are my likes and dislike of this pattern?

Likes:

1. I did not have to make my normal pattern adjustments. Most notably my back closed wedge adjustment or as many people call it a sway back adjustment. I don't really have a sway back rather I have a big butt! Those with this trait have an issue with fabric pooling in the lower back just above the butt. 

2. The second adjustment I usually make on surplus dresses and tops of both wrap and mock wrap type is to shorten the front edge to eliminate gaping and to raise the cross area. I don't need super cleavage! I did NO pattern alterations. None at all!

3. I also love the depth of the wrap! No insecure feelings of uh-oh I'm gonna flash the world. It's a good thing! 

Dislikes: I really did not have any. I think you need to pay attention to the area where the ties meet the neck binding and make sure everything lines up or else it could look a little messy once you apply the neckline/tie piece. 

I have already worn these dresses several times! They were a perfect add to my wardrobe for the holidays! 

The blue one was worn to my ASG neighborhood group Holiday brunch and to a work recognition dinner. 

The black/grey one was worn to the opera and to my husbands work holiday party. 

I really love the fact that they can be dressed up or go more casual just with the change of accessories.

This pattern will be put away for a while. Thinking I may visit it in the late spring when I need a warm weather dress. I think it will be darling in short sleeves in a fun summery print!

Next up on the work table a sequin top for my birthday/NYE get together. I've never done much with sequins so this will be an experience!

Hugs from Princess Victoria! Hard to believe this little angel granddaughter of mine will be 18 months on Christmas Eve! 

Simplicity 1801 Cynthia Rowley dress

 This dress had been sitting in my workroom partially finished since before my trip to San Francisco early in September. I was hoping to get it done for that trip. I had wanted a work dress that would work with brown shoes and accesories. 

This photo shows the colors the best! 

When traveling for work I find that it is easiest to either go with black shoes/accesories or Brown shoes/accesories as my base for outfits. This makes for easier packing and planning of outfits! On long trips I will often take both but really felt I was lacking a dress to go with brown. So with just a couple of days to go before my trip I perused my stash and came up with this knit. The colors work perfectly with the Pantone fall colors. It has the reds, the pops of the blue and orchid and of course with it being a print it is always more forgiving at hiding body imperfections. Originally I had thought of using my TNT knit wrap dress pattern but decided I needed to break out of my box.

This Cynthia Rowley pattern was also in my stash. Perfect! That means the dress was free.... Right!?!?!?

If memory serves me correctly I picked up this mid weight ITY knit of of JoAnns super sale racks. It has a nice weight to it without being to heavy. 

This pattern does call for woven materials but I wanted it in a knit, so a knit it was made out of. I made several changes. The biggest was to the neckline. I really love a V neck but I have to muslin them because many times I have to make adjustments so that it is work appropriate and I didn't want to have to wear camisole underneath. Due to the knit I was also able to leave out the zipper. The last change was to cut it 2 inches longer than the shorter dress length. Again, I find some of the dress lengths a little to short for work wear and travel. Nothing worse than having to always be tugging at a neckline and hem or worrying about an inappropriate flash. Nope... That certainly would not do!

When gathering longer areas together I back stitch my gathering stitches at both ends and then pull the threads from the middle. This helps me keep things more evenly gathered as well as there being NO chance that I will accidentally pull one of the stitches out! This dress had LOTS of gathering. At the front and back at the shoulder yokes, at the bodice to the waist and then the skirt to the waist. 

I actually really like this dress quite a lot. However, next time I make it, regardless of knit or woven, I really need to lengthen the front bodice and go down maybe half a size in the upper chest and shoulder area. I also need to stabilize the pockets so I don't get sag. I had some stabilizer tape out on my work table but when you leave a project in works for almost 3 weeks.... Well the brain doesn't always remember what it should.

Here are some rather dull looking selfies from the hotel room! But at least you get an idea of how it looks on me :)

Speaking of that front bodice length. I have noticed a trend over the past year that I feel like in many of my makes from the Big 4 that I need to lengthen the bodice..... I do flat pattern measurements for so many other parts, one would think that I would also measure that!!! No I will! 

Overall I am happy with this make and it is a great addition to my work wardrobe. I can wear it with flats or pair it up with leggings and boots. Very versatile. 

In other sewing news I finally had to purchase a new iron. My old one decided to just quit working and water was just leaking out and even after cleaning it several times it was still gunky and spitting. After having to re-wash several lengths of fabric after trying to iron them I had had enough! I bought this very beautiful and heavy Rowenta from Bed Bath and Beyond with a 20% coupon. Ohhhhh, she is nice!

On a non- sewing front update. I had a follow-up cardiologist appointment this Monday and I have been officially released! My atrial septal aneyeurism has not magically gone away and my mitral valve has not un-prolapsed BUT all of my symptoms are well under control and other than having to lose some weight I am in excellent health! Blood Pressure, Pulse, triglycerides, cholesterol are all in the excellent ranges. All I need to do is just keep following up with my regular general physician. Happy News!!

Parting shots (not the best pics...) of Princess Victoria on her very first swing. And yes.... She is dressed as batman! Thanks to her grandpa :) 

Simplicity 1653 Skull and Roses mock wrap dress

This is one of my TNT knit dress patterns! This is now the third time I have made this dress and it never gets old!!  

My friend Krystal and I dressed for a lunch outing and a play.

I wanted a new dress for spring and I had the PERFECT fabric for it :) a skull and roses print on a baby blue background cotton interlock knit. I saw this fabric used on another blog for a top and fell in love!  I just HAD to have 3 yards from Girl Charlie Fabrics (http://www.girlcharlee.com) I don't see it on the website anymore so they may have sold it out. But, they have many other very cool knit prints. 

Close up of the fabric.

The pattern is one that I like very much. It fits great and easy to make changes in style as well.

This time I used View B sleeve length, the shorter length (on my previous 2 makes I used a midi length) and I widened the skirt for a fuller silhouette. 

Make # 1 http://10sewingmachines.blogspot.com/2013/11/completed-simplicity-1653.html

Make # 2 I never did a full review, guess I was busy during the past winter holidays!! So here is a picture.  

Dress make #1 on the right in purple and dress make #2 on the left in black white and red.

For the skirt I widened the bottom hem 5 inches on the front and back at both side seams, effectively adding 20 inches to the bottom width and tapered to nothing at the waist area. I LOVE the look it gives this dress at the shorter length!!  

As far as pattern matching goes... I couldn't do any at all :( I only had just enough fabric at 3 yards to make the dress with less than quarter yard and little scraps left. Luckily, I don't think the non-pattern matching is not such a big deal with this print. It is nice since it is more of a random all over print placement. 

I think I will need to retire this pattern for a little while and try some of my new ones :) although, I love having a great TNT pattern in my pattern stash to reach for when I need a quick successful make.

I have one more finished garment to blog about. Next up on my work table is some work appropriate clothes.... Specifically moving back to pants again!

Happy Sewing!!