sewVery: My Casual Lady Dress

Just another quick post to share with you My Casual Lady Dress. I can't say enough great things about this pattern. It is just so easy and quick to sew up! Don't ask me what I'm doing in this picture because I'm not really sure! But hey, at least I look happy! Oh, and casual, too!

In case you didn't see my post earlier this week, I made a Casual Lady Top a couple of weeks ago that I have been wearing constantly! I've enjoyed it so much that I snatched up a bunch of fashion knit remnants (that I got for a steal at Joann's) this past weekend so I can make more.

For the dress, I had already purchased this 95% polyester 5% spandex jersey knit. It is so soft and silky feeling, plus it has just the right amount of stretch to it. After thinking about this dress for almost a week but not having time to cut it out and sew it up, I finally did just that yesterday.

I'm still learning to sew with knits, and this was my first attempt to sew with this type of poly/spandex knit. Everything went smoothly when sewing up the seams on the serger (I used a scrap to test my stitch settings first), but when I went to hem the sleeves on my regular sewing machine, I ran into a snag or two.

First, I decided to use my walking foot right off the bat. I wanted to make sure the fabric didn't slip or slide so that the chevrons would match up along the side seams. I had used a universal needle for all my other knit sewing to date, but on this fabric, the needle caused stitches to be skipped. Luckily, I did have a pack of stretch needles (I have no idea where they came from) in my sewing supplies, and that solved one problem--no more skipped stitches.

Next, I wasn't pleased with the final look of a straight stitch for the sleeve hem. I again used a scrap to test the tension and the stretch of the stitch, and finally I used a very narrow (almost straight) zig zag stitch based on the recommendation of some very smart sewing friends I have. This narrow zig zag stitch gave the hem just a little bit of stretch with a nice overall finished look.

Before I hemmed the bottom, I tried the dress on and found that it was way below my knee, so I chopped off about 3.5" and then sewed that into a sash to wear around my waist. I'll make a note on the pattern about the length for the next time I make one.

I promise I'm not mad! The sun was just so bright!

I love the fit of this dress, especially with the sash tied around my waist. Again, my talented sewing friends offered up some suggestions on how to make the dress more form fitting which I might try to do on the next one. In case you are interested, Andrea, the pattern designer of the Casual Lady Pattern and the creative genius behind The Train to Crazy and Go To Patterns, recommended using 1 to 2 sizes smaller than you normally would for a form fitting, curve hugging dress! Justine from Sew Country Chick suggested trying on the dress inside out and pinning the side seams to make the dress narrow just under the bust. Then you contour the side seams to cinch in that area under the bust creating a more flattering silhouette.

What else can I say to convince you that this pattern is definitely worth the money? How about that all the proceeds go to a great cause--the She's Worth It campaign which helps women and girls around the world who are victims of sex trafficking. You can purchase your copy of The Casual Lady Pattern here.