My $2 Nautical Dress - Vogue 8667

A few weeks ago I was searching the racks at Goodwill and found a gem in the linens section. This stable knit was hanging there with a $4 price tag, just begging to be taken home. I took all 3 yards to the register and got it half off for $2. This double knit is soft and stretchy.
I decided to use Vogue 8667, a wovens pattern, because some people on patternreview.com have had success using it with double knits.

I cut it out and sewed most of it in an evening. I used clear elastic to reinforce the shoulder and waist seams. I took it in a bunch at the side seams and center back, and it fits like a glove. I think I brought the neckline up, but now I can't really remember.

I was going to take pictures outside, but we just got 8" of snow last night. It's chilly!

Hmm...didn't know that the back bodice bunched a bit in this picture. I wonder if it's just the way I'm standing or if the fit needs adjusting.

I used my twin needle to finish the sleeve edges and skirt hem edge. I folded the neckline over 1/2" and also finished it with the twin needle. I'm glad I took a risk instead of doing a facing. It would have just added bulk.

Dude! It's time for spring. Look at those white legs! Why do we keep getting snow?! We're getting another storm tomorrow. I forgot to take down my snowflake ballerinas. One of them makes an appearance in these pictures. In other news, the hem looks flawless. Oh, how I love stable knits!

This is probably the first dress I've made that is a basic. I can dress it up or down. I can wear it with a brown belt and boots or red heels and a long necklace. I can wear it with a cardigan in colder weather. I could probably even wear it with cute white Keds.

I removed 3/8" at center front and back to account for the stretchiness of the knit. I can fit into this dress without a zipper, so I omitted that.

I wasn't crazy about the way the back bodice distorts the sleeves, pulling them back. I sewed this dress in a woven last winter and it was a disaster. With the woven, it felt like the fit of the sleeve was cutting off my circulation. Thank goodness for forgiving knits! This dress is sooo comfy. If I use this pattern again, I'm going to try to fix the sleeve issue. Other people on patternreview.com complained of this problem.
Here are some other examples of how to accessorize a navy-striped dress:
Belted:

bananarepublic.com

modcloth.com
Red lips, shoes and purse:

zimbio.com


I love the idea of adding a red belt:

modcloth.com