Sew: Simplicity 1653

You know you're on to a good thing when you wear a dress for the first time and you get heaps of compliments. Winning!

The pattern is one of the Amazing Fit range. I just whipped it together and didn't fit it very much. Once together, the sleeves were really baggy so I took the whole side seam in another 1cm. The dress fits very nicely and there is no gaping across the front. However, by the end of the day I felt that the sleeves were sliding off my shoulders ever so slightly. My bra straps never showed but I could feel the fabric sliding and I kept wanting to pull the sleeves back up.

I used fusible knit stay tape on the neckline before simply turning over and using a twin needle to stitch the neckline. I ignored the instructions.

The fabric is a beautiful printed jersey from Tessuti Fabrics. I don't think it's going to wash well so I will need to be careful when washing. I hope it doesn't pill like a few of my previous printed jersey makes. The fabric is very lightweight and drapey so I need to be careful not to tug it too tight across the wrap. I love the blue colour and the print. Blue is my favourite colour to wear but I don't sew with it very often. I really want to work on that!

Project Details
Pattern: Simplicity 1653 Amazing Fit Knit Dress, view B (with 3/4 sleeves), size 18
Fabric: Printed Jersey from Tessuti Fabrics Online (sold out)
Alterations: Took side seams in an extra 1cm, plus an extra 0.5cm in the underarm area
See Also: Sew & Style | The Pattern Hack | Barbara Jane Made

I have ordered some black viscose jersey from Tessuti and plan to make another version of this dress (or Simplicity 2369) for work. A black knit wrap dress will be a great basic work dress.

Who else loves a good faux wrap dress? What's your favourite pattern?

L x