DIY Cap Sleeve Dress
I made this dress in a fit of speed sewing. I found out that I wouldn't have access to my courtyard (aka my outdoor photo studio) for 4-6 weeks so I wanted to take as many photos as possible before the cut off. Seriously, if you're looking for a quick make, this is a very fast and satisfying project. I had this dress finished in just a matter of hours.
The pattern is the Nettie Dress & Bodysuit by Closet Case Files. This is my first time making the dress version of the Nettie and I must say it is very form fitting. It will likely only get out and about for special weekend occasions. I'd feel too self-conscious to wear it on weekdays. I've made the bodysuit twice before, once with sleeves and once with cap sleeves. I drafted the cap sleeves myself by drawing an extension of the front and back shoulder pieces. It gives a little more coverage and is even faster to sew because you don't have to attach a separate sleeve. My cap-sleeve bodysuit is one of my favorite pieces to wear. It's super comfy and creates a very trim silhouette. It's especially great for wearing with high waisted skirts. Right now, I wish I had like five more of them in my closet so I could wear one every day. I just need to get my hands on more 4-way stretch knit fabric. By the way, did you see yesterday's DIY Outfit post for a stretch lace bodycon dress? I am currently dreaming about a lace bodysuit too.
You might recognize the fabric I used from this dress I made a few months ago. The fabric is from Art Gallery Fabrics and is a dream to work with. It's the perfect weight, not too light and not too thick. I need to make a point to get more of their knits.
I made this dress in one evening and it would have been even faster if I hadn't struggled with some tension issues while top stitching. To make the dress I just had to stitch side and shoulder seams, bind the neckline and hem the sleeves and skirt. For hemming I put wooly nylon thread in the bobbin and used a twin needle. I threaded the machine as my manual recommends but the stitching was getting caught up and tangled. I was able to fix it by flipping over my thread spool so that the thread ran in the opposite direction. I really like using wooly nylon in the bobbin when using a twin needle because it stretches a bit and keeps the top stitches from creating a ridge.
One final note, about undies! After taking these photos I realized how much the lines of my bra showed through the dress. I have some seamless undies for the bottom half that do a great job of not showing (see them here or here). I recently bought a bra without any padding (why are they so hard to find these days?) and I think it will do a better job of providing a smooth look. But, I'm wondering do you have a go-to bra style that doesn't show through tight tops?
