Venturing Into the World of Knit Fabric – Double Down Day Dress by Ragamuffin Patterns in French Terry

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Welcome to Day 3 of the Breaking Ground Blog Tour, hosted by Mahlica Designs. See below for all the other creatives taking part, as well as the giveaway info!

I am breaking ground with both the pattern designer and fabric type. This is my first pattern by Little Ragamuffin, and it is my first really successful foray into knit fabrics.

The pattern is the Double Down Day Dress, with long sleeves. I made it three times in varying weights of French terry. I cut a size XS at the top, grading out to S through the waist. The major alteration which I made on all three versions is lengthening the waist by two inches. This is fairly standard for me since I am long-waisted.

The assembly is very simple – the sleeves are sewn onto the body of the dress at the armhole, then the side and sleeve seams are sewn as one! No set in sleeves! The bands are also much easier to attach than I was expecting.

The first one is the elephants. This is one is a fairly thin French terry with a nice drape. I did the crew neckline and didn’t make any other alterations. Overall it fits fairly well, but the sleeves are just a bit short. They ride up when I move.  The cuffs are also slightly tight.

The second version is the blue one. This one is a thicker French terry, brushed on the back. It is super cozy and I’m wearing it as I write this! I lengthened the sleeves by an inch, which turned out to be too much. So I resewed the cuff seam to take out half an inch and that is about right. I also added an inch to the circumference of the cuff, which is more comfortable. The neckline is widened by an inch on either side, and raised in the front by one inch.  I was going for a boat neckline, but it came out a bit small. I do like the wider width though.

The third and final version (so far!) is the green one. This is a custom French terry from 42 Custom Fabric who are based in the UK. It is a bit thicker and has more body than the other two, and it is a coordinate from the Green Man series. For this one, I took the lessons from the blue version and lengthened the sleeves by only half an inch. This came out just right. The neckline on this one is the width of the blue one and the depth of the elephant one. I think I like this wider/deeper neckline the best. This version is also about 2 inches shorter than the other two because I didn’t have quite enough fabric.

As regards working with knits, I found it surprisingly easy. I was expecting it to be a struggle and the necklines to be all sorts of misshapen. But that didn’t happen! When laying out the fabric for cutting I made sure not to stretch it out. I was also very careful not to stretch anything that shouldn’t be stretched when sewing, since stay-stitching would defeat the object.

I don’t have a straight stretch stitch on my machine, so I experimented with different widths and lengths of zigzag until I found one which seemed to work. I ended up with a short, narrow stitch. I now have a serger, so the next one of these will be done using that!

Overall, I love this pattern. It is an elegant, but deceptively simple design and the pattern itself is well laid out and easy to follow. I’ve been practically living in these dresses. They are so comfy for pottering around the house, but also look nice for going out.

I’ve also discovered the joys of sewing with knits! I’d always been a bit scared of anything stretchy. Many years ago, I attempted to make a knit top, and it was one of the few serious sewing failures which ended up in the bin. This time went far, far better, and I look forward to doing more!

Pattern

Double Down Day Dress by Little Ragamuffin

Description

A simple knit dress with princess seams, and a choice of neckline and sleeve.

Difficulty

Confident beginner – You’ve made a few things and even wear them! You know how to use interfacing, press a seam, clip a curve and make darts.

Fabric

Version 1: Thin French Terry, Maroon Elephants

Version 2: Brushed French Terry, Plain Blue

Version 3: Thicker French Terry, Green Floral

Instructions

The instructions are very easy to follow, and include detailed photos of each step.

Alterations

I did my usual grading between sizes and lengthening at the waist. I ended up shortening the sleeves by half an inch and widening the cuff circumference by an inch (seen on the blue and green versions). I also played with the neckline. The maroon is the standard crew neck. The blue is wider and shallower. The green is wider and deeper.

Conclusions

I will absolutely make this again. This is now my go-to comfy dress pattern. I love how easily it goes together and the fact that it is like wearing a sweatshirt but still looks nice for going out.

Welcome to the Breaking Ground Blog Tour 2019. This year over 25 bloggers from around the world are joining us to break new ground by trying a pattern designer that is new to them, try new techniques, new styles, or whatever way they want to push themselves. (Read on for Giveaway info) The Full Tour includes all these creatives… we hope you’ll visit us each day:

Monday March 11– That’s Sew Lily, Sewing A La Carte, Mijn 11jes & ik

Tuesday March 12– mahlicadesigns, Embrace Everyday, Jot Designs, auschick sews, Raising Stripling Warriors

Wednesday March 13– Musings of A Seamstress, Very Blissful, Sew4Five, Just Sew Something, Hazelnut Handmade, Crafting Through Time (YOU ARE HERE!), Tales From A Southern Mom

Thursday March 14– Make It Sew with the Bear and Pea Atelier, Ronda B Handmade, SequioaLynn Sews, Sewing with D, The Sewing Goatherd, OOYAmade, My Golden Thimble, Custom Made by Laura

Friday March 15– Sew Cute Couture by Kathy, Sewing Novice, Ronda B Handmade, Momma Bear Sews, MeMade, My Golden Thimble, Lulu & Celeste

Breaking News: our tour sponsor Phat Quarters is offering 2 patterns of choice from her pattern shop to one lucky winner.

We’d love to see how you’re Breaking Ground this month. Share with us what you’re working on by using the hashtag #BreakingGround2019 across social media!

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