I finished my dress from Cal Patch’s Pattern Drafting with Knits class!  I am pretty happy with my first attempt at my updated pattern for working with knits, though it was not without its challenges. Some of the challenges were self inflicted (“I know this isn’t what Cal recommended, but I’m going to try this” bad idea), and others were just growing pains as I began to learn the techniques she shares. The dress almost got thrown out of the window this weekend due to my frustration when things didn’t work out well initially, but I’m really glad I persevered.

The color is the most accurate in the top image, but I still wanted to share a few more views of the dress. There are a few things that I will do differently next time. It turned out too big in the underarm area. I will adjust the pattern to correct that next time. This time, I just added another seam about 1/2″ in from the original seam. Also, the hem is a bit ripply. I will try a twin needle hem next time to see if that fixes it.  Finally, I didn’t do the greatest job finishing the armholes and neckline, but it was my first attempt at using elastic around the neck and armholes to finish a knit. I will play with that a bit and see if I can improve it. It’s just an issue of practice, I think.

Overall, I ended up with a very wearable dress that is super comfortable. I’m sure I will be wearing it a ton this summer. I’m excited to play more with the pattern from this class. I think my next step is a tank top (or two or three).