The sewing opportunities with echino seem to be broadly expanding with the addition of a knit jacquard to its signature line of cotton linen canvas series. Soft and stretchy knit is not overly casual and can create clothing with a chic and soft feel. Anriko came up with a piece that perfectly fits this description. The design of this dress fully utilizes the fabric’s 75cm width, maximizing its beauty without separating the pattern.
Fabric shown for this sample: echino
Materials:
□ Fabric: 75cm wide x 2.5m
□ Fusible interfacing: 1 pair (1.8cm diameter)
□ Thread and Needle for knit sewing
We interviewed Anriko about her creation:
Kokka Fabric (KF): What did you think of the fabric you used for this project?
It has a relative thickness with low tension, making it easier to handle for those who are not used to knit sewing. I designed something suitable for this material, a slim style simple one-piece dress.
KF: Can you tell us any special elements or ideas that you incorporated into this creation?
The width of the fabric is unconventional at 75cm, and gave me the impression that the design was compactly organized within this dimension. I chose to style it with dolman sleeves so that you can fully incorporate the design from one end to the other, without cutting into parts. To avoid making it look too busy, the sleeve and decorative pocket have matching patterns.
KF: What are some tips for making this dress?
Please use a thread specifically for knit sewing. The edge of the fabric does not fray easily, so you can substitute serging with zigzag stitches.
KF: How should we use this dress in everyday situations?
Thinking to be worn with a pair of leggings, the style is slim with short length. Depending on how you coordinate with accessories, it can also be a stylish dress for an outing with a pair of tights.
KF: Thank you very much, Anriko! Here are sewing instructions along with step by step photos from her. Enjoy crafting!
Instructions
1.
The overall look of the fabric is shown here. When cutting, please be careful that the center line does not get crooked.
2.
Using a thread, mark the location where the decorative pocket is attached.
3.
Make the decorative pocket. As shown, create an opening for turning in the center of the reverse side. By doing this, you can achieve a clean finish on the corner.
4.
You may be tempted to add an anti-stretch tape along the shoulder. In order to limit the required material, I did not add the tape as the fabric’s tension is low with medium thickness. The neckline will have a more professional finish with the facing. For this project, I used a very simple and popular method, double fold with zigzag stitches, often incorporated into ready-made clothing. If you want to hide the edge of the fabric, you can create the facing using the body pattern or use a double fold bias binding tape.
5.
The sleeves are being attached here. They are treated with shirring to make it to 85% of the body, so (as shown in the picture) there is this much of excess body. This keeps the sleeves from spreading out and gives a soft roundness to the body side.
6.
Finished. The width of the sleeve and pocket are kept to the size of the remnant. Please select your preferred design on the fabric. When cutting the pieces from the remnant, please use the side of the edge without glue. As shown, the side of the body is perpendicular to the hem. You can easily adjust the length to your preferred measurement.
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