Mark is telling me that I am beginning to draw a long bow with these titles – too true!

This dress started life as a fairly small remnant from Knitwit (the blue, white and silver fabric). I then added the plain blue for the skirt, but then decided I wanted sleeves, so went back for more of the patterned fabric – luckily Knitwit still had it on the roll. Hence it is a hybrid of two different types of fabrics bought on three separate occasions.

I used Kwiksew 3245. I saw it made up in Knitwit in a lovely panel and I decided I could see myself in it. However, it’s much baggier than it  appears here – I went back and checked the Knitwit one, and it was all pinned in at the back!

You’ll note that the pattern is sleeveless but the lovely lady in Knitwit blithely told me that I could put any Kwiksew sleeve into any Kwiksew pattern. Okay!

To be honest, I don’t think this is quite true. The armhole was actually a little bigger than the sleeve, but I did manage to get the sleeve in without any puckering, so all was well. I used the sleeve from Kwiksew 1997 – a vintage pattern from my Mother’s stash.

My next issue was the fact that I really don’t like dresses that are waisted but are not fitted, so decided that a belt was called for. I have a real liking for elasticated belts because I can make them easily using my favourite vintage buckles, I can cinch them in, and even wear them lower down on my hips when needed. I had some wide blue elastic in my stash that I bought from Cleggs in Melbourne, and a lovely vintage flower buckle bought from Buttons, Buttons, Buttons in Sydney. The problem is that the buckle is off-white and the fabric in the top is  very white.

I went back to the drawing board and found some really nice narrow white elastic in Fabulous Fabrics, which I teamed with a French antique enamelled shoe buckle from the 1900s which is blue and white and therefore perfect, although to be honest, I do prefer the wider blue belt.

Now he gets playful – Archie decided to photobomb me!

A jobbing sewists’ pattern review of Kwiksew 3245

Pattern Description: Misses’ dresses. Misses’ pullover dresses have scoop neckline and waist seam. Skirt has tucks at waist on front and back. Neckline and armholes are finished with bias-cut bindings. View A has ties on the back. Designed for light to medium weight woven fabrics

Pattern Sizing: XS-XL, I made the S but could probably have gone down a size in the knit fabric.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? Very

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? The pockets. The dress looks good at all lengths – mini through to maxi. I think this is a pattern I will re-use. It is perfect for mixing fabrics. I think the dress is a bit shapeless, but it is really nice when cinched in with a belt.

Fabric Used: Top half is a cotton/rayon mix. Skirt is a plain rayon of similar weight to the top.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I added short sleeves and a belt.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes and yes.

Conclusion: An easy light summer dress that is suitable for both woven and stretch fabrics.

The details:

Pattern is Kwiksew 3245

Fabric is two types of rayon knit from Knitwit

Belt 1 is made from white elastic from Fabulous Fabrics, with a French vintage belt buckle in blue and white enamel from Buttonmania in Melbourne

Belt 2 is made from wide blue elastic from Cleggs in Melbourne, with a plastic flower buckle from the 1960s bought at Buttons, Buttons, Buttons in The Rocks, Sydney

Shoes are xsa from Dimatina, Subiaco