Posting about this dress seems like a bit of a cheat because I haven’t actually worn it out of the house yet. (Which may or may not be a trend with me lately, but I’m not gonna sit here and judge myself!) This is one of those wardrobe pieces that works in LA for a small window of time, much like another beloved turtleneck dress of mine that I knitted. It has to be the right amount of chilly/warm outside, because my legs have to go bare (I hate wearing a tights under dresses) but my torso is completely covered, and in this particular make, it’s covered in a beautiful merino wool which, while lightweight, provides a bit more warmth than the average day needs.
This New Zealand merino fabric, from The Fabric Store, was purchased for a Christmas gift I was supposed to make someone that ended up being abandoned in favor of a large care package comprised of chocolates and sweets. I found myself charged with this beautiful, brightly hued fabric that was screaming to made into something cool, so I decided to dip into a pattern collection I had bought on sale many months prior. I had never made anything from the collection before, and I wasn’t super familiar with any of the designers that took part in the pattern bundle, so I was excited to be introduced to some new designs.
I chose the Denver Tunic/Dress by Blank Slate patterns because it seemed like a simple, straightforward make and the princess-like seaming appeared to be easy to adjust if the fit was off at all. Thankfully I was right on all counts. As per usual I graded up the sizing from waist to hips, and because my merino wool was on the thin side, I self lined the whole dress by basting all the pieces together and then serging the seams, treating each double layered pattern piece as one.
The cut edges of the knit fabric were clean and I liked the look of the two separate layers, so I left the bottom edges raw and made cuffs for the sleeves, shortening mine to about 3/4 length. There was a little bit of adjusting for the seams on the hip area where I had to take them in just a bit because they were gaping in certain places, but other than that, the sizes I chose work well on this here hippy body, and I am happy with how the dress looks!
Initially I wished that the turtleneck was more dramatic looking and slouchy, but after wearing it for my photo shoot, I liked not having so much bulk at the top, particularly in such a heat-generating fabric. This dress is going to be great made up in a lightweight cotton or rayon knit and will be a nice compliment to the version you see here, which is perfectly suited for fall.
Final thoughts? This is a well constructed, quick and easy pattern which can both pack a lot of design punch when using complimentary fabric choices, and pull it’s weight as a simple wardrobe staple!
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