The Sewing Place

The Emporia => In the wardrobe => Topic started by: Ellabella on June 09, 2017, 00:27:25 AM

Title: Advice needed
Post by: Ellabella on June 09, 2017, 00:27:25 AM
I have made a simple halter necked dress several times for DD.

It is designed for wovens and I have used firm cottons and drapy viscose, and the results have always been fine.

She wants me to make it again for a summer wedding and has presented me with a fine knit.  The colours are lovely and she has fallen in love with the fabric.

My idea is to use a fine woven cotton as a lining for the skirt and I was thinking of mounting  the knit fabric on the same woven fabric to stabilize it for the bodice.

Am I going in the right direction or barking up entirely the wrong tree.

The dress has a self lined bodice attached to the skirt and it has an elastic waist.
Title: Re: Advice needed
Post by: BrendaP on June 09, 2017, 09:24:49 AM
Hmm, if you try to underline the bodice with a stable woven fabric I think you might end up with the same difficulties I had with my dress to impress (http://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/topic,818.15.html).  I had everything nice and flat on the table and basted all the pieces together before assembling the dress but once it was all sewn together, put on a hanger and hung vertically the outer layer of lace stretched very slightly whist the stable organza layer didn't :o

I made several little tweeks around the neck and ends of the sleeves and it OKish but not perfect.  I think the diamanté belt will distract a little from the waist seam.

By all means use the woven fabric for the skirt lining, especiallyif it is a full skirt, but be wary of using it as underlining for the bodice.
Title: Re: Advice needed
Post by: b15erk on June 09, 2017, 09:33:15 AM
Brenda is right, depending on the weight and stretch of your knit, there is a danger that it will hang differently than the cotton.

If I was doing it, I would buy some cheap stuff with similar properties and try it out as a toile, because you may find that the fit is also different.

Jessie
Title: Re: Advice needed
Post by: Samantha on June 09, 2017, 11:43:13 AM
I made a dress recently from a pattern that I used before with a cotton fabric - this time I used a faux leather which had a bit of a stretch and the bodice was massive.
Title: Re: Advice needed
Post by: BrendaP on June 09, 2017, 16:39:43 PM
Samantha is right too. 

If you use a stretch fabric with a pattern designed for woven you need to reduce the ease and/or make a size smaller.
Title: Re: Advice needed
Post by: Ohsewsimple on June 09, 2017, 20:25:50 PM
I don't think I'd want to do this.  I think you will have massive problems.  Could you find a similar pattern drafted for knits?