Doctor T Designs

Or, “In which I sew like a dumbass, but am saved by questionable pattern drafting and stretchy fabric.”  Truly, this dress should not fit, yet, here we are.  I was a bit dubious about New Look 6298 when it first came out, yet the idea of a slouchy knit dress won me over, and I’ve had the pattern and fabric in my stash since shortly after the pattern was released in 2014.

It’s a pretty basic dress; work schedules prevented me from spending much time on this, but two mornings where I had less than an hour had the pattern prepped and fabric cut out, and a third morning of about 2-3 hours had it sewn together.  Truly, the very fast among us would have it whipped up in 1-2 hours, but I always trace all my patterns, and then I spent some time playing with hemlines messing with machine tensions.  Oh, and getting distracted by Vlogmas.  Can’t forget that.

Anyway, here is my version of the dress:

It was actually super windy – all the other shots are flukes.

Holly eyes and cranberry lips… I’m not ready for Christmas, but I’m going to pretend like I am.

I may need to take in the back a little

And here is my official pattern review:

How long has your fabric been in your stash?  I bought this fabric at JoAnn Fabrics a little after the pattern was released, which, according to my blog, would date it around fall 2014.  So, umm, I guess about 3 years?  Before I looked up the pattern my guess was about one year, which shows just how bad my stash has become!  I used 2 yards for this project, and have about half a yard of fabric leftover, which I’ll use as an accent on some other project.

Why did you make this item?  Just for stash busting or was it in your queue anyways?  I specifically bought this fabric to use with this pattern, so it was always in the queue.  I’d just never gotten around to it before now, so it’s good that the contest gave me this push to get it done.  It’s been in my plans so long that I even included it in my Instagram #makenine post at the start of 2017.  It’s sort of funny that I’ve been so fixated on this pattern, because the loose shape isn’t my typical style.

Pattern Description: Women’s knit dress with V-neck or scoop neck options, length options, and pocket options.  I made View B – the V-neck with full length sleeves and pockets.

Pattern Sizing: New Look Sizes 10-22.  I’d read the reviews, and even been warned in the comments on my blog that the sizing here was a bit large, so I went with a 10 at the top and 14 at the hips (I’m typically a 12/16).  Then, like a dumbass, despite noting everywhere that this has only 3/8” seam allowances, I serged it together using a 5/8” allowance.  It’s still a smidge large up top, but, actually, the fit turned out really well.  I’ll chime in with the rest of the comments – it runs big, go down a size, you won’t regret it.

Were the instructions easy to follow? The instructions were really simple; this is a very straightforward dress.  I did make use of all my machines though, rather than using multiple lines of machine stitching, since I prefer to use a serger and overstitch on a knit.  I’ll detail that in the “changes” section.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the envelope once you were done with it?  Yes, it looks very much like the model photo.

What did you particularly like or dislike about this pattern?  Likes: Quick and easy to sew, good instructions, super cozy to wear.  Dislikes: View A is really long, and View B/C is really short.  I cute out a view A length, but then flipped under about 4” for the hem.  Also, I think the neckline is a bit wide; there is a reason the model wears a cami under the dress.  I’m ok with that, but it is something to be aware of if you want to be able to just wear the dress without anything under it.

Fabric used: A dark teal textured knit from JoAnn.  It was sort of terrible because my fingers were so dry it kept sticking to me, which made it difficult to work with.  It also liked to fluff up quite a bit; very difficult to get under the presser feet.  However, it is wonderfully stretchy and soft, so I’m sure I’ll love it in the finished garment.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I increased the length of the skirt hem by a few inches by cutting out length A, but then pinning it up just around knee level.  I also ignored a lot of the stitching instructions because I used my serger and coverstitch.  I used a serger on the main seams, a coverstitch on the hems and pocket tops, and my sewing machine on the shoulder darts, pocket facings, and to insert the collar.  Normally I’d go all in with the serger on the collar, but I was having a bit of trouble with the fabric, so I played it safe, which was the right call, in the end.  Once I was happy with the collar insertion, I used the serger to finish off the seams, and the overstitch to tack it down.  It’s a very neat finish on the inside.

Would you sew it again?  Would you recommend it to others?  I very well may sew this again!  It was so quick and easy to put together, and it so comfortable to wear.  It’d look great in many different types of knits, and is form-fitting enough that I like it more than I expected.  I recommend it to others with the caveat that you will want to very much consider going down a size when you make it.

Conclusion: Even though I made the rookie move of sewing the wrong seam allowance, I’m really happy with how this turned out!  It’s going to be a great addition to the winter wardrobe, perfect for wearing with leggings and boots.  I’m so glad I finally go around to this project!