M5752 - The Perfect Knit Dress

M5752

I don't know why I waited so long to make this dress. The pattern has been in my stash for three years. At some point, I cut the pattern out and returned the pieces to the envelope. It's been on my list of things to make, but never made it to the top until last Wednesday.

Here again I'm reviewing a pattern that is liked by so many sewists on PR. It's been reviewed 36 times. Is it worth reviewing again? Maybe.., Someone may have a similar body type and would like to read about my experience. So here's my review on the perfect knit dress. Oh yeah, It's a classic and has a bit of a vintage look.

Pattern Description: Misses' dresses with gathered wrapped bodice, gathered self-lined midriff, A-line skirt and sleeve variations in two lengths; dresses A, B have gathered shawl collar and extended overarms; dresses C, D have gathered shoulders; dresses A, D have gathered drapes; dress C sleeves are three-quarter length; dresses A, B, C, D lengths are mid knee.

Pattern Sizing: 8 -22; I used 14 with modifications.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? It certainly did.

Were the instructions easy to follow? I love the Palmer/Pletsch instructions. They make it easy for beginners to experiment with making fitting adjustments. Also, the cutting lines for many of the adjustments are printed right on the pattern. Over the years, I've found that the Palmer/Pletsch instructions and cutting lines help to make adjustments to similar styled garments. There were no confusing steps in the instructions. I didn't sew them in the same order. I try to put as much of the garment together before going to the ironing board. ie., sew the skirt(F and B) together, midriff, belt, front and back bodice at side and center back collar together before making my first trip to the ironing board. This saves me a little time.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked everything about this dress, both views. Nothing to dislike.

Ruching at the side.

Fabric Used: Charcoal/black knit with velvet floral print. This is one of the gifts that I received from Andrea. Nice fabric. Originally, I thought about making view D, but I didn't have enough fabric. So I quickly switch to view A. I used a black knit from my stash for the belt. I used a thin tricot for the midriff stay and lining to reduce bulk. The last thing I need is thickness around my mid section. :-)

Needle used: embroidery. The velvet floral seem to cause skipped stitches. So I switch the needle to an embroidery one hoping it would solve the problem. It did.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Yes, I made my usual adjustments: FBA, prominent shoulder blade, sway back, and a few inches to the length of the skirt.

I did notice the collar is a little too big. Next time I'll trim the center back seam to size 12.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes. I want to make view D and view A again (Summer). Yes. The design speaks for itself. Great design and easy to sew.

Conclusion: This is a great knit dress and Palmer/Pletsch makes it easy to handle fitting issues. From beginning to end I was able to finish it in six hours.

All pictures here.

Parting Shots: DD and friends hiking at Starved Rock.