Lady Skater Dress in wool sweater knit

Continuing the parade of wool clothing from my recent, multiple visits to the fabric store is my latest work/ holiday dress.  I'm the biggest fan of dresses for any and all occasions, particular those that are stretchy and flattery, so when the Lady Skater Dress pattern by Kitschy Coo started making the rounds, I was really excited.  However, the weight of the knit is really important for this style, and without a decent local source for heavy knits with lycra, I was a bit stuck.  However, the moment I spotted this wool sweater knit at the fabric store, I knew it was the right fabric for the job.

The fabric stretch is significantly less than the 40% recommended by the pattern, so I inserted an invisible side zip.  However, even with only a slight stretch, I can pull the dress on over my head, so the zipper wasn't needed.  While not specified in the pattern directions (I don't think!), I applied some 3/8" clear elastic at the waistband, which helps the dress maintain it's shape and keeps everything in place.

The most significant change I made to the pattern was the neckline.  Since the fabric had too little stretch, the neckline from the original pattern wouldn't work so well (and didn't seem to suit the fabric style).  So originally, I attempted to make a wide cowl neckline.  Uh, yeah, big fail there.  So instead of removing the "cowl", I sewed a casing and inserted elastic to gather the neckline.  Then, folded it over and hand stitched it to the stitching of the neckline.   What a happy accident!

The fabric isn't itchy at all, though a slip is required for wearing with tights.  I need to make a gorgeous silk slip so I don't hate wearing them [the polyester versions] anymore!

Overall, I love the dress and will definitely seek out more fabrics for this pattern.  (And definitely add pockets next time!).

Here's the wearable "muslin" version of the dress, from a knit of some type and while it turned out fine, I feel pretty self-conscious in such a clingy fabric.  I wore it to the grocery store, but it took some bravery! It's amazing how different the same dress pattern can look with fabric selection and a few tweaks!