Vogue 1191 Michael Kors Twist Front Knit Dress

It has been a great Labor Day weekend here, a little sewing, a lot of relaxing and some fun birthday celebrations. Last night was dinner out with family and friends and I wore this dress which I mentioned in my previous post.  Maybe I am changing my opinion a little bit on knits, now that I have successfully sewn 3 knit items this year - more than I have in the last ten years.  My grumbling about sewing this dress did bring out a few commenters who were ambivalent about knits as well, so I can only say that perhaps there is space in my closet for another knit dress, even this very one in a winter version.


Vogue 1191, Michael Kors Knit dress, with one very big change, in that I decided to make it sleeveless.  It seemed like such a perfect summer style and this is definitely warm weather fabric, rayon knit in shades of coral.  

Pattern envelope, showing dress with sleeves, and a look at the back of the dress.  I eliminated the sleeves by making the bodice facing finish both the neckline and the armholes, and leaving the shoulder seams open until the last, sewing the shoulder seam and then hand stitching the remaining opening closed.  This is the technique I use on almost all sleeveless dresses that have a lining.



I did love wearing this dress, and I think it will make it into the suitcase next time I go somewhere beachy - one of those dresses that you can roll up and stuff in the suitcase, and then look relaxed, cool and colorful at cocktail time.  


When I was sewing this I did have some issues with the directions and construction and I was struck by some comparisons with another dress I did this year, the Donna Karan V1159 which also has a mystery twist element that magically resolves into a very pretty front drape. I think my next post will be a "compare and contrast" of these two patterns.  
Here I am, at the end of the evening.  I had wanted to take some pictures when it was still a bit light, as this restaurant might be recognized by movie fans, another Bay Area film location (among so so many).  If you saw the movie Mrs. Doubtfire, with Robin Williams, the long dinner scene where he is bouncing between tables and trying to keep up his disguise was filmed here at Bridges Restaurant.  

Now that I see the dress in a photo maybe it could be an inch or two shorter, perhaps it is stretching a bit.  Also not crazy about the shoes but for now I am being really careful with posture, shoes, how I sit, stand, get in/out of the car and generally just doing everything possible to make sure my back issues continue to heal and not regress.  Enough said!


Since it is Labor Day here in the US I will mention something I read this morning. The article stated clothing manufacture is one of the last remaining industries that still exists primarily with human labor - that to hold two limp pieces of cloth and accurately stitch together is something the human hand can do and machines cannot. Interesting, and something to think about this weekend.


Happy end of summer sewing, Beth