This dress was my attempt at replicating a dress from the Stop Staring retro clothing website ( A very catchy name for a clothing website). I originally blogged about it five years ago on my original Nine Stitches blog. Wow! How fast does half a decade go?
I’ve decided to re blog it to help answer the question I read the other day on Gerties facebook page. The question was, can you sew stretch fabrics up in a pattern recommended for wovens? My answer is yes, I think you can depending on the weight of the fabric and the design of your woven pattern. This dress is a great example of it.
The pattern I used for my replica dress was a Vogue pattern V1192. Fitted, straight, above mid-knee length, lined dress has side-front tucks, back zipper and hemline vent. The fabrics recommended are Silk Crepe, Heavy Georgette and Satin Back Crepe. It has a nice hour glass look to it just like the dress from Stop Staring and the Ponti fabric I used from Tessuti was a really nice heavy weight which worked well. I deleted the zip and back hemline vent and omitted the lining so I could just pop it over my head. To allow for the sizing I cut it out one size smaller. To replicate the Stop Staring dress I added a couple of little bows which adds a little cuteness to it too.
This worked for the pattern I used because the stretch fabric had a bit of weight to it. But if you are using a fabric like jersey which is a lighter weight, a pattern with some gathering details and not so structured would probably be better. I would definitely make up a muslin first in a fabric of similar weight and stretch. One size down might not be enough in a fabric with a lot more stretch.
I’m happy with the result of my replica dress and I would not be afraid to try a knit on a woven pattern. Just test it out before cutting into any expensive fashion fabric.
Happy Sewing!
Tuck details at the side seam.
The dress I replicated from Stop Staring. I worked with fabric I had which was Navy but I love it just as much as the red.
The pattern. Vogue V1192
Mette Nobel
Hi, Just fell over this amazing dress – WAUW. Does it have a double front piece or is it just “the top” that is “double”, to make the wrap-effect? I have a pattern from a danish designer, MariaDenmark, Karen-dress… I think I could maybe change the pattern and get the wrap effect?
🙂 Mette
Annie
Hi Mette,
Sorry for late response. I’ve had a little break. It’s just a wrap at the top. The skirt is just tucked.
A wrap effect is pretty easy, you should give it a go! Annie x
Evie Jones
That dress is just lovely. The fabric is amazing and I love the bows. They add a nice touch of whimsy without being too saccharine. Perfect!
Nine Stitches
Thankyou! Yes, bows can be hit or miss sometimes. I’ve noticed a few bows on the runway again too!