The Kate-Franken Dress...

Monday, July 15, 2013
So, this is my Kate Middleton-Blue-Engagement-Franken dress. Number three on my Winter Time Sewing List.

Not as pretty as hers.

In fact, not the prettiest dress I've ever made. But wearable, and really, what else do you need?

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My version is made up of so many different patterns I don't even know where to start. I found the front bodice bones in the form of a vintage Vogue dress pattern from the 1950s. The back is self drafted (a back that I had drafted for a little knit peter pan collared top I was selling in my Etsy store some years ago). The ties are taken from my wrap blouse (altered and lengthened) and the skirt is 2 rectangles of fabric gathered all the way around. The sleeves are from my Apples in Winter dress, lengthened.

The knit is a super stretchy wool mix of dubious quality, but I loved the subtle pattern and the colour. And it is so stretchy in fact, that I didn't need to use a fastening of any kind. I can happily slip it over my head, wrap the waist ties around and BAM! Instant waist.

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It is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. The bust gathers drape strangely down across my arm pit (I needed to make the shoulder a bit smaller I think) and some of the gathers underneath the bust sit kinda funny. But for a complete experiment (using mostly bits of patterns that were never meant to be made with knits) it's turned out wearable. Well, wearable enough to go to the pub for a drink anyway.

This is my second knit dress and I still feel like I don't really know what I'm doing when sewing with them. But I guess I've made two wearable garments so far, so I must be doing something right.

Have you ever had luck with piecing different patterns together to make something completely new?

xx
Jen
12 comments on "The Kate-Franken Dress..."
  1. Very cute dress! I love all the gathers in this dress.
    Great match with your tights!

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  2. Very cool! I love those tights.
    I'm about to tackle knits again after doing Linda Lee's course on Craftsy (which I highly recommend!). Today I went to Spotlight for buttons and accidentally bought 7 metres of knit fabric. Whoops!

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  3. I really like your version. And I love how you paired it with those dark red tights!

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  4. Oh, I think you've done a marvellous job! The gathers are so pretty and flattering and I love the waist ties. It looks feminine and very cozy. Well done!

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  5. Seriously gorgeous! From the cut to the colour of the knit fabric, to the way it hugs your curves so marvelously, this dress is a total gem. Awesome work, dear gal!

    ♥ Jessica

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  6. I love this dress! It looks great paired with the coloured tights too. I'm missing coloured tights as it's unusually hot in the uk right now!

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  7. WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR TIGHTS!!! ???
    Great job on the dress. The best part about working with knits is their ability to recover and still be wearable no matter what we do with them. I mash up patterns all the time but never quite as many as you have done here. Good job.

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  8. Honestly I think this is a beautiful dress. With all the frankenpatterning it could have gone horribly wrong but you did a fab job with it.
    Are there more knit dresses in the future cause I'm loving them. :)

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  9. I think this is lovely! It's so flowy and gorgeous!

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  10. Thanks so much guys!

    Em SewCrazy - I've actually had these tights for years! I got them in NZ at least 4 years ago now and they've lasted so well! I really need to find some more before these bite the dust...

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  11. It turned out very nicely! And it looks so warm and cozy :)

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  12. I think it looks lovely. Turned out great!

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