My love of swinging drop waist dresses will never die! Another drop waist look here)
Knit dresses are go-to items in my wardrobe. They’re so easy to wear and to dress up so that they fit all occasions. I was really pleased and somewhat surprised when I found this yummy heathered gray knit at Joann’s. There are many (!!) great fabric shops in Portland (although one of my favorites, Fabric Depot just closed their doors last week), that I’m always surprised when Joann’s has the perfect option for me. I guess it was inevitable as they seem to be stocking lots of knit options these days!
The pattern for this swingy dress is New Look 6525. 
As you can see from this photo, the swingy nature of this dress is created in large part by the width of the bodice and skirt.
For me the trick to successfully creating the look I wanted was to keep the loose shape, while also making sure the bodice fit well in the shoulders and bust. To do that, I graded between two sizes, small size on top, widening at the hips a bit.
It’s really a fast, fun make – – you could easily do this in an afternoon! My knit is very light weight, a must to achieve the swingy look of the skirt.
It’s pretty windy here in Portland and this dress really moves in the wind:), which is awfully fun!
There weren’t too many challenges with this simple make. The trickiest bit was attaching the skirt. To create the ruffled look at the bodice/skirt seam, you finish the top edge of the ruffle then attach the wrong side of the ruffle to the right side of the bodice. Sounds easy, but getting the placement right (and even) required lots of pins and a bit of patience. I think the look was worth the effort though!
Mitchell can’t resist a photo-op. He’s getting so big!!
I seem to be all about fun, easy sewing right now. I’m sure the phase will pass, but I’m not really into wearing fussy clothes right now either, so at least my mood and sew-jo are in synch! I have lots of knits in my stash and they are really calling to me so there may be another of version of this pattern in my future, maybe a longer version, or the version without the skirt. I look forward to playing around with this look.
Future plans – – I’ve been enjoying everyone’s posts lately for the ‘sewing frosting’ challenge on Instagram. Because I’ve been RTW fasting this year, I’ve sewn many functional pieces, but I’m inspired to sew something frivolous now….We’ll see where that takes me. I tend to favor sewing functional as a general rule – what about you all?
Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!
Love the contrast between the ‘serious’ plain grey of your fabric and the frivolous ruffle, it really works well.
Thanks Su! I hope it will work for a variety of occasions because of that mix.
Stop it, you and the cat. That dress is just too cute on you. Great choice!
Ha, I know.. .but he’s so photogenic. Thank-you!!
I love the dress. Suit you well. I’ll buy the pattern.
Thanks!! I hope you like the pattern! It’s so easy to wear, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
That is really classy! It looks cute on you. I wasn’t too fond of the pattern photo but you made it come alive! Well done!
Thanks, Linda! I wore it out tonight and dressed it up With some jewelry. It worked:)
Looks so cozy and comfortable!
Yes, it’s going to be nice on cold fall days!
You wear this style so well. I keep eyeing this pattern but not sure that I wear this style well. It is so cute.
Thank-you! I think you’d look great in this style for what it’s worth. The good news is this pattern has several views, something for everyone!
Ooh, there you go again tempting me with lovely styles that I want to copy. What a fab look on you Linda!
Oh, thanks Diane! You can copy me any time but only if I can copy you too 🙂
I love this so much! I might be inspired to copy you as well 😉!
Oh, What a nice compliment! I hope you do…this style would look great on you, and I’d love to see your version!
I love how swishy this dress is! It looks amazing on you. (And seriously, who is that grown-up kitty in that picture??? <3 They really do grow like weeds, don't they?) Knit dresses are tough to beat for winter and fall, IMO–they're so easy to wear but still look like you tried to get dressed. 😉
Thank-you! Yes that grown up kitty is Mitchell. He’s such a big guy now but still with Baby brains, so hilarious. I agree with you 100%, dresses make dressing so easy, and they’re fun to sew too!
You looks so beautiful!!!
Thanks, Soo!