This post is a bit different than usual for me: a round-up of some of the great knit dress offerings out there in the indie pattern universe.

Fit-n-flare. Swing. Fitted. Wrap. Sweater. Skater. Maxi. There are so many different categories of knit dresses out there that it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to start.

This post aims to provide a little “lay of the land” …

Now, there is so much out there in the indie pattern world in the knit dress category that I can’t claim to even be attempting to be comprehensive.  So the “Great” in this post’s title may be a slight exaggeration. Rather, this is just a bit of a collection of my own experiences of sewing knit dresses and a chance to share some of the patterns which have caught my eye for the future.

I’m sure there are many more great indie knit dress patterns out there that I’ve overlooked, so please tell me all about them…

Stop and think, stupid

When I started this sewing blog, I was hoping that it might make me reflect more closely about what I sew and why. If I was wanting to be a bit fancy, I might even say that I was hoping to become more “mindful” about my sewing. And, already, it has enabled me to see more clearly something which should have been rather obvious.

In summer, all I want to wear are wovens. But as soon as the temperature falls, all I want to wear (and sew)  are knits.

All the knit dresses, to be specific.

As far as I’m concerned, knit dresses are the ultimate winter wardrobe item. All that warm, cosy, comfy, long-sleeved goodness. Plus, there is usually some stretchiness to accommodate the winter hibernation pounds and I can wear knit dresses with tights varying from normal to arctic thickness, as the chill requires.

Plus, they are generally easy and quick to sew. No seam finishing!!

So basically, what’s not to love about wearing knits in winter?

Knit dress origins

My first ever knit garment was this striped Coco by Tilly and the Buttons.

I was so darn proud of its funnel collar and contrast yoke. While I don’t have my Coco anymore (I managed to shrink it at some point and it became way too short), that pattern still holds a special place in my heart.

It taught me that sewing with knits is a piece of cake!

In fact, just to show you how far I’ve come as a sewist, I’ll confess that when I made my Coco dress  – which was one of my first ever garments – I had to make it twice!! The first time I went to the store to buy fabric for it, I didn’t actually understand what  knit fabric was. And I was too terrified of looking like an idiot to actually ask for help. So I decided that knits must mean “stretchy fabrics” so I walked out with some stretch suiting fabric which was not at all a knit. It actually made quite a nice Coco dress, in fact, but I soon realised that it wasn’t actually knit fabric. So I made Coco attempt no. 2, above, actually in jersey this time, closely thereafter!

And my knit dress sewing today?

Looking over my recent makes, I realise that I’ve tried out 4 different new-to-me knit dress patterns in the last few months alone. Plus, I’ve road tested several other knit dress patterns before I started blogging.

So for this post, I thought I would share a recap of some recent knit dress makes and a bit of a roundup of just what options are out there for knit dress patterns in the indie pattern world.

Hint: there’s a lot!

Fit and Flare

Colette’s Moneta is about as famous as it gets in the indie pattern knit dress world. It is a simple but rewarding pattern. And I should know – I’ve made at least 7 of them (that I can remember). Most of these were pre-blogging days, so I don’t have photos of all of them. They even included a few nursing hacked Monetas which I literally wore to death. I’ve done a whole post about my Moneta love affair elsewhere, and it definitely remains a stalwart of the indie pattern knit dress world.

But…

Since I’ve really started to get back into my sewing habit over the last year or so, I’ve become a bit more discerning about patterns. And I see now that Colette Moneta has its shortcomings. Not least of which is that the lack of neckband is totally unforgivable. Now, Colette Moneta does come with 5 free collars, as an available extra, and these collars are amongst the best thing about the pattern.

Those Monetas that I have made with a collar are fine, but if you don’t add an optional collar, the pattern just leaves you to turn and stitch the collar down. Finished in this way, the Moneta neckline just screams amateur hour.

And, you know how I said I had made 7 Monetas?

How many do I still have out of those 7?

2 or 3.

And what happened to all the rest of them?

The neckline (without a collar) stretched out so as to make the dress unwearable.

Moving beyond Colette’s Moneta

So I had been searching, really, for a new Moneta. And luckily, there is so much out there which, in my opinion, is of much higher quality than Moneta.

Sticking to this style of a fitted waist and a flared out skirt, I absolutely love my Gable dress from Jennifer Lauren Handmade. You can find my post all about this one here.

And, while, yes, this doesn’t have a neckband either, that’s because it’s a slash neckline – so the lack of a neckband is not only forgivable but necessary. I like the way that, compared to Moneta, the Gable Dress contains more skirt options (gathered or pleated). And I find that the shape of the pleated skirt is more architectural and visually interesting than Moneta.

Finally, still (kind of) in the “fit-n-flare” category, I think that the Zadie pattern from Tilly and the Buttons is one of the most interesting looking knit dress patterns out there. Unlike Moneta and the Gable Dress, it has an empire waist line. The interesting design lines and colour-blocking opportunities (as well as huuuggge pockets), make this a great dress. It is definitely one of the most visually interesting knit dress patterns in the indie pattern world. Frankly, I’ve never seen a bad version of the Zadie dress – all the deets on my take on it are in this post!

Time for some swingin’ knit dress action

When I started my knit dress journey, I didn’t really  have much of an appreciation for the fact that there is more out there than just “fit-n-flare”. A shape which has really unexpectedly taken my fancy is the swing or more trapeze dress style.

My introduction to this style was the Ebony dress by Closet Case Patterns.

This is a make which took me by surprise. Because I wasn’t actually totally enamoured with it when I first made it. It was just so different from what I usually wore. But then I found that I reached for it again and again and again. So much so that I decided to make a second one. I realised shortly thereafter that I was actually firmly in love with wearing this shape. It’s also a dress which helped me to address one of my own misconceptions. I’d always thought that loose and oversized silhouettes only looked good on more petite figures and that, on me, it would just emphasise all the parts which I think are too “big”. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how this shape makes me feel both comfortable and elegant.

All the details of my adventures in making the Ebony tee dress is  here. One of the best things about this sewing pattern is that it comes with great options in terms of lengths, necklines and, my favourite part, a choice between raglan and set-in sleeves.

But the Ebony dress definitely doesn’t stand alone in the swing category. I recently noticed the Cassandra Dress by Valentine and Stitch which seems to occupy that sweet spot between “fit-n-flare” and swing dress! Hoping to try it out soon!!

From tent style to keeping it tight

At the total opposite end of the spectrum from a free flowing, eat-what-you-want-for-lunch swing style is the fitted body con dress. I scooped up Deer and Doe’s Givre Dress pattern as soon as it was released last year and was super happy with my version of it:

It’s definitely a great pattern and I do love this dress. But I don’t find myself reaching for it on a day to day basis as much as I thought I would. I think it’s mostly logistical. I can cycle to work in it, but only just… So I tend to reach for things that are more cycle-friendly on most work days. And on weekends, my body just goes: “give me space, let me breathe”.

If you are interested in more body con style knit dresses, Closet Case Patterns Nettie dress also occupies this space: although I’ve yet to try it myself.

For a more summery version of a fitted knit dress, I have also tried out the Inari tee dress by Named Patterns, although I should emphasise that it isn’t really intended to be tight – I just had some fitting issues with my version!!

A similar style also seems to be Seamwork’s Mesa, although I haven’t tried this one myself (despite accidentally realising after I’d already purchased the Inari tee dress that I actually already owned Mesa, thanks to my now defunct couple of months worth of Seamwork subscription…). While slightly different again, the Heather dress by Sew Over It also seems very popular in the more fitted knit dress category. It has princess seams and some colour blocking opportunities, so it’s one I’m curious to try one day.

It’s a wrap

It seems that a discussion of knit dress options wouldn’t be complete without considering the knit wrap dress. I am yet to sew a good one and, frankly, it’s not really my preferred style on my body, so not really on my personal to-do list for now!

My only attempt was the Colette Wren and I’ve messed it up twice now!! One time was entirely my own fault. But even when I cut the pieces out correctly the second time, I just didn’t like it!! It looked dowdy and the Colette bodice block, which I think is designed for C-cups, gaped ridiculously and just didn’t work for my body!

But if you are into wrap dresses, there seems to me to be many better options out there. I’ve seen some lovely versions of the Gillian wrap dress by Muse Patterns, the Appleton dress by Cashmerette and I also like the look of Sew Over It’s Ultimate Wrap Dress which is the totally classic take on this style.

One knit wrap dress I have sewn and which I absolutely love, however, is one that is a very different (and modern) take on the wrap dress: Named Patterns Kielo wrap dress. This pattern is just ace! I’ve made it up a couple of times, using the sleeve extension, and I love it to pieces.

I don’t have any pics to share because my Kielos have fallen victim to my bad fabric choices in my first few years of sewing. I used to find myself totally attracted to the bargain basement jerseys in bright colourful patterns. And with knit fabrics it took me longer than with wovens to be able to discern between good quality and poor quality fabrics. So those original Kielos have found their way to the recycle bin, but I have some lovely merino jersey sitting in my stash that I think is destined to become another Kielo. It is also such an amazingly quick sew – great for a sewjo boost!

But wait, there’s still more…

I’m trying to find a balance in this post between talking mostly about patterns that I’ve actually tried but also wanting to provide a more general resource for those trying to see what’s out there in the Knit dress firmament of the indie pattern universe.

One style I’ve been dying to try out is a dress with a skater-style skirt. There seem to be quite a few good looking options out there: Deer and Doe Zephyr, the Culver dress from Pier and Palace and the Lady Skater by Kitschy Coo. The latter seems a bit more versatile, whereas the former have more potential as a statement dress. Any experiences with these patterns?

In the category of sweater dress, there are also some seriously good looking options out there. I have made Victory Patterns’ Lola in the past and I loved it. Princess seams in a sweater is just perfection.

I’ve also seen other options in this category which have made me very curious, like the Southbank sweater dress by Nina Lee and the Jasper sweater dress from Paprika Patterns.

And, finally, while it’s not a style that has much place in my life, I thought I would end on a fun note with some glam, maxi knit dresses. After all, comfort and glamour should go hand in hand a bit more often, really! In this category, the Gemma maxi dress by Named just looks out of this world, as does Jackie by Victory Patterns. If only my life threw more dramatic dress occasions at me!

Had enough yet?

OK, whilst I could actually talk more about some of the knit dresses I’d like to make, it’s probably time to call it a day!! Hope this post has given you some inspiration as to just how much is out there in the “knit dress” category of the indie pattern world.

By the way, this post is a bit of a different style than usual, since I’m not actually sharing a new make with you. If you think this style of post is great, average, totally useless, please feel free to leave me a comment and tell me! I want to know!!

Also, more importantly, if you want to add to the conversation and share the low-down on your personal favourite indie knit dress pattern, please, please, please do!!

 

Oh and, finally, a little P.S! If you like to get your blog hits through Bloglovin’, feel free to follow me over there: you can find me here.