Sewing stretch fabrics the easy way.

An easy to sew dress in fabulous Stretch Velour

I have had such a lot of good feedback from my previous post for Jaycotts about sewing stretch fabrics that I decided to show you a very easy to make and extremely easy to wear stretch dress.

If you think that stretch fabrics are not for you then think again. A figure hugging garment in the correct size looks great on most figures.

This is how to wear a stretch dress

• Don't make it too clingy or it will show up the lumps and bumps we all have.
• Choose a thicker fabric with just a small amount of stretch 
• Choose a darker colour and possibly a print
• Wear the correct underwear - there is a lot of very good shapewear and it will help you to feel confident
• Don't be frightened of accentuating your waist with a wide belt

The pattern I chose is McCall's 6886 it can be ordered from Jaycotts on this link.

It is a pattern which uses a medium weight, moderate stretch jersey knit fabric, so it is perfect for what we want.

I talked about how easy it is to sew moderate stretch fabrics on my previous blog post Sewing For beginners , a stretch dress in Ponte Roma if you are reading this on Jaycotts Blog then it is the previous post featuring a red dress or top.

Do please refer to it for the tools and processes needed to sew this fabric. We are just using a stretch needle and a narrow zigzag stitch - nothing complicated.

So what are the alternative seam finishes if you don't have an overlocker?

Some fabrics do not fray, and I demonstrated in my previous blog post how to achieve a neat finish by topstitching.

You could use a zigzag stitch

Or, you could use a Overlock foot If you require a different brand then please ring Jaycotts for alternatives, but so many sewing machines come with them that you probably have one already.

This foot is much underused in my opinion so if you have one then please start using it. Your machine manual will explain the settings you need to use.

I use mine when I am sewing a colour which I do not have an overlock thread for, or if I am just doing a small amount of overlocking. It is very convenient not to have to re -thread an overlocker all the time too.

The construction method for this dress is very simple. Stitch back to front together at the shoulders and finish the seam.

Then for the neckline widen your zigzag stitch slightly  turn the neckline in by 5/8" and stitch in place.

Then sew the sleeves in - it is much easier doing it now before the side seams are sewn. And then sew the sleeve and stress side seams in one operation.