I have been on a major Closet Case patterns sewing bender over the last few months! I’ve made a couple of Kelly Anoraks, a couple Kalle shirt dresses, a couple pairs of Carolyn pajama bottoms, a new pair of Ginger jeans, and now my first Ebony dress. I have had my eye on this pattern since it was released and finally decided to buy it during the Closet Case patterns post-Thanksgiving sale.
Did any of you buy patterns or fabric during Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales? I bought 4 patterns and I’ve made two of them already. I think I bought 4 cuts of fabric and I haven’t used any of them yet, but my goal is to get to them soon. Actually, one of my major goals for 2018 is to really limit how much fabric I buy and instead try to work through the fabrics that I have in my stash. I am not opposed to keeping a fabric stash (or fabric collection, if you will) but my space is limited and my collection has begun to outgrow my storage. Plus, I have so many pretty fabrics that I bought for specific projects and I really want to get some of those projects made.
Anyway, back to this dress! I got this rayon/spandex fabric on major sale from Stylish Fabrics. I wasn’t sure what the quality would be considering I got it for about $5 a yard but I figured it would be a good fabric to use for my first try at the Ebony pattern. I think this swingy silhouette is so cute but I wasn’t totally sure if it was going to look great on me. I didn’t want to start out with my best fabric if it turned out I felt like a lump in the dress and never wore it.
The fabric isn’t as nice as the rayon/spandex jersey I’ve gotten from Indiesew or the bamboo/spandex jersey from Blackbird fabrics, but for $5 a yard it’s not bad. It’s lightweight and really stretchy. I was trying to get the stripes matched when I was cutting, but the small scale stripes were making my eyes go all googly and eventually I gave up. I ended up with things lined up pretty well purely by chance.
This dress is so comfortable and I love the swingy movement of the fabric but I’m wondering if it’s maybe a little too long? I lengthened it an inch when I was cutting but then ended up chopping it off before I hemmed it. I can’t decide if I’d like it to be a few inches shorter to wear with leggings. I really don’t relish the thought of hemming this again– there is so much sweep at the hem! Pressing the hem allowance felt like it took forever! I like where the highest part of the front hem is hitting me and I think it might be the back length that is throwing me off. It’s a little longer in the back and as a dress, I think I’d like the front and back to be the same length. I need to wear it a couple of times and see what I think before I re-hem or make another in a different length.
Have you made the Ebony tee or dress? Do I look like a lump? Would you keep the dress at this length if you were me? Thanks for any advice you have!
~Teri
Fa Sew La 
I think this is very cute on you, Teri, and I bet it is very comfortable. I think really stretchy fabrics get heavy all on their own, so that may be why you are on the fence about the back hem. I am on the fence on hi/low hems in general. I like them sometimes, sometimes not. If you decide to cut the hem in order to get an even hem, I would cut it and leave it unhemmed unless that really bothers you. It’s not going to ravel since it’s a knit. If it bothers you, you can always go back and hem it. I like those swingy dresses, too!
LikeLike
Thanks for the ideas, Becky! I like hi/low hems on shorter length tunics/tops, but they aren’t the best for me on dresses. The front tends to be too short for my comfort but when I lengthen the hem the back gets to be too long. I usually end up making them the same length front to back. You’re completely right about this fabric getting heavy since it’s so stretchy. The back might not be quite so long in a different fabric. I’ll have to think about that before I sew the hem if I end up making another dress version of this pattern!
LikeLike
I am a huge fan of this pattern! I made up 2 a couple of months ago – the tunic and shortie lengths and I find myself reaching for that shortie every time I get dressed. I love it so much I’ve considered cutting down my tunic to a shortie but like you – I eye it, back away and reach for my shortie 🙂 Ironically I did make mine up in a nice cotton/bamboo from Caroline – my tunic was the navy and my shortie is wine.
LikeLike
Kathleen, I bet yours are amazing! Do you have a blog or are you on Instagram? I need to follow along since it seems like you and I are making a lot of similar things! I have two lengths of the Blackbird bamboo jersey but I haven’t used them yet. I am planning a swingy tank with one of them when Spring rolls around again and I think I’m going to make an elbow length t-shirt with the other. I have some other rayon jerseys in my stash that I want to use for a tunic length Ebony tee soon. I wasn’t sure if the shortest version was for me, but I may try it eventually, too. I made a knit pencil skirt recently and I bet they would look so good together!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like it a lot, Teri, and I think it looks great on you.
LikeLike
Thanks, Jeanette! Now that it’s so cold outside I’ll be glad to have a little extra length in the back, I’m sure!
LikeLike
I really like this dress on you! I giggled at the “my eyes went all googly” comment.
LikeLike
Thanks, Ryann! I love the small stripes but they are so hard to cut! My eyes can’t handle it, haha!
LikeLike
So cute on you!
a dress to twirl in…
🙂
LikeLike
Thanks, Chris! My little daughter is suddenly into wearing only dresses and twirling around in them. We will have lots of fun twirling around together! Now that I think of it, I’ve got leftover fabric– maybe I could make her a little mini version of this dress. That would be so fun!
LikeLike
I love it on you! Don’t change a thing!
LikeLike
Thanks, Amy! I am going to leave it– it’s definitely much easier that way, haha!
LikeLike
Just love this! You look so cute in it. I’m getting inspiration from you!
LikeLike
Thanks, Lori! I’m so glad to inspire you! It’s fun to try out new silhouettes like this one.
LikeLike
I think the dress looks absolutely perfect on you. I wouldn’t change a thing.
LikeLike
Thanks, Naomi! I’m going to leave it as is– it’s much easier that way! Maybe I’ll bring up the back a little bit on the next one if the fabric is as heavy and stretchy as this one is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like it! I think the length looks good on you.
LikeLike
Thank you! I’m planning to keep this one as is and maybe adjust the back length a bit on the next one.
LikeLike
It’s a really cute dress. I wouldn’t have given the back length much thought until you mentioned it. I think I’d be inclined to slightly shorten the back, but not to even it out completely.
I also think that it wil look fantastic with boots. Something tells me that the uneven hem will look really nice with boots!
I hear you about fabric stashing; I have the same resolution for 2018! I’ve been focused on buying less and using more since last spring and it’s been working well for me, but I still have a good-sized stash.
LikeLike
Thanks, Masha! I like your idea of bringing it up somewhat in the back but still keeping it a little longer. I have a feeling that I’m not going to change this one, but I’ll try that on the next one. I’m going to try it with my boots, too. It is so cold here now that I’ll be wearing nothing but boots for the next few months, I’m sure.
I always have fear of missing out when I see a great new fabric that I want, but I keep telling myself that there will always be fabric that I want. And I really wanted all of the fabrics that are in my stash so it’s time to get a bunch of them made. I’m sure I’ll still buy things here and there but I need to slow down my buying substantially for a while!
LikeLike
I have been hesitant about this style for fear of the “sack” look too. However I think the swing-i-ness is really lovely. The slimmer fit at the shoulders and arms is really nice. I do think it would look a little more balanced in the proportions if the overall length was brought even with the front. To my eye, the longer back is too voluminous and the extra length makes it heavy in that area. Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
Thank you so much! I also really like the slim fit of the upper bodice/sleeves on this pattern. I think part of the heaviness is just this really stretchy fabric, but I agree that I would like the front and back to be the same length. I think I’m going to keep this one as is and make adjustments when I make another one. It is really fun to wear something so swingy and twirly!
LikeLike
I think it looks great, definitely not lump-like! I always struggle with figuring out the best length too, but I think this one is nice for winter 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks, Kirsten! It has gotten so bitterly cold here that I need all the length I can get on winter dresses! I’m planning to leave this one alone and if I make another in the Spring I may shorten the back a little bit.
LikeLike
I really like your version! It looks lovely.
I do understand your back length issue , I think it’s fine like this (boots would be nice) but maybe just a little shorter at the back would make it even better.
You make me reconsider the pattern, I’m afraid to look like a lump, but it doesn’t look like that on you!
LikeLike
Thank you, Anne! I think I just need to get used to this silhouette– it is so comfortable and easy to wear. It seems to flatter everyone that has made it, which is why I finally tried it. I will have to pair it with my black boots and see how I feel about the back length. It’s definitely easier not to change this version, so I’ll probably leave it and make adjustments when I make another.
LikeLike