Splitted graphic jersey dress

Two days ago, one of my favorite fabric webshops, Joy Fits added some new fabrics. One of them was that special (designed by Leena Renko) that I just had to buy it immediatly (forgoing my de-stashing resolutions), it was a good call because now it is already sold out. The next day the fabric arrived, it was even prettier than my pc screen showed. The same evening I turned a large piece of it into a dress.

The pattern is an adjusted Princess Castle dress from Ottobre 3/2013 (which I made here and here). I cut the whole front from one piece but kept the contrasting pockets. I wanted the fabric to be the main attention grabber and therefore omitted the waistband. I also chose for wider wrist cuffs than the original pattern. The cuffs and binding are cut from a light gray fabric, which resembles the color of the girls hair. The pockets are cut from a greenish blue jersey that resembles the color of the cats eyes.

It took me about an hour to decide how to cut the front and back from the fabric. The pattern has a wide returning graphic (girl sitting and cat head next to it). I could have put the graphic as a whole in the middle of the skirt, than the same pattern (in mirror image) would have repeated very close to the neck line. I wasn't sure about the look of this cropped higher up graphic. Also, if I would have chosen that option I would have had to cut very far from the fabric side and I could not bring myself to create that many unusable fabric scraps. I therefore opted for keeping the pattern on the left side of the dress, which created in a totally different images for the neckline and skirt. The rest of the fabric, between the bigger graphics is that special that it does not bother me that the girl and cat are both off centre. Whatever the remaining fabric will become, it will  feature the graphic as a whole.

I used red thread for the top stitching of the pockets and the bottom hem. Some of the hems of my jersey dresses curl up. I read that you can decrease this problem by sewing very closely to the end of fabric. While trying to be as close as possible to the edge, I even went so far as to sewing only one piece of fabric a few times. I therefore opted for a second line of double stitching. I could have taken out the first double line, but I liked the extra detail it gave.

My middle daughter needs more dresses like this. Quickly sewn, easily put on, easy to wear, a great pattern for all the jersey I have in my stash. My daughter even felt she could twirl in it.

I love to hear what you think of my creations. Feel free to leave a comment in the language you prefer (although Google translate might have to assist me if you choose something different than English, German, Dutch or Hungarian).