Before Christmas, in 2019, I bought three colors of stretch velvet. Green for me, rose pink for my older daughter, and navy blue for my younger daughter. I made their cute dresses before Christmas and, sadly, my bundle of fabric sat in the closet. I always knew that I would make Vogue’s V8896 with this Green Stretch Velvet. I guess I was just waiting for the right time. That right time happened to be March 2021! So here it is… I am so happy that I finally made it. It is a fabulous pattern and fabulous dress. I will definitely make it again one day with a regular knit fabric.
Video Sewing Tutorial
5 Tips/Extras
- Use jersey/ball point sewing needles and pins when sewing stretch fabrics.
- Pick thread that matches the darkest shade of the velvet (not the lightest).
- Test your stitches on a few scraps before starting on your project.
*I used the lightening bolt stitch for stitching the seams (3.0 length/1.0 width) and narrow zigzag stitch for the hems (2.0 length/0.5 width). - With your larger fabric scraps make scrunchies! Easiest method for a seamless scrunchie here.
- You can lengthen the sleeve using the simple method below…
3/4 Sleeve Adjustment
Loved this tutorial, I have watched like 2 times and each time store new techniques in the sewing toolkit. I am about to start a rib knit project and I can’t seem to find any tips anywhere on the best stitch to use for the hem so it won’t pucker. I’ll do a swatch but what would you recommend?
Test a few stitches on a swatch. To see what looks best I sample the lightening bolt stitch, a very narrow zigzag, or use a twin needle.
I love this dress! However , as a Christmas gift for my two adult daughters, I would like to make this dress into a wrap top.
Any suggestions for adjusting this pattern?
You could shorten the skirt to be a peplum style top. I think it would be really pretty.