While I haven’t been so great in sewing up all the pieces in the Indiesew Spring/Summer collection as I was with the fall collection, I decided to sew up my second piece from that collection – The Charleston Dress.
The Pattern:
The Charleston Dress from Hey June Handmade is a knit dress with a fitted bodice and two skirt options – an a-line skirt with deep scooped pockets and front pleats or a slimmer silhouette with no pockets or pleats. The pattern also features an optional zipper and multiple sleeve options – sleeveless, short, elbow, long, 3/4 length, ruffle and square (7 in total!).
Hey June patterns are the best types of patterns to add to your stash because you can make so many versions of the same dress and it not look like the same pattern at all. Just take a look through the #CharlestonDress on Instagram. The options are endless.
The Fabric:
I used fabric from the Indiesew Spring/Summer collection which at the time I’m writing this, there are 5 yards still in stock at Fancy Tiger Crafts! It is a rayon ponte with white and grey micro stripes. It was such an easy fabric to work with (which I really find most ponte knits to be).
This is the second Charleston Dress I’ve made and my first one I used a double knit. I think this fabric would be most suited for a double knit or ponte knit so that it holds it’s shape well. With the details like the pockets and the pleats and sleeve types, a structured knit helps create for a beautiful garment. I was going to include some suggestions but when I clicked on the Style Maker Fabrics Ponte Knit section, all of these would be just perfect for the Charleston Dress!
The Dress:
I chose to make the A-Line Skirt with pockets and pleats with the ruffle sleeve. I wanted to wear mine to a wedding rehearsal dinner and decided that the ruffle sleeve was a fun touch and created a cute summery look.
I loved how quickly this dress came together while still have a lot of really beautiful details. The princess seams up the bodice that line up with the pockets on the front of the dress, the pleats on the skirt and the ruffle sleeves all make for a very pretty, pulled together dress.
This is the second version of this dress I made and I will be making many more! The straight skirt with a 3/4 or elbow length sleeve would be beautiful for work or a fall/winter dress for an evening out.
I always feel like knit dresses are a little bit like secret pajamas. This was no exception. It was so comfy to wear all night during the rehearsal and the dinner following it.
I sewed the entire dress on my sewing machine and finished the seams on my serger. Even though I didn’t have the finish the seams, I think it makes for a really pretty inside of the dress rather than raw knit seams.
Styling:
I’ve been trying to “step up” my jewlery game and felt like this dress was a perfect fit for a fun pair of earrings! I wore them in the second set of photos we took and of course you can’t see them – so trust me, they look really cute! I have always loved Tassel Earrings so I bit the bullet and ordered a few pairs. I wore these Baublebar Tassel Earrings Black and White Striped and the bride next to me in this photo is wearing the Baublebar Fringe Earrings (she’s wearing the blush version!). Another good option would be these Baublebar Earrings in Black.
I wore the dress with both flip flops during the day and with espadrilles (on sale!) at night to dress it up a bit more.
Charleston Dress Summary:
Size Made: 6
View: View A
Fabric Used: Rayon Ponte from Indiesew Spring/Summer Collection
Notions Used: Dritz EZ Hem [my favorite tool for hemming!], Schmetz Twin Needle, Schmetz Jersey Needles
Ease of Construction: The instructions are top notch here, as per usual. The only “tough” parts are the princess seams and the pleats.
Fit: Perfect fit!
Repeatable? Yes! So many more planned for the fall and winter.
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