It's giving...Versace! | Staystitch Pattern Co. Lola Racerfront Dress

 Hello Friends! I'm back with another cute summer make! I originally intended to make this dress for vacation but time got the best of me so I made it when I returned for brunch with the family...

This is the Staystitch Pattern Co Lola Racer Tank Top Pattern. I cut the dress View in a size 10.

I got this fabric from LA Finch Fabrics in 2019. It was labeled "Double Brushed Decorative Chains Ivory Jersey Knit" and I got it during an End of Bolt sale. I got 3 yards of it so I have PLENTY more to make some more things. Here is a link to the double brushed knits that they have available now.

This knit was very easy to work with. I was able to sew the entire dress up on my serger so that made things go extremely quickly. I was scared that the fabric was going to stretch out while I was sewing it because it's so soft, but everything turned out okay. I really like how the pattern looks like something Versace would put out.

Of course, the main attraction of this dress is the Racer Front detail. It's such a distinctive and feminine detail that catches people's eyes immediately. I love that about this pattern.

When I first started sewing the binding to the neckline, I did not read the instructions that showed there was a smaller seam allowance to attach the sleeve and neck bindings, so one side of the back neck is QUITE skinnier than the rest of the finished neckline lol. Good thing I started in the back and realized my mistake before it was too late because I was definitely sewing on my serger with the blade up.

I decided not to finish the bindings with an extra row of stitching but only for vanity reasons. I wasn't sure how a stretch stitch would look as a topstitch, PLUS I wasn't sure if I did a straight stitch whether or not it would ruin the stretch I needed to put the dress on. I just left it be and ironed the seams really good in the right direction. The fabric was soft enough for it to lay and not move.

One change I made to the dress was obviously to cut it to a length above my knees. The less obvious adjustment I made was to tape the skirt in 1 inch on both sides up to the hip so that the it wasn't loose at the hem.

I also did a 1/2" swayback adjustment which did pretty good. I probably could've gone with a whole inch but I wanted to be cautious this first time around.

I ended up hemming the dress about 1/2" with iron-on hem tape, but I actually need to go back and stitch down the hem because after washing the dress, the hem tape lifted and ended up sticking to itself. I didn't stitch it down originally because I was scared the hem would stretch out and get way/scallopy, but I need to go ahead and take the risk. What tips do you use to make sure your knit hems definitely don't stretch out??

Overall, I love the dress and how simple it was to make it! It's simple but the fabric and style makes it give a big impact so I'm really happy with it.

Have you made a version of the Lola yet? I'm thinking about a crop top next from this pattern, stayed tuned to see!

See you soon!

xoxo,

Tasha