Summer Dress

I had this idea in my head to make a dress with a knit bodice and a sewn skirt after seeing this photo. I had some blue worsted weight yarn in my stash and found a pattern, and off I went. The photo in my header is the original color of the yarn. I did a picot edge to finish off the bottom hem and it was done in no time at all.



Now came the hard part. Trying to find some fabric that would match the yarn. Sounds easy enough. It was a nightmare, but not being one who gives up easily, I came up with the idea of dying the yarn black to match some fabric. Sounds easy enough. It was a nightmare. It took three dye baths to get it to the brown color that it is now. I used a brown lace fabric for the skirt and added an underskirt. I made the underskirt just a little longer so that it would show and left the edge unfinished.



To make the skirt, I measured my hips, added about 6 inches, and then measured the length adding a few extra inches for a casing. I made a casing at the top of the skirt leaving an opening, and threaded some elastic into the opening with a safety pin. After I tried on the skirt and adjust the elastic to were it fit best, I sewed the ends together. I then blind stitch hemmed the top to the skirt. If my instructions are confusing and you plan on trying this, I'd be happy to answer more detailed questions.

The Details:
Pattern for knit top - Drops 113-16 (free)
Yarn - Sugar'n Cream 100% Cotton, worsted, 2 skeins
Needle - US 7 circular
Modifications - shorted and with a picot edge

Please come back on Friday. It is my first year blogiversary, and I can't think of anyone else I'd rather spend it with. Oh, and I'm working on a giveaway too!