When I sew myself things, the final touches are always accessories. And my favorite way to accessorize is with a great pair of earrings that I can get an amazing amount of mileage out of.
I made Simplicity 8992. I was thinking of how much wear I would be getting out of this. Because it's not only a great button-front sweater dress that would work well with these amazing boots, but also dressier heels.
It also works as a duster over a cami and diy jeans.
This dress was super easy to make. I cut the medium and lengthened it by 3 inches. I made my usual swayback and full seat adjustments. My fabric is a cranberry 3 x 4 rib knit that I bought from Mood Fabrics ages ago. I also decided to add D-rings for my belt.
In case you've missed them before in the past, here are my favorite tips for working with knits:
Have you ever noticed that even when you sew a knit garment and even use a stretch stitch, you sometimes hear threads popping when you put it on? Using the right thread is vital. I normally use all-purpose high-quality polyester thread. But if your seams will be taking a lot of stress, I suggest trying a stretch thread. My new discovery can resolve that. It’s called SERAFLEX and it’s the perfect sewing thread for all elastic fabrics. It makes especially the straight stitch extremely stretchable (elongation of approx. 65%) and double seam elasticity can be achieved compared to seams with conventional sewing threads. Here is a video where you can see more about it.
Use a ballpoint sewing machine needle or a stretch needle. I always use Schmetz 80/12 Stretch Needles.
Use a walking foot if you have one. If you sew knits often, you need to invest. It's a life saver for sewing with difficult fabrics.
There's a lot of debate on what type of stitch you should use when sewing knits. If your seams will be taking a lot of stress and expanding, then you'll need to use zig-zag or stretch stretch instead of a classic straight stitch. On the Memory Craft 15000, there's a feature called Sewing Applications and it takes a lot of the guesswork out. It contains preset stitches for different applications. For sewing with my knit, I used Stretch/Knit under seaming and Medium under the seaming category.
These gold statement hoop earrings are Aurate Long Beam Hoops. I've been wearing these gold statement hoop earrings non-stop. They've become my favorite everyday piece to wear because they teeter between minimal and statement.
What's your favorite piece of jewelry you use to accessorize?
