This dress combines two things I love and really don't need. 1. Impulse fabric purchase. 2. Another Dress. Do I regret it? Not. At. All. I love my new maxi length knit dress and the fabric was a total bargain. I wear dresses all year long and now I've actually used my impulse purchase so I feel no guilt over this indulgence. Do you have fabric buying guilt?
A few weeks ago, I went fabric shopping downtown and came home with much more fabric than I needed (see the whole haul here on Instagram). In reality I don't need any fabric and can't recall why I went shopping in the first place. While scouring the Michael Levine bulk bins, I found this awesome wide stripe knit. The stripes are white and a mottled denim blue, just the kind of thing that will easily fit into my wardrobe. The fabric weight is fairly light but not so light that it's see through.
For the pattern, I adapted the tank top pattern from Sew U Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin. I recently used this pattern for my Coral Tank Top so I knew that the fit would be right. I extended the length to the floor and added some width to accommodate the hips.
To finish the neck and armhole edges, I cut strips of fabric from the blue section to use as a binding. I stitched it to the right side, turned the raw edge to the wrong side and topstitched in place using a double needle. I really love how this turned it. The two rows of topstitching really gives it a finished look.
I'm sure I'm going to be wearing this dress a lot this summer and for years to come. Here, I'm wearing it with these Lands' End sandals and Loft Aviator Sunglasses. This dress could easily be a beach cover up, or pair with a long cozy cardigan when nights become cold.
