I often get questions on how to make a Feliz dress or top in knit. While the pattern was designed for wovens, it is perfectly suitable for knits as well. In this tutorial, I will talk about the 3 adaptations you have to make.
The fabric shown in the pictures is a warm sweater fabric which Ava picked from the newest collection of Chat Chocolat, called All Animas Are Equal III. I have to admit that I would’t have chosen a fabric in this color myself. But I also have to admit that Ava apparently has a better eye for fabrics than I have, because I think she looks amazing in her new dress! The fabric is also nice and warm, with bright colors and a sharp print, so it will be worn a lot this Winter.
Even though there are only poodles on the fabric, Ava calls this her ‘cats and dogs dress’. Apparently, her biology skills haven’t improved much since she called her jellyfish shorts her “seahorses shorts”.
Anyways, on with the tutorial!
1. Choose a size smaller than you normally would
Clothes in knit fabrics need less room for movement, so I always pick 1 size smaller than I would for a woven fabric. I then lengthen the skirt and sleeves so they aren’t too short. Here, I lengthened the 3/4 sleeves of the Feliz to full-length sleeves, simply by extending the lines.
2. Cut the back parts on the fold
Making Feliz in knit means that you don’t need to use a zipper. So I cut the back bodice and skirt on the fold, instead of in 2 separate parts. As the pattern includes a 1 cm (3/8″) seam allowance for the zipper, I put the line for the zipper option 1 cm (3/8″) away from the fold, so the seam allowance is excluded.
3. Widen the neckline a bit
I finish the neckline with ribbing, so that the dress does not need lining or a facing at the neckline. I widen the neckline by about 1 cm (3/8″), both in the front and in the back back.
Check out the beautiful All Animals Are Equal III line here. For a list of Chat Chocolat retailers, click here.
DISCOUNT CODE
Would you like to give the Feliz pattern a try? It is available in English, French, Dutch and German. Use the discount code FELIZ20 to get 20% off on the pdf pattern.
