StyleARC Marita dress
Also known as the dress I was going to wear to the dinner. I attended a professional association dinner on Friday night, and early last week I made this dress to wear to it.
Then I read the weather forecast – and took a good hard look at the back of the dress on me and the need to wear “suck it all in” underwear with it – and made an alternative dress. I did a whole lot of swapping from one dress to the other and back again when I was getting ready for the dinner, and in the end I went with the alternative dress. Here’s a photo of the back of the Marita, in the interests of full sewing and fitting disclosure.
But despite all of that, and the fact that I didn’t wear this dress to the dinner after all, it was lots of fun to sew! The pattern is the StyleARC Marita dress. I made size 12, which is my usual StyleARC size, but this is pretty tight. It’ still comfortable, because it’s a knit, but I need to stand up very straight with my tummy pulled in when wearing this – preferably with smoothing underwear as well.
See that groovy cowl neckline and wrap type of effect in the front? SO easy. This is a simple dress to sew – actually, they claim that you can sew it in under an hour, and I think they are right. It was mainly constructed on the overlocker, with the machine used for just a few seams and the twin needled hems. The fabric came from Darn Cheap Fabrics. How incredibly green is that green!
I suppose now that I’ll need to take some photos of the dress that I DID wear to the dinner! And Sewjourning friends that wear a size 12 or thereabouts – I think that you should try this dress on – I reckon that this style would look GREAT on a couple of you!
I love, love, love, your gorgeous green dress!!!
This colour looks amazing on you Lara!
That is an awesome fabric design – looks amazing xx
Wow! Fantastico! That fabric is a knockout! I look at knit dresses like that with envy – no way I could wear that with my, ahem, lumpier bits 🙂 Looks great!
You seem to make quite a few StyleARC patterns. How do you fidn the sizing? I haven’t tried them yet.
Hi Jenny. With StyleARC I generally buy the size pattern that I would buy in ready made clothing. This mostly seems to be working, although they still need some tweaks to get them “perfect”. I usually make them as per the pattern the first time around (other than “short woman” adjustments), then alter as needed the next time I make it up.
Had the same problem with the fit of this dress. I love it, but too tight for me in the size I normally sew. Next time I make it, I’ll add some to the side seams so i don’t feel so “sausagey”. Love that green; just beautiful!
This dress just jumped out at me from my Blogger Dashboard! It is simply gorgeous! What a wonderful print you’ve chosen to make this dress from…and I wear smoothing garments all the time! It’s just a fact of my life so I’m sure once you don some this dress will be as spectacular as you want it to be!
That green really suits you and I love the print. It is such a shame you weren’t comfortable wearing it. You could always shorten it to a top. It would look equally good with black skinny jeans and ballet flats for autumn.
Lovely, that colour really suits you. I might get that pattern it looks great, maybe its a sort of wintery vogue 1250
I can’t believe you didn’t wear this! Can’t wait to see what you did.
Sounds like an interesting pattern…!
I love this pattern but wondering with my pear shape and tummy whether it would suit me? I know for a fact I’d have to grade out at the waist and hips. Susan
This would be easy to grade out at the waist and hips, because all the fancy shaping etc is higher up. I’d suggest going up a size to usual, because it is so fitted, then grading out as needed. I want to give this pattern another whirl and will grade out a bit next time.
thanks for the tip.I have the pattern all cut and wondered if you could confirm for me where the bit for the cowl gets sewn in? as it go into the front dart seam? tia susan
Hi Susan – it actually gets sewn onto the dart seam allowance on the inside.
Thanks that is what I thought (but didn’t know how to word it!). Susan