Most people reading my blog know that I like to mix things up a little bit when I am sewing.  So while the Lekala jacket was slowly progressing, I put aside a little time to whip up a quick knit dress.

This is the Jessica dress, by StyleARC.  They describe it as a “Great easy to wear pull on knit jersey dress with up to the minute twist front feature that is flattering and eye catching.  This dress can be worn to the office then add a piece of your favourite jewellery then you’re ready to party!”

I sewed this in a straight size 12, with no alterations.  It is possibly a little roomy on me, which was surprising – often size 12 StyleARC can be fairly fitted on me.  However, I think that the style is extremely flattering. The back view is broken with a horizontal seam, that also provides the style with a little more structure.

And that plunging neckline and twist feature are fantastic! Having Ada to pin the dress front to as I figured out the twist really helped me to make sure that I had it all right. The pleats really help the dress to flatter, because there is no pulling across my belly.

I highly recommend this pattern if you are looking for a knit dress that has some special touches. It is quite fast to construct, with only five pattern pieces (including the back neck binding piece). The front folds back to finish the neckline with self-facing pieces that are sewn into the shoulder seams, giving a lovely clean finish. I used Vliesofix tape and a twin needle to secure the skirt and sleeve hems.

And although the neckline does plunge, it doesn’t really expose all that much as it isn’t too wide. It would be simple to secure it with a few judiciously placed stitches if need be. The fabric is from a newly discovered bargain fabric shop, Super Cheap Fabrics in Sydney Rd, Brunswick, where Italian wool coatings were $10 per metre and everything else in the shop $3 per metre….

I’ll definitely be giving this pattern another whirl!  I think that you could do some really interesting things with colour blocking the top and skirt too.