The Society Dress

I know that most people prefer to stay in their comfort zone, but I think that goes double for me. It’s no secret that I stick to what I know when it comes to sewing, vacations, tv shows… well, just about everything that it’s feasible to stay in my comfort zone for!

Knits are definitely, firmly outside of my comfort zone. I know plenty of people think that sewing with knits is easier than sewing with wovens, but at least I know what I’m getting into with a woven! To me, knits feel unpredictable; it seems like you usually don’t know how something will fit until it’s just about finished, and slightly different amounts of stretch can make the same pattern fit totally differently.

The Society Dress from Charm Patterns, available through Patreon, is one of only a handful of knit patterns I have tackled, but it’s one that I really enjoy. It goes together fairly quickly, and feels a bit more elevated than a lot of knit dresses.

In addition to sticking to what I know in terms of styles, I tend to stick to one era— the 50’s and early 60’s— when it comes to my vintage sewing. So the Society Dress also gave me the opportunity to go for a slightly earlier, 1940’s look.

For this first version of the Society Dress, I picked up a Ponte from JoAnn Fabrics. I absolutely love the color, but the fabric itself left much to be desired. It looks like a cheap Halloween satin, with a noticeable texture to the weave, and an artificial sheen. Oh well, it worked to give me some practice with this pattern, and I’ve already made another— and worked up the courage to make more knit patterns going forward!

-Dress Pattern is the Charm Patterns Society Dress
-Fabric is Ponte from JoAnn’s
-Bangles and necklace are from Splendette
-Earrings are Erstwilder
-Brooch is from I Love Retro Jewelry via Etsy
-Shoes are from Macy’s
-Headband is from Petersham’s