Viscose Jersey Criswood Sews Envelope Dress
Those of you who follow me on instagram know that I made a Criswood Sews Envelope Dress in ombre linen last year and absolutely LOVED it. The only problem was that it fell firmly in the realm of casual wear (think swanning around in a comfy linen gauze caftan), and wasn’t suitable for the office. The next time, I wanted to make a version with more versatility that I could wear to the office on weekdays and out on the weekends as well. I think I’ve achieved that aim with this make!
Read on for my thoughts on the fabric and the pattern details!
Fabric Review
This is the Viscose Jersey Knit Fabric (MR1067-009) in Dark Navy Blue, which also comes in more than 12 other colours! It was kindly gifted to me as part of the #minervamakers - thank you!
I found this fabric super easy to cut and sew with, and to be honest, I constructed this entire dress purely on an industrial lockstitch machine (no overlocking or zig-zag stitches here!). I’ve put my stitches to the stress test by pulling on both the straight grain and cross grain seams, and it’s held up well with no snapped threads. I suspect this may be because of the low stretch to this fabric (see below for details on stretch percentage). If you’re looking to construct something more fitted, however, you’d probably be better off sticking with the usual construction methods for knits.
Fabric width / yardage: The fabric width is 61 inches, and I used much less than 2.5m to construct both the dress and the sash.
Stretch and weight: Medium weight knit fabric with no stretch along the straight grain, and 20-30% stretch along the cross grain (although the listing says 20%!).
Texture: Unlike some other viscose jerseys, this fabric isn’t smooth and slinky and there is some texture to it. It’s comfortable to wear and has fantastic drape (as you can clearly see from my dress!) It doesn’t wrinkle easily either which makes this a great option for days when I plan to attend an exercise class and head straight to meet friends / work after!
Pattern Review
Pattern version / size: Criswood Sews Envelope Dress, custom sized based on the pattern instructions. Do note that this pattern is for woven fabrics! I think the viscose jersey worked in this case as it had sufficient body and minimal stretch.
Alterations: I raised the neckline by 5cm as it was a tad too revealing for me, and added a sash (finished measurements are 1.8m long by 6cm wide). I also included side splits up to just above the knee for visual interest and ease of walking.
Things I would change: Absolutely nothing!
#minervamakes #viscosejersey #criswoodsewsenvelope #caftan
Those of you who follow me on instagram know that I made a Criswood Sews Envelope Dress in ombre linen last year and absolutely LOVED it. The only problem was that it fell firmly in the realm of casual wear (think swanning around in a comfy linen gauze caftan), and wasn’t suitable for the office. The next time, I wanted to make a version with more versatility that I could wear to the office on weekdays and out on the weekends as well. I think I’ve achieved that aim with this make!
Read on for my thoughts on the fabric and the pattern details!
Fabric Review
This is the Viscose Jersey Knit Fabric (MR1067-009) in Dark Navy Blue, which also comes in more than 12 other colours! It was kindly gifted to me as part of the #minervamakers - thank you!
I found this fabric super easy to cut and sew with, and to be honest, I constructed this entire dress purely on an industrial lockstitch machine (no overlocking or zig-zag stitches here!). I’ve put my stitches to the stress test by pulling on both the straight grain and cross grain seams, and it’s held up well with no snapped threads. I suspect this may be because of the low stretch to this fabric (see below for details on stretch percentage). If you’re looking to construct something more fitted, however, you’d probably be better off sticking with the usual construction methods for knits.
Fabric width / yardage: The fabric width is 61 inches, and I used much less than 2.5m to construct both the dress and the sash.
Stretch and weight: Medium weight knit fabric with no stretch along the straight grain, and 20-30% stretch along the cross grain (although the listing says 20%!).
Texture: Unlike some other viscose jerseys, this fabric isn’t smooth and slinky and there is some texture to it. It’s comfortable to wear and has fantastic drape (as you can clearly see from my dress!) It doesn’t wrinkle easily either which makes this a great option for days when I plan to attend an exercise class and head straight to meet friends / work after!
Pattern Review
Pattern version / size: Criswood Sews Envelope Dress, custom sized based on the pattern instructions. Do note that this pattern is for woven fabrics! I think the viscose jersey worked in this case as it had sufficient body and minimal stretch.
Alterations: I raised the neckline by 5cm as it was a tad too revealing for me, and added a sash (finished measurements are 1.8m long by 6cm wide). I also included side splits up to just above the knee for visual interest and ease of walking.
Things I would change: Absolutely nothing!
#minervamakes #viscosejersey #criswoodsewsenvelope #caftan