Happy Spring Friends! It’s Cristy from Love You Sew again. With it being May (already!) it’s no wonder this month’s theme is “Travel Wardrobe.” My husband and I have been busy planning our summer trips with the kids and I even have a trip planned with just me! Coincidentally, I’ll be flying out to Texas for a bachelorette party the day this article is posted and I knew with a quick weekend trip, I needed this Catalina Dress. (aff link)
With the HOT temperatures ahead in Texas and for the rest of Ohio summer for me, a good dress is needed for ease and breathability. Also, who wants to think about outfits? A dress is a whole ensemble in one and can easily go over bathing suits for errand running after the pool. This pattern was just re-released with extended sizes, some tweaks to the bodice, and a placket option….so, it’s even more awesome than before!
For this Catalina Dress, I chose to make the sleeveless view in a knee-length with my trip in mind. I will be running in and out of airports and the last thing I want is to be sweaty and uncomfortable. With the tank version, I can easily throw on my trusty vintage denim jacket and be set for freezing airplanes as well. I did not have to make any adjustments to the length at all….and I’m 5’3″. I usually have to take a good bit off, but I love how this hits right above my knees.
I made the dress in a beautiful striped jersey knit. (Yes, this pattern is designed for BOTH woven and knits!) The stripes are such a classic fabric design but the little triangles keep it modern and hip. When traveling, knits are so key with packing. You can just pull it out of the suitcase and give it a good shake. The stretch is always nice for the unpredictable amount of walking and moving you maybe doing. Speaking of stretch, I really like elastic casing around the waist. For a knit dress, I thought this might be unnecessary, but you don’t have to deal with the raw edges rubbing against your skin and the casing helps take on the weight of the knit skirt.
The other reason I needed this dress was because of the….POCKETS! Knit jersey fabric plus pockets equal a perfect dress, in my opinion. These are nice and deep to handle all of life’s needs (like snacks and the occasional Matchbox car). Even with dresses that don’t have a pocket pattern, I always add them in. Thank goodness these are already included.
With knit patterns I’ve sewn before, the necklines and armscyes are usually finished with a ribbing or other knit. So, I was a little apprehensive trying out the woven bias tape for the first time with this dress. But look at that smooth finish… The neckline and armholes are so clean and there was no bust adjustment working with this knit.
I’ve already taken my Catalina Dress on a full day test run and it’s even more fabulous than I thought it would be. I questioned a couple of the construction techniques, but I’m happy I went ahead and made this dress exactly as instructed. I’m a full convert to the bias tape finish and elastic casing! I can’t wait to wear this on my trip to Texas. Follow along with my Insta-stories @loveyousew_ to see my Catalina out in the wild.
Find Cristy: Blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook
