shibori

Drape Drape 2 : Dress 2
Shibori Indigo Over-Dyed Bamboo Jersey in Putty
Fabric dyed in the workroom’s Indigo class

Natural dyeing fabric is always exciting.  Indigo dyeing is extra magical because it is done in a fermentation vat and the colour appears when the fibre is removed from the vat and oxygen hits it. You literally see the colour change and appear as it is exposed to the air. I was hoping that our Bamboo Knit Jersey would work with Indigo and I was super excited to find out that it takes the dye perfectly.

I had originally wanted to make some Indigo dyed leggings, but I couldn’t resist looking for a dress pattern when I saw how beautiful the large piece of Bamboo looked with the Indigo overdyed on it.

With the success of my Bamboo Jersey Moneta, I was feeling ready to tackle some of the more simple patterns from my Drape Drape 2 book. The second dress in the book couldn’t be more easy! The pattern is cut from just a single piece of fabric with only two seams to sew. I did those seams on my serger and used my Maxilock Stretch Thread. I’m addicted to using this thread on my knit projects. I finished the neck line and arm holes with bias jersey binding and used my twin needle to top stitch the binding down. The book recommends just folding and hemming the armholes, but I prefer a bound finish. I also used my twin needle to hem the dress. (Regular thread through the needles and Maxilock Stretch Thread in my bobbin)

This is such a fun dress to sew and to wear. It’s really comfortable and looks more advanced than it really is.

Now that the workroom has all the Drape Drape books in English, I’m scouting for my next pattern. I know the idea of sewing with knits is a bit daunting, but once you get started you won’t want to stop!