Sew Over It Lucy T-Shirt Dress
Maxi dresses will always have my heart, especially in the summer. There’s something so satisfying about being able to choose just one garment and you’re done, even better that they always have impact too!
I was actually on the hunt for a t-shirt pattern, my wardrobe is sorely lacking in basic t-shirts that can work with trousers, skirts, under pinafores or jumpsuits. I find a lot of t-shirts have quite high necklines so I was looking for something with a little more scooped out at the front when I came across the Sew Over It Lucy.
A gently fitting t-shirt with just the right neckline, easy enough to lengthen the sleeves for the colder months and… bonus! It’s a maxi dress as well! The pattern actually includes a shorter, knee length skirt but really could make whatever length you wanted.
The skirt is sewn to the bodice and creates a channel for drawstring which means you can cinch it in as tight or loose as you like. The trickiest bit is sewing buttonholes on jersey fabric – make sure you interface the back of the fabric for some extra stability!
The maxi version includes a sexy little split in the left side seam, normally my legs don’t see the light of day so this actually feels pretty bold for me. But I feel so comfortable and confident in this, it flashes just enough that I don’t feel exposed but gives a cheeky little flash of leg.
I have sewn so many jersey tops and sweatshirts over the years but this was the first that is finished with a binding at the neckline instead of a neckband. I’ll be honest it felt a little alien to understitch the binding to the seam allowance when I would normally be topstitching the bodice to the seam allowance. I really love the clean finish but as there are 5 layers of jersey that you are sewing through it feels quite thick and it’s a good idea to try and grade the seam allowances after understitching to reduce some of that bulk before top stitching.
This absolutely stunning cotton jersey was gifted to me by Andrea from Beyond The Pink Door, as the Lucy is the featured pattern in this months Pattern Club on ThreadySetGo and Andrea is one of the guests at the end of the month live event along with Rosie and Alma from Sew Over It. Head on over and have a look at all the details, there’s a lovely discount code for the pattern there when you sign up until the end of August.
In terms of sizing I cut and 18 at the bust and then graded to a 24 at the hips. I would say I could definitely go down a size at the top, after making a toile I reduced the width of the back bodice on the dress just by moving the edge of the paper pattern where you would place it on the fold of the fabric over by about 1.5cm (3cm overall).
This is such a speedy and satisfying sew, perfect for the busy summer months and the dress is definitely hitting that “secret pyjamas” mark… ultimate comfort and style. I feel great in this and have worn it loads since it came off the machine!