Take Along Dress
The Christine Jonson Patterns Take Along Dress is a cute knit dress sewing pattern with pockets! The dress features FIVE sleeve variations - from sleeveless to 3/4 flared sleeve - and a cute above-the-knee length. The dress is so simple to sew that there are just NINE steps to complete the dress. It's beginner-friendly but expert sewists will find the dress so fun to embellish with dye, embroidery, heat transfer vinyl or stripes and matched border prints.
Let's dive in to the dress! From the graceful boat neck, the dress is close to the bust before flaring gently out over the waist and hips to a swishy hem. The pockets are cut-on, meaning they very nearly disappear into the side of the dress. Their placement was exacting - Christine spent many test samples getting them to hang just so - they don't poof out and they don't show when your hands aren't in them. As for putting your phone in them, we do recommend stabilizing the wrong side of the knit pocket with a tricot interfacing. This will help the pocket hold it's shape. In addition, sewing a small triangle onto the front side of the pocket will anchor it to the 'front' of the dress.
Top row: Take Along dress with flutter sleeve, 3/4 flared sleeve and cap sleeve.
Middle row: Pattern tester friends flutter sleeve, cap sleeve, sleeveless,
Bottom row: Pattern tester friends short flared sleeve, cap sleeve (under Moto Jacket) and flutter sleeve (under Moto jacket)
The dress finishes above the knee - but there is a lengthen/shorten line and testers who have made it have made it the actual size, 1" and 2" longer depending upon the look they were going for.
You can make the Take Along dress in any stretch knit fabric, from Ponte to rayon lycra, to athletic lycra or cotton lycra and slinky. You could even try a less stretchy knit like a French Terry for fall if you go up a size. Depending on the fabric's stretch and recovery (using the Perfect Sizing Worksheet) you can go up or down a size. The flutter sleeve can be left raw edge when cut with a rotary cutter, and the cap sleeve can be doubled before being stitched into the dress, for a no-hem finish.
The short sleeve (about elbow length) is flared, adding a fun look to this great dress. The best part? It goes with everything and to everywhere, from work to casual, from dinner to the beach. Our testers have even made it in stretch mesh and stretch eyelet for a swim coverup!