I decided to take part in The Little Red Dress project this year, and found this beautiful deep red stretch velvet from Like Sew Amazing that I thought would be really festive. I have recently purchased the Friday Pattern Company Lucida dress and thought it would be the perfect match for this fabric.
The velvet has quite a short pile, which makes it easier to work with. It has a good amount of stretch and a really decent recovery. The colour is beautiful, really rich and jewel toned. I didn’t really do anything differently when working with this fabric, I just treated it like a normal jersey. It is a little bit more slinky, but when the right sides are together they stick to each other, meaning it doesn’t shift around.
I cut the pieces out with the fabric folded, right sides together. I bought 2 metres of fabric but managed to get the dress out of 1.5 metres. I lengthened the bodice and the skirt by an inch each and the sleeves by 3 inches. The pieces need to be cut out all facing the same way as the velvet has a nap, I chose to have the nap running down so that the dress feels smooth when you run your hand from top to bottom.
This was my first time sewing up a pattern by Friday Pattern company and I was really impressed. It’s such a simple dress, but the instructions are clear and thorough, it’s definitely beginner friendly. The ruching on the front bodice is created by threading ties through channels and it can be adjusted to suit your figure / style. I think it is so flattering and very effective for such a simple approach.
I lengthened the sleeves as I’m self-conscious about my upper arms (I don’t think I’m alone in this!) and I just cut a line 3 inches lower than the pattern piece when I was cutting out the fabric.
I lengthened the sleeves as I’m self-conscious about my upper arms (I don’t think I’m alone in this!) and I just cut a line 3 inches lower than the pattern piece when I was cutting out the fabric.
My overlocker is currently being fixed so I sewed this up completely on my sewing machine. One thing that is worth mentioning is that the bodice is self lined, so in places the seam allowances get quite bulky (with 6 layers of velvet) so it is worth grading them so that they sit well.
My overlocker is currently being fixed so I sewed this up completely on my sewing machine. One thing that is worth mentioning is that the bodice is self lined, so in places the seam allowances get quite bulky (with 6 layers of velvet) so it is worth grading them so that they sit well.
Overall I’m really pleased with this and can’t wait to wear it out! It’s ridiculously soft and comfy to wear but I still feel dressed up! I think that’s the perfect combination for Christmas party wear!
Jenny x
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