Seamwork Gene Dress

I had a fancy-ish event to attend a couple of weeks ago and despite telling myself that I absolutely, under no circumstances, needed a new dress, I was sitting in my office late Friday afternoon and inspiration struck. I had just gotten a 5 yard end of bolt deal on this fabric from LA Finch Fabrics when the Seamwork Gene popped up in my feed and I knew it was a match made in heaven. It was a quick project and I was ready for the event on Sunday night with no problems.

I cut this pattern as I measured- 18 bust, 20 waist, and 22 hips and didn’t make any other alterations. It was straightforward and I  am happy with the fit! It has a bit of a cocoon shape, so the fit through the back is a little baggy when it isn’t belted (unbelted pics at the end of the post), but I appreciate that for casual wear! I think the shape of the neckline and the cap sleeves is really nice.

I think the main conundrum about this pattern is figuring out what fabric to make it in. It is fairly long, there is a lot of fabric in the hem, and the only thing supporting all weight is the shoulder seam. This ITY polyester knit worked great and I think a lightweight cotton knit might work OK also. I would suggest staying away from any heavy rayon knits. This seems like the kind of situation where finding something in your stash or buying in person would be beneficial!

Most of the steps in the instructions revolved around prepping and supporting the fabric around the knot. Since my fabric was lightweight and the polyester wasn’t going to fray or pull, I skipped a lot of them. I read through everything first and decided what was necessary and what wasn’t, and then forged ahead with the serger and coverstitch. The discerning/lazy sewist should be able to forego use of the regular sewing machine altogether, which is one of my least favorite sewing tasks (knits on the regular machine).

Once I puzzled out how the knot worked (don’t worry, its pretty easy too), it was a really simple project and I definitely plan to make more! I have found it so easy to wear in a number of situations, so having another one in my wardrobe would be great. On instagram, a few folks were asking about hacking potential. I think it is there, but there is a bit of volume added into the front so that it drapes into the ties, so it is not going to be a case of just cutting off the tied part. That said, it has a cute cocoon shape, so I will probably investigate some hacking options in the future.

Just the Facts:

Pattern: Seamwork Gene

Current Measurements: Bust: 45″, Waist 42″, Hip 53″

Size: 18-20-22

Fabric/Notions: Leaf Print ITY  from LA Finch Fabrics