I’ve been dreaming of making the perfect stretchy tank dress recently. This month, I’ve collaborated with Caspar by sewing my own knit dress using their gorgeous custom printed fabrics! They are a micro factory that not only allows you to use custom prints on different fabrics but also produce custom products! I love being able to chose the exact print and fabric type because this month I’ve made such a fun and statement dress! Use my special code: TAMMY20 for 20% off their website!
Choosing the fabric
Caspar has a range of fabric types that are perfect for different handmade garments from light and floaty fabrics to sturdier, more durable pieces. For this tank dress, I knew I needed to chose a stretchy fabric that wasn’t too lightweight but had a bit of structure so the fabric doesn’t feel flimsy on. I came across this vibrant pixel design print and just fell in love with the idea of making such a bold and eye-catching dress. The red, blue and white is incredibly vibrant in person and works so beautifully together. I decided to print the design on their Viscose Stretch Jersey and was really impressed with the weight of the fabric because it feels more medium-weight and doesn’t look chunky on. You can choose the scale of the pattern in the selection process and I decided on a large scale (34×34 – repeat) that would create maximum impact.
Sewing with Viscose Stretch Jersey
Every fabric I’ve used of Caspar’s has been amazing and this was no different. I can’t get over how bright the colours are and how fun it feels. I find you need to play around with different weight jerseys depending on what garment you’re trying to sew. For this project, I had already envisioned making a tank dress and knew I didn’t want the fabric to flap about everywhere and feel flimsy – so this more light/medium weight fabric was perfect. Because the fabric has a nice weight to it, you could definitely wear this dress in the evening and go for dinner because it feels special.
Sewing my own Tank Dress
I’ve been on the hunt for a simple tank dress that would become a staple in my wardrobe. I personally wanted to sew something with a higher neckline and that felt a bit more classic in its shape. Of course I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for, so I drafted my own pattern and adore the result! It’s not too tight or too loose and fits me like a glove. I’m definitely going to be working on this for a future pattern because it’s just too good not to.
I found this fabric super easy to work with, I made a toile on some lighterweight fabric beforehand and realised I needed to adjust the pattern as this fabric had a little less stress than my test version. I always recommend using a similar weight fabric when testing out a pattern before sewing the final garment because different stretch and thickness can make such a difference. Stretch fabric is forgiving so you can always take it in at the side seams if it’s too loose.
The only little thing I had an issue with, is every time I made a stitch on my overlocker, the needle went through the fabric and you can see small white dots where the needle has naturally stitched. Not sure if that’s because it’s printed fabric so it cuts through the ink but it’s definitely not noticeable unless you’re really looking haha! But I am seriously in love with this dress and am over the moon at how well the fabric and pattern combination worked out!
If you’re interested in Caspar be sure to check out their website and you can find their Viscose Stretch Jersey here and their fabric pattern l used here. Use my special code: TAMMY20 for 20% off their website!
