Some Things Are Just Meant To Be

When I originally bought this fabric as part of my op shop fabric haul that I wrote about here, I wasn't sure what I was going to make with it.  It is a synthetic knit of some sort with a textured outer layer.  I originally envisaged some sort of tunic that I could wear with leggings but given I usually wear black leggings, it really was a non starter. 

I  had seen this Cynthia Rowley by Simplicity pattern popping up on quite a few blogs lately and really liked the racer back and the casual feel of the dress.  It is the sort of dress that can take you from the supermarket to swimming lessons but is still smart enough to pop out for coffee.  Initially I didn't consider the navy knit fabric for this dress but I knew that it was stable enough and soft enough to be successful with this pattern.  The dress is super easy and I really like the way it has been neatly faced on both the inside and outside.  I did struggle initially with the zip.  I didn't have and invisible zipper and used a regular zipper out of my stash.  The ribs on the fabric made it impossible to insert so I ended up ripping it out and replacing it with the invisible zip.  The second problem I had was that I assumed I knew how to assemble the dress without the instructions.  This was also doomed to failure.   While trying to turn through the neck facings, I realised that actually I wasn't as clever as I thought I was and once again resorted to my seam ripper.   I did get there in the end though, even if it did take me twice as long to complete as it needed to.  I can see this pattern getting a lot of use and already my daughter has her order in.