Renfrew Mod of Me

When I go to work and I am not wearing a turtle neck and skirt people comment. You know you have a style when. And I am happy that I embody the turtle neck. I can rock a turtle neck. So I decided that I would rock my turtle neck in dress format in a bold print. It is winter after all and a bold print contrasts the dreary weather and makes me oh so delightfully happy.

I used my Renfrew pattern as a base. From making my last Renfrew I understood the alterations I required to make my turtleneck dress a reality. For the bodice, I cut a size 8, as my fabric has some good stretch and I needed it to withstand the weight of the skirt without pulling any excess fabric downwards. Cut an 8 and cut the waist at the lengthen/shorten line. Then to make it a turtle neck I raised the neckline 2 inches. Next I measured the neckline and cut a rectangle piece 1" shorter than this length. 

I made a circle skirt late at night. Never make a circle skirt late at night. I was clearly too tired to function as I cut my waist circle correctly, but then cut the skirt 18 inches from the corner, NOT 18 inches from my waist circle. Ooops. So this made my skirt length WAY too short. Damn. So I solved my problem by cutting two 4" stripes of fabric and adding them to the hem to length my skirt. It is like a pieced circle skirt now. No problem for me. The skirt is still very much on the short side as the bodice sits slightly higher than my natural waist. I didn't add length to the bodice when I cut a size 8. I didn't accommodate for the horizontal tautness of the bodice raising it by an inch. My bad. 

Otherwise, the dress went together quickly. Sent everything through the serger. Added clear elastic to the shoulder seams to stabilize them. Full length sleeves. Turn and stitches the hem and the sleeves. And done. 

The shape and the high waist make me feel like a figure skater or that I'm wearing a leotard. But I don't even mind, this dress makes me so happy. You can barely see my arms in many of the photos as I did the ENTIRE dress in the fabric. Why? because the fabric is a luscious Rayon knit with a very soft hand with a slightly fluffy feel to the outside of it. YUM. 

This is my Renfrew Mod of Me: Turtle Neck, Circle Skirt, Bright Print, and Needs Slight Modifications. 

Details

Pattern: Sewaholic Renfrew - Modified

Size: 8

Fabric: Rayon Knit

Cost:  $7/metre - 2 Metres used

Alterations:

• Raised the Neckline by 2"
• Cut the bodice at the lengthen/shorten line
• Added a circle Skirt + hem band
• Added a Turtle neck
• Made the sleeves full length