Well Traveled Wrap

By Beth Bradley

When you're packing for a trip, versatility and simplicity in your clothing choices are key. Take away the guesswork with this reversible knit wrap dress. It's two dresses in one, so you'll save precious suitcase space. The wrap style is flattering and classic, and there are endless ways to dress it up or down. The matte jersey fabric is incredibly forgiving, comfortable and never needs pressing, so the wrap dress will soon become your favorite travel companion.

What You'll Need

• Wrap – style dress pattern appropriate for moderate stretch knits (such as Butterick 5030)
• 7 Matte jersey fabric in two contrasting or coordinating colors (yardage as indicated on the pattern envelope)
• ¼ yard of knit interfacing
• 75/11 sewing machine needle
• Matching polyester thread
• 4 sets of size 3 hooks and eyes
• ½ yard of ¼ " – wide clear elastic

Knit Wit
Knit fabric tends to have a mind of its own, especially those knits with a very drapy hand, such as matte jersey and slinky. Follow these tips to show slippery knit fabrics who's boss. (Also refer to "Sandra's Solutions" by Sandra Betzina on page 30 for additional advice.)

Be sure that the pattern you've selected is designed for knits rather than wovens. Some pattern envelopes are printed with a knit stretch gauge, so you can check in advance if the fabric will be compatible with the pattern. If the fabric has less than the suggested amount of stretch, add more ease to the pattern.


Prewash the fabric according to the instructions on the fabric bolt, or according to how you plan to care for the finished garment, to eliminate any shrinkage before sewing.

For maximum control when cutting, use the sharpest dressmaker's shears or rotary cutter you can find. Use very sharp pins, such as silk pins, and weights to hold the fabric layers in place while cutting.

Use a size 75/11 sewing machine needle when sewing on lightweight knits. Use 100% polyester thread with synthetic knits. Polyester thread provides extra strength and give when the seams are stretched during wearing.

If the pattern requires interfacing, use an interfacing that's appropriate to use with knits, such as lightweight 100% polyester knit fusible interfacing, in order to retain the fabric's stretch and drapability. Use interfacing in the color that blends most easily with your fabric color, as lightweight knits can be somewhat sheer.

To stabilize necklines, shoulder seams and armholes, use ¼" – wide clear elastic sewn into the seams rather than woven tape. Stretch the clear elastic a few times before measuring, cutting and sewing it.

The right and wrong sides of solid color knit fabric can look virtually identical. To keep from mixing up the fabric sides during construction, mark each pattern piece wrong side with a "W" in tailor's chalk immediately after cutting it out.

Test the various methods for sewing construction seams in knit garments before you begin sewing the garment. One option is to use a very narrow zigzag stitch to accommodate the fabric's stretch. Another possibility is to lengthen a straight stitch to 3 mm and stretch the fabric gently as you sew. Some machines also come equipped with special knit or tricot stitches that will stretch along with the fabric.

Test–sew on fabric scraps to determine what stitch and tension works best on your fabric.


Serge–finish seam edges or leave them unfinished, as most knit fabrics don't ravel easily. Serge–finish and topstitch the hem, or use a coverstitch or doubleneedle stitch. Before hemming, fuse a very narrow strip of fusible knit interfacing along the fabric lower edge to add stability and avoid a wavy effect.

Cutting & Construction
From both fabrics, cut out the bodice, skirt and sash pattern pieces according to the pattern guidesheet. Set aside one set of dress pattern pieces.

Using a hand basting stitch, trace the front and back bodice darts (1). Carefully pin the darts closed.

Stitch each dart from the fabric lower edge to the dart point, following the basted lines. Leave long thread tails at the dart points. Remove the basting stitches. Tie a double knot at each dart point.

Trim the front bodice darts excess to 5/8 ". Press the front darts toward the center front.

Staystitch the front and back bodice pieces at each shoulder line 3/8" from the fabric upper edge.

Cut two pieces of clear elastic each the same length as the shoulder seam. Position each clear elastic length on the bodice wrong side at the shoulder seams. Right sides facing, stitch the bodice front and back pieces together at the shoulder line, stitching through the clear elastic. Use a Teflon foot to avoid sticking.

Right sides facing, stitch the bodice side seams. Staystitch around the bodice neckline for 4" down each bodice front neckline edge (2). Staystitch around the armholes.

Right sides facing, stitch the skirt front and back together.

Cut two 1" – wide strips of knit interfacing the same length as the skirt front seam. Fuse the interfacing along the skirt front edges for stability.

Staystitch the skirt at the waistline.

Right sides facing, stitch the dress bodice to the skirt at the waist, matching the notches and side seams. Press open the waist – seam allowance, then press toward the skirt.

Construct the dress sash according to the pattern guidesheet.

Let the dress hang overnight. Sergefinish the lower edge and sew a ¼" hem. Or leave the lower edge unfinished.

Construct the second dress and sash from the other set of pattern pieces according to the previous instructions, but don't interface the front edges.

Right sides facing, pin the two dresses along the front neckline and skirt seams. Stitch the two dresses together (3).

Press open the neckline and skirt seams. Trim the seam allowance to ¼". Turn the dress right side out.

Steam the neckline and skirt seams to shrink out any stretching that occurred during sewing.

On the dress right side, turn under the armhole raw edges; pin. Slipstitch the armhole seams closed.

Try on the dress and pin – mark the hook–and–eye placement at the waistline on both sides of the dress. The placement should fall near the bodice front waist darts, but may vary slightly based on your bust size and waist height.

Hand sew the hooks at each front edge bodice/skirt intersection, and sew the eyes at the pin marks (4). Sew eyes on both sides so that the dress can be worn on either fabric side.

Mix and match the two sashes with the two dress sides each time you wear it.