Before I start, two things:
1. I know. Another Lady Skater. Y’all are probably getting sick of looking at this, but uhhh sorry not sorry! Honestly, I wanted to put both of these dresses in the same post, but I hadn’t managed to get pictures of the green one and I wanted to post the floral one RIGHT THAT SECOND and, well, you know how it goes.
2. Much more important, but thank you thank you thank you for all of your lovely comments on my last post! Again, I wasn’t posting that bit to fish for compliments, or anything like that… it has just been on my mind for a long time. I wholeheartedly believe that sewing + the blogging community (not to mention taking pictures of oneself and posting them on the internet, eep) is so wonderful for helping us maintain a healthy body image, and I would be lying if I said the outpouring of support and consolation stories didn’t make me feel a trillion times better about my insecurities and why they shouldn’t even matter in the first place. Y’all are just lovely, and I love you 🙂
Now, back to the matter at hand…
I made another Lady Skater! This one comes with bonus surprise Duck Lips!
I know I don’t have to justify myself when it comes to things I sew, but just in case you were looking for justification – I made this twice in a row because it’s an awesome pattern and I wanted to try out every sleeve version. I have made short sleeves, I have made 3/4 sleeves, and today we have long sleeves!
I really love seeing how a pattern can look totally different depending on the fabric that is used to make it up, and this one is no exception. My last Lady Skater was a thin, drapey, VERY stretchy cotton knit. For this version, I used wool jersey that is fairly stable, and look at what a difference it makes!
My green wool jersey is from – where else? – Mood Fabrics. Having tried Merino Wool and now Wool Jersey, I am now going to give you my opinion on them and how they are different.
Merino Wool – due to the chemicals in the wool, this stuff can be washed and dried as normal in your machine without felting. It also tends to be less scratchy, in my experience. Elasticity and stretch recovery are excellent. Fabric can be a bit sheer, at least based on the pieces I’ve personally handled.
Wool Jersey – ok, I’m going to be real gross and weird here and admit that I didn’t pre-wash my Wool Jersey. I plan on washing it the same way I wash my sweaters – which is a lukewarm sink bath with no agitation, and laying flat to dry. The stretch recovery on this is good, however, it doesn’t have as much elasticity (see the difference in fit vs my previous dress? Wool Jersey is a bit more stable than cotton jersey). It is also pretty scratchy! It’s not unbearably scratchy by any means, but it does feel like I’m wearing a wool sweater… which, I kind of am! It is much more opaque than the Merino. I am wearing neon undies under this dress and you can’t even tell, ha.
It is also REALLY warm. Which will be good, when it eventually gets cold here 😛
I kind of feel like a Girl Scout in this dress, what’s with the bright green and slightly scratchy fabric. I know the green looks sort of muted in these pictures, but trust me and not my inexperience with my camera. This shit is BRIGHT FUCKING KELLY GREEN. It is amazing.
See what I mean about the fabric not being as elastic? You can totally see bra straps and back fat here. Which doesn’t bother me, personally, but if you don’t like looking like you were poured into your clothing that morning, you maaaay consider sizing up if you choose to make this pattern with a more stable knit 🙂
I should also point out that the stability of this fabric makes it really easy to sew. Just like Merino Wool – it doesn’t curl up, doesn’t slide around (actually, it’s slightly lofty so the pieces kind of stick together and that’s MAGICAL), stitches and presses like a dream. I really enjoyed the sound my scissors made when they cut into it, strangely enough. It’s the little things.
Ok, so who’s jumping on the Wool Jersey bandwagon with me? ALL ABOARD, LET’S GOOOO!!
LLADYBIRD 
This is absolutely lovely! I love the color on you. Sadly, I do not tolerate scratchy clothes at all, so I will have to admire this wool jersey from afar.
My mom is the same way – I think she might even have a slight allergy. I assume you could probably underline the dress is something nice and soft to add a layer between you + wool, or make a thin long-sleeved shirt to wear underneath? Or neither, and I will just keep all the wool jersey to myself 😛 hahaha!!
Looks fantastic! I just want to thank you for going into a detailed comparison of the two fabrics. I am curious to try both now that the weather is turning. This post is so helpful!
Ooh, great color and I bet it’s superrrr cozy what with the wool jersey! I loved your retro print version, too, but I definitely need some cute & basic wool jersey dresses in my life!
Gorgeous! The idea of having wool fabric so close to my skin makes me cringe though… I wouldn’t be able to bear it!
I LOVE this version and thanks for the details on the fabric. Into the queue it goes!
I LOVE that color. Makes me want to knit a whole sweater in it RIGHT NOW.
I just did! Well, finishing the sleeve ribbing today 🙂 Obviously I’ve got a real love affair with Kelly Green right now, ha!
I love all your skaters, they are all really different looks. I have yet to make this pattern but I am really glad I went ahead and bought it because I know I’ll get lots of mileage from it.
I also want to say when I was reading about your transitional skater (on my phone, hence not commenting at the time) I thought, “wow, Lauren’s hair looks awesome in an up-do”, and that was before I read what you wrote at the bottom of the post about feeling self concious. Just wanted you to know you should wear it up like that more often cos it looks great.
It looks great in green and I agree with you about what a brilliant pattern it is. I’ve just finished making one for my daughter and I’ve bought some Liberty of London jersey in autumn colours to make one for myself. (My computer is trying to correct my spelling of ‘colours’ but I’m a Brit and I just won’t do it!) But I digress. This pattern definitely helped me overcome my fear of stretch and I noticed that Amanda has a hack on her site to make it sleeveless, lengthen it and turn it into a t-shirt. Such good value – I even enjoyed taping the pattern together in a perverse sort of way!
Thanks for your comparison between merino wool and wool jersey – you are a mine of information.
Cute! 52 degrees when I walked the dog this morning, BTW.
Thanks for the info on the wool jersey. Will have to give it a try. My tolerance for scratchy clothing has increased since I took up knitting… can’t knit everything in expensive merino so one must learn to love all kinds of wool! Anyway, another fantastic dress! Sara
God, this pattern is flattering. They all look so good!
wow, another awesome skater! i love this color green, and it looks great on you!
I think this is my favorite Lady Skater so far! And I love the yellow nails 🙂
Love the fabric !
I really like this Lady Skater
I totally understand your love of this pattern. I’ve made two short sleeved versions so far and have plans for two more with longer sleeves……but now maybe three since you brought up wool jersey!
Your sleeves, hem and neckline look wonderful. Do you use a coverstich machine to get such amazing finish work? What is you secret (fyi, I’m a new reader so if you discussed this before can you link me to it?). Thanks.
I wish I had a coverstitch machine! 🙂 Unfortunately, it’s not in the budget right now. I sew all my knits with a serger – I have a Baby Lock Imagine, it’s pretty pricey but absolutely worth the cash (coming from someone who is a really tacky cheapskate haha). My topstitching is done on my Bernina – I use a ball point twin needle with wooly nylon in the bobbin, and a walking foot. Hope that helps!
Wow, this one is also beautiful! Now i’m sure i have to make this dress as soon as possible haha 🙂
I love this! And your previous one I have been eyeing this pattern for a while. I will be checking out my local fabric shop tomorrow and also Mood. I need a wool skater dress as we have gone from hot summer to late Autumn almost over night here in the UK.
Oooh! You had me at “wool”. I’m a crazy sewer like that… I have a thing for wool. Perhaps it’s because I simply like being warm all the time, but me and wool… well we’re besties. But don’t even get me started on silk-wool blends. 🙂
Your newest lady skater is great. I love this bright green color, but it’s been hard for me to find locally. I’m eventually going to have to order swatches to find some online.
Happy sewing!
I love your lady skaters… that is such a cute pattern and I could see it being a really cozy dress with tights for cooler weather! I definitely want to get a copy of that pattern. 🙂
I love the color, too. Sadly, I can’t stand wool against my skin, so more for you! lol
I made my first one from a silk jersey . . . thick, stable, and . . . yea, size up. I did, and I am glad that I did. I really need to post that one, but in all fairness when I wore it was pouring and not wet pictures . . .
I do ❤ yours.
Silk Jersey! That sounds incredible!
I just did my first archer (today), in white too boot. So I promised a couple of people that I’d do a FBA and button down post first. So . . . I’ll post that this week and then next I’ll sew Skater number two and post it as a comparison to the silk jersey. I sewed it right before a cross country road trip and two weeks with my folks . . . so it never did get blogged.
Wee. Congrats on the perfect winter dress. I’ve made one in black wool jersey. It was a little to thin so I had to make two layers in the bodice and shirt and this particular fabric did curl Some. It was a bit of a callange for a stretch-sewing newbe but totally worth it.
Gorgeous colour/dress/outfit/person/hidden ears 🙂 But what are duck lips?
Ha! It’s when a person purses their lips in a picture, it kind of looks like a duck bill 🙂
I totally nab wool jersey whenever I come across it at SR Harris (huge amazing fabric warehouse in MN) because it’s my favorite. It’s light, but warm, but not too warm for inside offices in winter when MN is batshit crazy with the heating. Anyway, I repeat myself but it’s clear the Lady Skater Dress is the best pattern ever.
Loving the skater dresses at the moment! Kelly green is awesome! I’ve almost finished a plum one and have a mustard one cut out ready to go. I can see how you could fill a wardrobe with them!
Ooh, plum and mustard sound gorgeous!
Lovely! And wool to boot. I am convinced I need to make one of these. It is kind of the perfect just pull on dress. Very nice!
Gorgeous colour!
So lovely! You look positively dreamy in emerald green. This is a great and very flattering pattern on you too. Oh the possibilities. Also, I love seeing multiple versions of a pattern from the same person – I got some slack about this on my blog recently. Not to name names, but basically the person told me that I pick out boring fabric choices. Some people…. Whatever. I love seeing everything that you do! Thanks for making up more than just one of these dresses. Yessss!
HAHA, wait, really?! So what about the people who prefer to wear “boring” fabrics and are content with it? Oh man, I can’t even start with how dumb that is!! Wahh, some people indeed!
I also love seeing when people make a pattern over and over – even if the fabric is boring 😉 sometimes seeing the same thing in different versions can be good for getting your own personal creative juices flowing, you know? Plus I love me a good versatile pattern.
I read that comment and thought, ” ooh, who are you?” It was like someone coming into your home and saying they didn’t appreciate your color choices and you should repaint your house and re-do your furniture cuz they didn’t care for it. Whatever indeed!
Another gorgeous dress. I love the look of wool but my skin does not, so unless there is lining, I have to avoid wool fabric.
I love the dress, just had to sew with jersey for the first time as I can’t get the sort of cross over t-shirt I wanted. It’s been interesting, that’s how I happened upon your blog. Now about the atrocious back fat, my goodness, and you go out in public! Wish I looked as great as you and how contorted did you have to be to made a tiny wrinkle on your back??? I neeeded a good laugh, thanks. I’m back on my diet now!
Haha, well ya got me there 🙂 I think it’s more of the firmness of my bra band creating bulges in my back, but hey- whatever’s going on back there, I can’t see it, so it doesn’t bother me haha 🙂
Ok I MUST get this pattern. To be honest for two simple reasons. 1. I love the simple style and have been watching your “options” – I live in the cold and 2. I cannot wait to say when asked at the rink “oh it is the Lady Skater” – besides living in a cold area I live at the rink with a competitive skater.
How can anyone get tired of seeing new versions of this dress? What a beautiful color, I must try the wool knit
Ok, yep, that is perfect! This pattern is a must-have for you!
I haven’t even finished my first Lady Skater yet, but now I’m having visions of wool jersey versions in navy and charcoal gray.
Superwash merino is a little finicky – I would err on the side of caution and still wash (as gently as your machine allows, if your’e not handwashing) and lay flat to dry. I had a pair of socks that I knit from superwash merino, and after about a year or so (let’s estimate that to be 6 washes), all of the superwash coating was gone and the suckers shrank and fulled like you wouldn’t believe! Superwash wool may also grow slightly with body heat because the treatment that covers up scales (to prevent fulling) also prevents fibers from clinging to each other. They slide against each other and stretch… That’s been my experience, anyway.
Lovely dresses, by the way! I am enjoying seeing your iterations.
Eep, that’s good to know! I will definitely limit machine washing those pieces and not put them in the dryer. Thank you!
This dress is lovely, and really makes me want to try wool jersey! I am a huge fan of wool. If I had my way, every single fall, winter, and spring piece in my wardrobe would be made out of the stuff. I have really sensitive skin, but oddly enough, even itchy wool is better for it than synthetics… especially polyester. Some people get rashes from wool, but I get them when my skin can’t breathe! And I find the coziness of wool completely makes up for any itch factor. I’m one of those people who’s ALWAYS cold. I’m actually not joking when I say I wear merino wool long johns every day from October-ish until April or May. (Oops, did I really just admit that on the internet?)
I must say, I really hate sewing with knits, but I do love wearing them… so I might just give this stuff a try, especially since my wardrobe is seriously lacking in the area of cozy dresses. I wear pretty much nothing but dresses in the summer, and hate giving them up in the fall!
Haha, I’m the same way 🙂 Dead of summer, I’m carrying around a wool sweater (whyyy do people blast their a/c so hardcore ughh). So I love wool because it means I can be warm without wearing a whole lot of bulk 🙂 Definitely try the wool knit, sounds like its your perfect dream fabric 🙂
Thanks for the fabric review, that makes me very tempted to order some from Mood! Beautiful dress – I love that green 🙂
I bought the lady skater pattern after you did your first one– gotta get on it! I am also unbelievably excited that you’re in Nashville, like me! I only make it to mood about every 4 years, so any fabric/sources in Nashville you have to share are always appreciated (I’ve lived here 15 years and had never heard of Muna until you mentioned it). I would love to be posted on anything local you have planned. And your hair looks really cute up. Your neck is perfect for it.:)
Yaaay another Nashvillian! I am working toward teaching sewing classes (I know, I’ve said that like a million times and I haven’t anything to show for it.. yet. Set backs and all that,ha), I’ll let you know when those finally do start up 🙂 I also have a knitting/crocheting group here, but seems like none of my Nashville readers are also yarn-lovers 😦 wah
Aw, I was going to buy wool jersey at mood for this and then I chickened out because I didn’t want to hand wash. Maybe when I go back in a few weekends it will still be there…I need to get making some of these!
Really glad to see this post. I have some grey wool jersey from Mood that’s been waiting to be a wrap dress since February. But, it’s itchy, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to tolerate it. I’m thinking of underlining at least the bodice, maybe the sleeves? but I don’t know which fabric would be best for underlining wool. Probably plain ole cotton jersey…IDK!!
I would underline the bodice and possibly the sleeves (only if you find it difficult to wear a wool sweater without long sleeves underneath). I think something very lightweight would be perfect for underlining… a soft cotton or rayon jersey, something like that.
Ooo, that is so pretty! That shade of green is really beautiful. The dress looks so comfortable. You’ll be feeling all warm and cozy in those colder months. I’m certainly adding some wool jersey into my fall wardrobe, so count me in on that bandwagon!
I love the colour! I hate winter clothes that are dull and drab. The green looks gorgeous. In between your inspiring sewing frenzy are you remembering to vote?http://www.marthastewart.com/americanmade/nominee/79605
Yes! Everyone should be voting! 😀
I am so heading over right now to get this pattern… I love all your versions!
I love the color! You look lovely in Green. I read your blog almost everyday and It’s fantastic. You do a wonderful job. Thank you!! You are also a great sales person for moods fabric. haha. I need to stop buying so much fabric. Yikes!
I love your lady skaters!! All of them!
Do you think the Lady skater would be good as a long sleeve maxi length dress? I always see this style at free people but the fabric they use is so cheap. Not to mention terribly expensive.
Anywho! You rock. Thank you for sharing.
I know it works as a maxi dress – Katie made a really beautiful maxi with a godet in the back (seriously, click that. It’s so so perfect). Hers is short sleeved, but you could easily make yours with long sleeves. And it would be so cozy to wear in cooler weather. Ooh, do it!!
Really, really like this colour on you. That dress seems like such an easy, everyday wearable dress, I think I’m going to have to look into it!
Loving this pattern – it looks fantastic on you in every fabric choice and pattern varietal! I’m wondering how hard it would be to do a FBA on this one. I hate the squashed effect I sometimes get with knits that are too snug across. I’m off to order a Lady Skater for myself while thinking about how to stay warm and not sweaty now that Oregon’s faucets are coming on lol.
Before you try a proper FBA, I would suggest trying the “cheater FBA” where you just grade to a larger size at the bust and a smaller size at the waist/hips. Knits are pretty forgiving and this is one of the few times you can get away with something like that – plus, no darts added!
That looks just AMAZING on you! Such a fantastic fit! : )
I also love sewing with wool jersey. Merino is very popular in New Zealand and I’m lucky enough to have a store nearby that sells lightweight merino in every color imaginable. I recently made Papercut Patterns’ Josephine Tee with hot pink merino knit (end result is on my blog). You’ve inspired me to use it for a dress though, thank you for sharing : )
Wow, that’s so pretty!
I LOVE this! The colour is amazing! This pattern is great – your tiger one makes it really fun, and this one is just downright classy! Definitely going on my shopping list now 🙂
All you need to say is wool and I all like, “Mines?”
I’m definitely jumping on the skater dress bandwagon!! Will I look half as cute as you? Probably. Not. But! That’s okay! Because this dress looks like a total cold(ish) weather winner for me! Also, I spent sooooo much time at Mood petting all the wool jersey’s because of this post. So tempting! (yes, I read the post in NY and am now only getting around to commenting!)
Nooo, you are gonna look BABELY. More babely than me, admit it.
This is gorgeous. I’m loving the green, its not one of my favourite colours but lately I’ve been feeling the need for more green in the sewing world and this is the exact colour it needs to be. Much envy here.
Interesting that you’ve found merino to be a bit sheer. Nine of my merino I’d consider sheer, although perhaps the lighter weight stuff could show a hint of bra colour if the combination of colours was just so. But merino comes in different weight. I buy my thermal leggings and tops from Icebreaker (expensive but beautifully made and all flatlocked seams) and they identify the weights, ranging from 150 to 300 gsm. My thermals are either 200 or 260 gsm, and they’re certainly not sheer. I’ve never seen merino on the bolt with weight identified, but I’ve never seen any as heavy as my 260, so I’d guess the stuff we can buy here is at the 150 to 200 range? So maybe you’ve been getting merino at the light end of the range and that’s why it’s sheer? Anyway, enough blather, short version is that merino is awesome.
This is so beautiful! Did it shrink up at all? I have some nice wool jersey that I want to make into a Lady Skater but I’ve been putting it off because steam pressing it is such an annoying hassle.
It didn’t shrink up, but I also didn’t do much steam pressing since it’s a knit. Just a quick steam at the neckline (to shrink the band so it curves nicely) and the hemline (to keep it in place for topstitching). If you’re concerned about shrinkage, give the fabric a really aggressive steam before you cut it up so it gets all the shrink out beforehand 🙂