Some sewing projects are a labor of love. Maybe you take extra care cutting a slippery fabric (rayon spandex: I’m lookin’ at you), or maybe you take the time to hand sew an invisible hem. For me, button-up shirts and silly, time-consuming Halloween costumes fall into the Labor of Love category. If you’re Morgan from Crab & Bee, your sister’s insanely gorgeous wedding dress falls into that category. If there’s an award for Sewing Goddess of the Year, Morgan deserves it. I don’t even want to know how many hours she put into conceptualizing, pattern hacking, and sewing that two-piece gown. All I know is that It. Paid. Off.
But, life is full of ebbs and flows. Sometimes literally: This week, my apartment flooded during a flash flood, but then I got a haircut I really like. See?! For every action there’s a reaction. Yin and Yang. Fire and Water. Easy and Hard. For every painstaking sewing project we put ourselves through, there is another satisfying, easy-peasy one waiting in the wings.

And that’s where the Inari Tee Dress dress comes in. I spotted this loose-fitting dress over on Heather’s blog and immediately fell in love. I’d been meaning to try a Named Patterns garment for awhile now, and their take on the tee dress is just so chic. It’s got a cocoon silhouette that just skims the body, a split hem (cue googly eyes) that’s slightly longer in back, and sleeves with a permanently rolled up effect. Basically, this thing is crying out for Madewell-style knockoffs from the sewing world. (It’s our DUTY, people.)
The Inari Tee Dress, which is a 2-for-1 pattern that also includes a crop tee option, calls for woven fabric or knit fabric with “slight stretch.” Since I wanted to do a test version before I cut into my precious tencel denim, I decided to do some serious stash-busting. The gray fabric is leftover from my Sallie romper, and the blue knit is leftover from a tank top I made for Marc and a knit Scout. It definitely has more than some “slight” stretch. To accommodate for this, I sewed the US size 8 with 1″ side seam allowances (grading to 1/2″ at the armhole) instead of the prescribed 3/8″. Anything more fitted might be venturing into bodycon, which would not be in keeping with the pattern’s slouchy, effortless style.
Even now, the material clings a LOT, especially when you’re in the midst of a wind gust. Despite its clinginess, I love this dress and have already worn it a few times. The drafting of the knit neckband is pretty spot on (no gaping to speak of!) and construction was a breeze. I used my walking foot, a lightning bolt stitch, and ballpoint needle to sew everything together. To hem the bottom, I just used a simple zigzag stitch, flipping to a longer straight stitch at the side vents. Next time, I’ll understitch the rolled-up accent on the sleeve to keep the seam on the inside, and I’ll probably use a facing instead of a knit neckband when I sew this up in a woven.
Have you tried any patterns from Named? I’ve had my eye on the Alexandria Peg Trousers and Kielo Wrap Dress for awhile now. After Inari, I might not be able to help myself…
Oh my gosh, you’re too kind! Thanks for all the praise you heaped on me! And since you expressed a desire not to know how long that project took, I think it was 200+ hours. Since then I’ve been lusting after simple perfect wearable pieces like your dress! It turned out great, and it’s going to be so good in denim tencel. Hope the aftermath of the flood isn’t too bad!
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Oh my lawwwd that’s a lot of work. But I bet the payoff was even sweeter on the actual day! 😀 Hopefully you take some time to sew yourself a few satisfying, make-in-your-sleep garments. As for the flood, luckily we didn’t have too much stuff in the lower level and got to it VERY quickly. It forced me to throw away some old junk AND get renter’s insurance—silver linings abound!
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So cute. Brava
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Very cute! Your dress looks so soft and easy to wear! I’ve made this pattern twice (each view once) and really like it a lot. I also have several more Named patterns, and the Selja Knot Tee is probably the next one I will make. They have such a great aesthetic that it’s hard not to want to make everything! 😉
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Oh wow, your Inaris are great! Love that scuba crop top. And good to know that it’s not super-duper short 🙂
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Thanks! 🙂 My crop is a little longer because I cheated (I’ve got more torso length to cover up than the average bear), but it didn’t seem like it was too microscopic to begin with. Definitely try it out!
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Ooh , girl, we are liking the same things right now! Yoga with Adriene, Morris blazers (I just altered the shoulders on mine), and this dress! Just this morning I pinned a sweater dress that looked just like an Inari, and suddenly I’m dreaming of wearing them all winter! I think your dress looks great!!!
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NICE! Adriene is my homegirl. I’ve tried so many other yoga channels and always keep coming back to her. And you should definitely try out an Inari—it’s a super fast & satisfying make (if like this type of silhouette)!
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