Can be cropped to make a shirt also!

Sable is the French word for sand! I definitely had summer on the brain as I was making this… I can’t wait for the beaches to open back up and to freely enjoy being outside again.

This piece was inspired by French fashion, especially Isabel Marant who captures femininity in both its delicacy and edginess. All her pieces seem to have a juxtaposition of the two.

I’ve always loved ruffles and lace and find myself wishing there were more adult patterns with them. Also more adult dress patterns… So Sable was born!

Shaping
The shaping accentuates the shoulders and hips, but does so with soft elements rather than stiff pieces or rigid lines. The double ruffle around the yoke is contrasted with the structured hips that the folded pockets create. The ruffles fall on the shoulders to give them a slight edge. The pockets almost act as “shoulder pads” of the 80s, building up layers to create a bit of flare.

Fabric
To create a textured, fun fabric for the body, I used eyelets with rows of “flower stems” in between. I created the flowers by stacking “dandelion”, “Russian wheat”, and “butterfly” stitches. Alternating these rows creates a unique design that you can play with by modifying how to you make the flowers.

Pockets
The pockets are made by folding the fabric in a way similar to making a box pleat. I utilize staggered eyelet increases to drastically increase the width of the garment in order to create the excess material needed to fold. The material of the pockets themselves are reinforced, pulling the technique from the heel flap of Danish socks. This makes the stretchy, soft merino into a more thicker, more durable pouch. I love dresses with pockets and I wanted these to actually be functional without stretching out the garment.

It’s a cute summer dress that would make a great beach cover up if knitted in cotton! You could also make it a shirt if you shorten the length. I may make a second sample as a shirt with the double cuff sleeves as an alternative option.

The pattern is written with charts and links to YouTube videos. I also explains how each the element builds the overall shaping and aesthetic. When I knit, I like to understand the intentions for the construction of a pattern. This usually requires reading a pattern a few times before making it and sometimes doesn’t make sense until after you’ve made it. I wanted to expedite that process by including more descriptions and not just pattern notation.

As I learn more software and pattern writing, I will refine the pattern. I wanted to post this as a resource to give back after learning so much from the free patterns on Ravelry!

#ruffles #beach #sable #sand #seashells #plage #summer #coverup #été #coquillage

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