Inside-Out Dress: Viki Sews Roxanne
Viki Sews Roxanne
A unique dress with many options.
I’ve been interested in trying a pattern from VikiSews for quite a while. I’ve even have a few of the patterns printed out and ready to go, but my to sew list is neverending and I just hadn’t got around to them. Then Viki put out a call for new ambassadors and that was the motivation I needed.
I chose the Roxanne many because I needed something I could sew up quickly because per usual I had procrastinated. Despite the fact that the tiled pattern required printing and taping 38 pages, the pattern fit the bill because it was knit and had limited (though large) pattern pieces. Being able to serge 95% off the seams also made speedy work of the project.
I needed some encouragement so I sewed this up on tiktok live and some of my fellow sewists helped me along. It took some getting used to sewing the wrong sides together. I did pin a few of the pieces together RSF, but thankfully caught it before serging. There are a few seams, like the hems, that require sewing machine. The sleeve hems have a unique look.
The only issue I had was the neck opening was extremely small. Maybe my fabric didn’t have enough stretch. Everyone on the live with me got a kick out of trying to get into the dress. I do have a relatively large head and a lot of hair but it truly seemed too small. I widen it when I make it again.
Fabric:
While looking for a rib knit for a different dress I spotted this teal knit. It has a very fine rib with good stretch. The color is really caught my eye and seeing it all sewed up lets me know I was right.
I debated for a bit on how to handle the serger thread. Should I try to match the teal or use a contrasting color? Thankfully the decision was really made for me because I didn’t have any thread on hand that matched. However even after deciding to go for a contrast I had to pick a color. Thanks to some suggestions on tiktok I narrowed it down to silver or orange. Obviously the silver won!
Lessons Learned:
Widen the neck opening
Summary:
Pattern: Viki Sews Roxanne website or etsy
Pattern Description: Roxanne is a close-fitting midi length dress with exposed seams. The dress has a grown-on stand collar and long, two-piece set-in sleeves featuring a shaped hem and a slit. The front of the dress is made up of three shaped pieces. The back features a center seam.
Sizing: 34-52 European, there are 4 height options. I sewed a 52
Does it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope? Yes
Were the instructions easy to follow: yes
Would I recommend it to others? yes