Hi everyone, I’m Sienna the content producer here at Seamwork. Welcome to the Let’s Sew a Cozy Knit Dress class! In this class, I’ll walk you through each step to sew the Devon dress. You’ll hear more about this cozy pattern in the next lesson, but first, I want to talk about knit muslins real quick.

This class was inspired by a common question we see asked in the Seamwork community: “Should I make a muslin for a knit garment?” Short answer, yes, but let’s first define what a muslin is and why it’s a good idea to make one.

A muslin is a mock-up of a pattern that is used to assess fit, proportion, style, different view options, and the construction of the pattern. Essentially, making a muslin is a really great learning opportunity for any level of sewist. Although knit garments are more forgiving when it comes to fit - because, well, they stretch - different knits can behave differently and making a knit muslin can give you great insights into what it’ll be like to sew and wear your final garment.

Alright, so you’re sold on the advantages of sewing up knit muslins, but you’re wondering what fabric to use, because knits can be pricey, and you might also want to minimize waste. I’m right there with you! Since Devon has a pretty loose fit, a great muslin option is a jersey bed sheet from your linen closet, or a thrift shop. If your muslin turns out to be wearable, even better, but if not it can always be cut up and used for another muslin.

Don’t have a bed sheet handy? We’ve linked to a few of our go-to fabric shops that often have great deals below.

If you’re making a muslin for a more fitted garment you’ll want to find a knit that has a similar recovery and stretch to your final fabric choice, but you can still get a lot of information from an old bedsheet! I’ve linked to an article below that’s all about achieving perfectly fitted knits.

In the next lesson, I’m going to pass things off to our designer, Haley. She’ll introduce you to the Devon dress and share about what to look for in a fabric. Then you can meet me back here in lesson three to start sewing.

Here’s what you’ll need for this project:

• Devon pattern


• Medium weight knit fabric with at least 25% stretch


• All-purpose polyester sewing thread


• Ballpoint sewing machine needle


• 1/4 yard knit stay tape


• Optional: ballpoint twin needle

Here are some additional resources to help you make the most of this class:

• Article: Perfectly Fitted Knits


• Article: How to sew with sweater knits


• Article: A Guide to Shopping for Knits


• Video Lesson: Sewing Knits Without a Serger

Favorite online shops for knit fabrics:

• Girl Charlee


• Harts Fabric


• Hawthorne Supply Co


• Birch Fabrics


• Fabricworm