Faux Suede Charleston Dress

The Charleston Dress Pattern from the amazing Adrianna of Hey June Patterns had long been on my list to sew since it was first released, and recently I finally found an excuse to make one!

My husband has a yearly work Christmas party, and when I found the faux suede scuba knit from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, I knew it would be amazing as a Charleston Dress! I’ve been pairing it with these suede wedge booties (affiliate link – they’re on sale right now!) from Target and I love how they look together.

You might notice a couple of changes to the original Charleston Dress design options. Because of the thickness of the scuba knit, it would have been pretty difficult to make a binding for the neckline (I tried!), so I opted for a simple neckband instead.

I also wanted to showcase the lack of drape of the scuba and make a full pleated skirt, so I cut a rectangle piece for the skirt the width of the fabric (60″), and pleated it to fit the bodice width before sewing them together.

I made the bodice according to my measurements, and although I’d make the same size again with a different fabric, the shoulders are a bit tight due to the incredible stretch recovery of the scuba fabric. It has a lot of stretch, even more than needed per the pattern instructions, but likes to hold it’s own shape. It’s still comfortable to wear, and I’ll definitely still wear it a lot, but I’d probably make some bodice adjustments if using scuba again in the future.

The pattern itself was a dream to put together, as is the usual from Hey June. Andrea makes sure the instructions are clear and concise, and her patterns never disappoint!