I have much to share on this post, where to start?  Well, we shall start at the beginning with the pattern (although I have been known to buy fabric without a pattern in mind, there is no harm in increasing a fabric stash every now and again).  This particular pattern was sent to me (as a swapsy) by one of my sewing friends from Wear.A.Wyatt.  I didn’t know which one it was until I received it.  Now, my friend clearly knows my “type” and was spot on (pardon the pun) with her choice.  However, I decided to make one of the dresses that is slightly out of the ordinary for me (and I LOVE it).  The pattern is Vogue 8872, there are variations on the bodice and also the skirt. I made the low neckline and full skirt (when I say full skirt I mean full skirt!).

I bought the delightful polka dot cotton fabric from Calico Laine, this post is another share courtesy of the Blogger Network I am part of for them.  So here we have it, I started with a garment style I have never worn before and a fabric design I have also never worn before (my daughter told me people will see me coming from a mile away). This, my friends, is all about the experience of creating the garment. It’s about the thrill of making something different and unfamiliar and watching it develop into something fabulous that gives me such a buzz, after all, if I don’t like it someone else will (job done).

The construction was quite straight forward, the front bodice is a double thickness (diamond shaped) piece of fabric. The back section is part lined, as is the midriff. The sleeves are inserted onto the bodice once this is completed, followed by the midriff sections.  The lining is created in much the same way and attached.  I then added the skirt before inserting the concealed zip in the centre back.  Easy peasy so far you may think, as did I, until I started to align the dots. Some of the sections matched quite well, when others were inserted Mrs Perfectionist took one look and they had to come out, cut out again and put back in (this went on many times).  At one stage the dots lined up horizontally but not vertically, out they came again (I had to hide the unpicker from myself at this point).  Finally I had to say enough was enough and go with it. I finally finished with some handstitching on the inside and turned up the hem, the longest hem I have ever done, the base of the skirt goes on for miles.

All in all, I am pretty chuffed with myself at the outcome, from the wonderful reception I have received already I suspect other people like it too.  From something I was a little unsure about and probably wouldn’t have bought on the high street, to something I love and feel really comfortable in, yet another “grinning like a Cheshire cat” experience for me.