Well hello there!

I am guilty once again of not sharing for quite a while, that is because I genuinely didn’t feel I had made anything worth sharing! I had lost my enthusiasm and felt in adequate, I honestly didn’t know if I could turn it around or if I was capable of it.  The dress I will be telling you about today I have made before (a few weeks ago to be precise) and it was a disaster on a spectacular level.  But rather than being defeated I slapped my own legs and reminded myself that my sewing is still a massive part of life which brings me great satisfaction and pleasure.

So, version number two was under way, the pattern is Vogue 1469.  I have always loved vogue patterns for their individuality, I have made a few now and they’re always very different and can be a challenge to sew.  I made this version out of Tweed suiting bought from a shop only 5 minutes away from where I work (I have to lock myself in my car every day to stop myself from going there in my lunch hour).  This time I decided to omit the piping as it was a bit too bulky for my taste and looked awful.   The lined dress comprises of various different panels made from princess seams, with a raised neckline, scoop neck, side-front pockets, invisible back zipper and hemline vent –  plenty to keep me occupied and give me something to think about.

Without the piping the construction was a doddle, a couple of the seams needed matching and joining on the diagonal but other than that no big drama.  I love the pockets on the front, although I have to say initially I didn’t want to put them in but they worked a treat and look fab, the concealed zip was inserted and the back seam, the vent and the dress was ready for lining (doesn’t sound much does it, it really wasn’t much the second time around!)

When I have lined dresses in the past it has been done leaving the side seams open, attaching the lining around the neckedge and armhole first then sewing everything together. This time the dress was fully sewn (except for the shoulders) and the lining was the same, once attached the whole thing was turned the correct way around via the open shoulders, which were sewn last.

There is definitely something very different about this dress, the neckline front and back are quite out of the ordinary, having said that I think it also has a classic shape which is extenuated through the seams (a shift dress that is not quite a shift dress).  So my sewing mojo has been restored and my faith in my capability is well and truly on the mend.

Happy days are here again!

Here we have another one of those patterns which seems ever so easy because there are very few pieces to put together. Not the case, I know from experience that these little beauties can be far more testing on the brain, which is why it has taken me over a month to complete it.  Having said that, many of you will know I do love a challenge and do not give up, I just tend to stray onto various other creations along the way, just to prove to myself that my sewing skills haven’t completely done a runner.

This fabulous pattern was pointed out by Kim from Sewing-Online.  She has dangled one or two patterns in my direction recently which she thinks are just my thing; I feel like I have my own fashion stylist, its fab!   This particular one is Vogue V1341 which I bought from their site.  Now, some of you might look at this dress and think nah, that’s not for me, whereas I saw the pattern and thought, wow I could add even more oomph by choosing just the right fabric to compliment it, bring on the animal print! This is stretch sateen bought from my favourite store in Manchester, Abakhan, I just adore it.

On to the construction, this is where it all gets a bit confusing.  The sizing has to be spot on because there are no side seams to take inches in.  In its entirety the whole thing consists of 6 pieces (excluding the lining), 3 of which are stuck together to create the strangest looking thing I have seen in a long time.  This creates the main body of the dress and one of the sleeves, the other sleeve is separate, as are the back yoke and another back section. Basically, it starts with many pleats and tucks, the main piece is then sewn to itself and the right sleeve is added on.  Simple, err no, I sat and pondered this bit for quite a while picking the pieces up and staring at them before reading the instructions again and again.  Finally the light bulb went on (hallelujah) and we were on course once again.  I could see it taking shape almost straight away but there is always the fear with garments like this, that you could get to the end and it really doesn’t look right (and it’s game over).  When the body of the dress was done and both sleeves were on, the concealed zip was inserted, which runs almost diagonally up the back.  Then it was a case of adding more pleats to create the folds along the front.

The lining, which is also stretch fabric, was a basic front and back shape with a strap creating the armhole on the right hand side.  This is sewn into the dress along the seam which lies across the front at an angle, this then creates more of a fold below the neckline.  The neckline needs a certain amount of teasing into place when the dress is on because there isn’t a definite edge. I felt the need to adjust the shoulder seam as the right sleeve wasn’t creating the angle with the dress as it should, it was more of a flop and the flop wasn’t working for me one little bit.  That in itself is one of the greatest elements about the fabric being so busy, I could make my own alterations and it still looks great.

There ya go, another dress for me to strut my stuff in.  I get so excited when I wear the garments I have made, I still can’t quite believe I can actually go out in the big wide world in clothes I have put together myself.  On the rare occasion that I do wear something from a shop people are now starting to ask me if I have made it myself, so my stuff can’t really be that bad, wahoo!