My final make...for the next 6 weeks anyway!!!....

I did it !!!! and I'm a little bit amazed I did...

I finally finished my last 'Work Dress'.  Enrolment starts in earnest this week and I don't want to have to think too much about what to wear at 6.00am each morning - and I want to at least look 'professional', even if it is going to be an unmitigated disaster zone this year!!! 

Using some gorgeous navy cotton (with beautiful white applique flowers along the border) which I recently ordered from Minerva Crafts and went to my quick n easy 'go to' New Look 6411 pattern.  I've used this pattern a few times now and discovered that although it might be quick n easy to sew up, I really need to work out how on earth you 'pattern match' things!!! on the 3 other versions I've made of this dress, pattern matching has been pretty darn easy on the 'plaid' Christmas Dress, not necessary on my LBD version and the last one made with a black/white abstract flower pattern was so 'busy' that you didn't really notice..... but by golly, I really need to work it out for future reference!!! (Does anyone have any good tips or advise on how to pattern match???!!!) 

It was all pinned, cut, sewn and pressed in a couple of hours - on and off while batch cooking a vat of Chicken Chasseur, Moroccan Lamb, Rich Beef stew and Sausage casserole .... I discovered that my little town has FINALLY got a real butchers!!! O-M-G...those pork sausages where AWESOME!!!! ... so I bought all the meat I needed for a good ole 'survive enrolment' cook up!!! 

I know I've gone on a bit about 'enrolment' but I've absolutely zero control and influence at work during this time of year...and when you leave your house at 7.30am and don't get home until at least 8pm (and the actual working hours are extremely 'intense') the very absolute last thing on earth you want to do is have to stand and cook a meal - well.....its the very last thing I want to do...and I quite like cooking!!! and worry about what to wear the next morning!!!  However, this year, I decided that these two elements at the very start and end my day were actually in my control ..... and I've prepped and planned accordingly.

So, in summary, my weekend consisted of making clothes to wear and food to eat to survive the oncoming storm! 

lol - that back centre seam is truely atrocious!!!! The only saving grace in this appalling pattern matching is that I'll be sitting at my desk for 10 solid hours - so who's going to see it?! 

oh, and I forgot....I also made a loaf of bread !!! 

 

8 days away from 8 weeks of hell....

Yes, it's that time of year again...

Enrollment 

This time last year, when I said "..at least it can't be as bad as last year" I honestly thought that I be right....O-M-G just how wrong can such a throw away statement be?! 

It was just dreadful...the manic hours, manic queues, lack of sufficient breaks, lack of trained staff....all that I can deal with, but the lack of support from 'senior management' was a bit of a slap in the face.  Once we had staggered through it, I vowed to the team that I would never say it again!  And as it turned out .... very VERY shortly after we'd finished .... we knew that NOTHING previous would compare to what was in store for us the next year!!! 

And here it is !!! 

In a vain effort to cheer me up, lift my spirits and generally convince myself that if I could look 'professional', it might help people think I was professional and knew what I was doing, I decided to made some dresses to wear for work - the first one, my 'return to work' dress in the last post, got me off to a good start.  So this weekend I decided to crack on with another.

I had some polyester crepe from good ole Minerva Crafts (I'd ordered it months ago but hadn't worked out what to do with it...) and the New Look K6411 pattern that I'd used a couple of times before and if I remember correctly, came free with the November '16 issue of Sew Magazine.

Once I'd cut it out I decided that as it was quite a quick and easy sew, I'd see what I could finish first - the dress or making a loaf of bread!!! .... bizarrely, the bread was finished first - I think I got a little distracted with its 'proving'.  I'm not the best bread maker and its always been a very hit or miss affair, so I kept having to check it was rising!! Now, it might not have turned out the straightest, prettiest loaf you've ever seen, but by jolly, it's one of the tastiest I've ever made :-D 

 

 After a short sandwich break I got back to the dressmaking.

This pattern is soooo comfortable, due to it being very 'unfitted' !!! and I'm going to need all the comfort I can get, sitting at my desk in a brisk air-conditioned hall while its glorious sunshine (hopefully) outside, from 8.30am to 7.00pm!!

I love the raglan sleeves - so much easier to deal with than an inset one!! and NO zip to trip me up with, just a small loop and button opening at the back.   In fact, as quick and easy dresses go, I might just run up a few more ... for work, this is definitely a 'work dress' pattern!  I might even have a bash at popping some pockets into the side seams .... well, I'll need somewhere to keep the tissues for mopping up my soggy tear stained face and hour in to 'Hell' !!! :-D 

 

My 'Back to work' dress...

Well, its been a while!!!  

It's not because I've not been doing anything, I have, I've been very 'domestic' these last few months.  Although, I have to confess that my parents donating me two VERY comfortable reclining garden chairs just as the weather picked up in late May - early June, did kinda stall things for a few weekends!!! 
I was further waylaid as my lovely builder man came and knocked down the collapsing front garden wall, which he then rebuilt, replacing the old moss encrusted coping stones and then fixed my bespoke iron railings and gate (the original ones I suspect were ripped out during WW2, like most in my street).  So some time was spent cake baking for him (gotta keep a good builder sweet!!!).  It's taken me a whole year to get to the top of his waiting list (I'm nothing if not patient!) and I'm so glad I did, it looks fabulous! Lots of neighbours asked for his card while he was completing it, and even more have commented as they've passed. 

The front had been entirely covered in 'decking' (thanks to my ex-partner, who though it was a good idea... it wasn't, rotten, slippery stuff!!) 

It immediately looked better once the new wall and coping stones were in place.  As the old decking was removed, it revealed all the pea-shingle I'd forgotten I'd put down when we first moved in!  A quick rack over and weeding, and it looked fine - result!!! no need to buy any slate chippings (that I couldn't really afford as my car had spectacularly failed its MOT that day!!!) 

  
A few weeks later, the lovely builder man was able to return with the delivered bespoke railings and gate (no modern railing maker seems to cater for old Victorian houses!!!).  I popped couple of plants in pots (hydrangea) and a lovely hanging basket out and job done!! One new front garden with lots of kerb appeal :-) 

The front garden now puts the back garden to shame - so I've started on that over the last few weeks (this was also totally decked by the ex.... I've nearly broken my neck slipping over on it a couple of times in the last few years - grrrrr!!!!), so long story short, this is why not much sewing has occurred. 

However, I have been on my Summer Annual Leave from work, and as I was having a 'Staycation' (again), as as the weather was less than pleasant for most of it, I had a chance to catch up of a dress I'd planned in my head months ago.

With fabric I'd bought from Minerva Crafts months ago (where else?! its so easy to buy oodles of lovely 'stuff' and get delivered straight to my door! - there is a fabric shop in my town, but they only stock cotton and mostly cater for 'quilters' ... it's nice and all but not what I'm looking for.) I set about pinning n cutting very late Friday afternoon.  Now, I'm not the quickest when it comes to sewing...so it took me all day - literally, I spent HOURS... - Saturday to start putting the lined bodice together.  Its the New Look K6447 pattern that I've used a few times already - two with the fuller skirt, and this was my 2nd using the fitted skirt option. 

I had made the fitted skirt version for my 'Easter' dress - which I think I blogged about at the time...made with 100% cotton fabric that I'd bought from C&H Fabrics in Canterbury a couple of years ago but never gotten around to using.  Looks lovely, but doesn't quite fit (a little on the tight side!!) - I've been dieting over the last few months, and did actually wear the dress out for my Nieces birthday meal earlier this week - it looked ok, having lost approximately 1/2 stone, but was still a little 'snug', especially when sitting...so I only managed 2 courses at the meal, and no birthday cake!!! 

With this fit issue in mind, I adjusted and redrafted the front skirt piece (and gave myself 1/2 inch on each side seam from hip to waist, and 1/2 inch on the front midriff piece side seam).  I've already done the narrow back adjustment on the back pieces so felt good to go.

I can't begin to tell you how pleased I am with this dress!  Looks as good made up and I thought it would in my head - that Blue circle satin poly is a dream to sew with and to wear - I love it !!! and luckily I have loads left...will make either another top/blouse or could possibly get a loose summer dress out of it...possibly! 

I love this dress so much that I'm almost glad I'm going back to work tomorrow! .... almost!!! its a bit of hell hole there from now until end of September, and its 'casual wear' there for the next few weeks...and if there is one thing this dress isn't, its 'casual' !!! 

 Introducing my 'Back to work' dress.... love it, so comfy! and goes a treat with my Pearly Girly Irregular Choice shoes!

back of the 'Back to work' dress .... not quite an invisible zip, but I can live with it as I quite like the contrasting blue of the zip on the grey skirt ...pulls the colours of the bodice to the skirt together ... well, that's my excuse for leaving it as it is (this was the 2nd attempt of putting it in...didn't match my seams up properly first time...ooops!!)
 

May Day top...

I had actually planned to get all sorts of sewing done this weekend.  As its a Bank Holiday and I'd no plans I honestly thought I'd get loads done...I'd made a list and everything:

1. make A line work skirt with taupe fabric found in stash
2. make summery top with green floral fabric...in stash
3. make blue floral tea-dress
4. make black cord skirt 
5. make tunic top with left over 70's fancy dress fabric in stash

However, best laid plans and all that...

I actually ended up having a 'play date' with my godson Saturday afternoon.  Its amazing how long it takes to go and post a letter in the post box at the top of my road (usually a 30/45 second stroll) when accompanied by a 4 year old !!!  Once out of the house and letter posted, he produced 13p from his pocket and said he'd been 'saving' (and searching his sofa apparently!) for money to go to the toy shop with and would I take him as its only over the road!

I pointed to the very grey/black clouds looming and was assured that we would make it to the toy shop and back before it rained.

He was VERY well behaved and chatted the whole time we were out.  After picking out one of everything in the toy shops stock, we negotiated and it was agreed that I would buy him a policeman's uniform and a set of handcuffs! 

On the stroll back home, via walking on every wall he was able to (why do kids love to do that...why do the responsible adults let them??), I was instructed that good doughnuts were to be found in the local Lidl and NO, he didn't mind standing in the ridiculous queues at the checkouts.  So, two doughnuts and a stupidly long queue later, we carried on with our journey home, along yet more walls!!

What should have taken no more than 2 minutes to post a letter turned into nearly 90 minutes of shopping 'heaven' ??!!! well, heaven for a 4 year old !!! 

By the time he was collected, I didn't have the energy to start on any sewing...I'd already spent quite a lot of time being 'handcuffed' to table legs/chair legs and being thrown in 'jail' and generally locked up for being a 'robber' ... a very vivid imagination at that age!!! 

So the sewing list shrank rapidly to item 4. the tunic top.

I used a New Look 6086 pattern and cut out size 14 all over...it had quite a bit of 'ease' given on the pattern and I'm quite small 'up top' but big hip...a proper pear!! and as the pattern had side vents, thought I'd have plenty of room regardless.

I had to virtually halve the length of the sleeves, which was purely down to lack of fabric - I was using a very wonky approximate 1m of slippery georgette and other than that, made no other alterations to the pattern.

As I've used georgette before, and as I don't have an overlocker, I thought I'd have a bash at french seams...haven't done them since I was at school...but so pleased I did, they're a little bit fiddly and although the pattern did suggest these seams, I gotta say, my sewing skills aren't quite up to a 6mm seam allowance in georgette!!! mine are very probably larger purely so I could manage them better.   But what a difference they made.  So neat on the inside and almost invisible from the outside - very pleased with them.  I only wish I'd remember to do the same of the sleeve seams - fool for forgetting.

Talking of sleeves, I had an hour to pin and sew them before the last one of Line of Duty on Sunday night...but I only managed to get them both pinned in...general consensus on my Facebook Feed was that I shouldn't rush them as I'd mess them up...and the finale of Line of Duty was far too important to miss!!! .... I did as I was told...wow such a well written and acted drama...roll on Series 5 !!!

Anyway, I digress. 

I actually got the sleeves inserted first thing today (Bank Holiday - woo hoo day off!).

I was going to do a rolled-hem but it didn't go so well this time - chewed the fabric - which might have been because I forgot to reduce the stitch length, might have been because I was using quite a blunt needle...or both!   but this was only supposed to be a 'practice' item so what the heck....zig-zagged and turned up...bobs your uncle ...done. 

A lovely top to wear on a warm day...just wish that day was today...what is it with the early Bank Holidays?!  its been chucking down most of the morning, the wind is blowing...a proper indoor play day! I was going to start no.4 of my list but realised I don't have a 19cm black zip...and there's no way I'm going out in that weather to hunt one down ... best I save that for tomorrow in Canterbury when I'm back to work :-) 

So here is my first #MMMay17 offering... my May Day Top...

 

Marathon Skater Skirt

The final piece of Easter Egg has been eaten and I've been SOOOOOOOOO good at work with NO SNACKING that I thought I'd have managed to lose at least 1lb since last weeks bitter disappointment at not quite fitting into my Easter Sunday dress...but no!!!!! and extra 1lb has appeared!!! NOT FAIR .... 

Obviously I've consoled myself by joining my Great Nephew - who was on a sleepover at mine this weekend - with Pain au Chocolat x 2 and glasses of ice cold whole milk - and a whole giant bag of Doritos AND a pot of dip once he'd gone off to his swimming lesson!!! 

His departure coincided with the start of this years London marathon, and as I'm still incapable of running myself, I thought I'd see if I could run up a quick n simple elasticated skirt before the 'elites' finished...2 hours... should be enough :-D 

Now, as I've already created a pattern as per the instructions for the 'Sassy Skater Skirt' from the November 2016 issue of SEW magazine, I was already up on some time...good.

I knew I had some suitable fabric in my stash - 2 mtrs of Circles Print Poly Sateen Dress Fabric Brown, Aqua and Cream @ £1.99 !!!!!- which I'd ordered back in December from Minerva Crafts (but it doesn't seem to be available any more) and been wondering what I'd use it for!!!  A rogue reel of thread was found buried deep in the sewing box and was a perfect match - result !!!!

So while the 'elites' bimbled round London, I got pinning.

I couldn't be bothered with 'pockets' for this one - this also saved some time - and feeling confident I'd have plenty of time, I stopped to make a coffee and finish off some short bread biscuits my nephew had failed to deal with earlier! ... think the dieting starts again on Monday!!! 

One waistband sewn and elastic threaded through and secured, hem blitzed....and Hey Presto....one Marathon Skater Skirt completed ... dash to the tv to see the runners.....and oooops they'd beaten me...not by much ...I blame the coffee n biscuit break!!! 

 
its nothing flash...but hey!!! it fits and it'll do for work one day next week...when the weather is supposed to be all cold again - it'll look fine with my boots and a nice warm coat.  A nice HEAVY coat as boy oh boy, does this little number fly up when the slightest breeze catches it!!!...and Marilyn Monroe I am not !!!! .... if I was, I'd fit into my Easter Sunday dress!!!!



 

Easter Day Dress....just not this Easter!!

I've enjoyed the most relaxed and lazy Easter Weekend I can remember this year...and I'm not all together sure I've liked it!!!! 

Why is it that when we get what we've yearned for, we realise its never quite how imagined??

We've be sooooo quite at work for the last few weeks that I was desperate to get to the long Easter Weekend to have a break from having nothing to do at work and getting all the housewifey chores done that were stacking up.

I now find that mid Bank Holiday Monday afternoon I've not really achieved too much in the house other than having managed to watch virtually every episode of 'Call the Midwife' which are being re-run on the tv - never watched them before, but I LOVE how 'nicely' the midwives speak...and I now wish I were Trixie!!!! 

The only thing I've done which I'd hoped would have been semi-useful, was to make a dress to wear for Easter Sunday lunch at my sisters with all the family.

I had 2 meters of beautiful 100% cotton I'd bought a couple of years ago from C&H fabrics in Canterbury - I've totally forgotten how much it was, but I do remember loving it the moment I saw it on the roll.  I've just been waiting for the right garment to turn it into and, after a few episodes of Call the Midwife, I gorgeous 50's style 'wiggle dress' seemed to fit the bill perfectly (although possibly not the occasion!!..Easter n all that!!) 

I've already got the bodice and waist pattern pieces of New Look K6447 cut out, but due to the pattern on the fabric, I'd need to use View B (rather than C of my last few projects) ... besides...view B has far more 'wiggle' about it!!! 

I lined up the pattern pieces to ensure I had the blossom sprigs running straight up the centre...and it did mean sacrificing some of the fabric, but I still had enough to make the dress...just.

I worked on it diligently all Saturday afternoon and evening, confident that all would be well (I've got the bodice fitted to a t afterall), and quite possibly, performed the best zip insertion I've yet managed.

Being so chuffed with myself in the early evening when it occurred to me that it was going to get finished just in time for Easter Sunday that I paused for a well earned cuppa and handful of choccy biccies to admire my handy work.

So, imagine my disappointment when 30 minutes later I gave it a little 'try on' to double check the hem length.... its about 1/2 stone too tight !!!! Arrrrgggghhhhhhh I can get it on and do it up (just about, but there is no 'control underwear' on this good earth that it going to make it look wearable and for me to actually move in it !!! 

This gorgeous 'wiggle' dress, with its 100% cotton - with zero stretch in it, has absolutely NO wiggle room!!!  I'm devastated and rather than leaping in, should have given more thought to the type of material I was using!!!!  it would have made the perfect dress for Easter Sunday lunch....  I've consoled myself since with 2 whole Easter Eggs and spent all of today planning the diet/healthy eating plan until it fits .....hopefully for the summer!!! 

 
 

introducing my 'Hyperlink' dress

It's currently the time of year for us to be experiencing something of a 'lull' at work, the calm before the storm that is 'enrolment'.  But this year, this 'lull' has turned into something of an abyss of nothing to do!

We were treated (I think that's the term!) to an 'Improvement Day' on Tuesday.  We were to discuss proposed changes to our working procedures, without actually being told what the changes would be - needless to say it was something of a short meeting!!  The afternoon was to have a more 'personal wellbeing' slant to it, and we had be told to select a two of a number of 'activies' being held:

Zumbathon
Table Tennis
Pilates
Gym/Circuit training
Badminton
Long ball
Basketball
etc etc
....
and a 3 mile walk.

Now, taking into consideration my current 'back' problem I pointed out that I was not currently capable of joining in the vast majority of these 'activities' and could they put on more of a physiotherapy/massage type selection.

I was informed 'no' and told that my making a choice may prove to be pointless anyway, as they may need me to sit on our Reception/information desk for the afternoon!!   

To cut a long story short...I ended up gatecrashing an ECDL lesson that two of my colleagues were attending.  Now, I passed my Level 2 ECDL course a few years ago, but this lesson on Tuesday was revelation!!!

I learnt all about hyperlinks! 

What an awesome little function that is!!

After a couple of hours playing around with it, we were sent home an hour early - result!!! This meant that, what with the clocks going back an hour last weekend, it was still gloriously light in my dark and dingy house.

So, cuppa in hand I set about cutting out my new work dress, using the New Look K6447 pattern again (see my last post) and 2 meters of Monochrome Floral Print Polyester Crepe I purchased the other week/month from the ever lovely and easy to use Minerva Crafts online page.

I'd finally figured out how to make the 'narrow back adjustment' on the previous dress - omg, that's a whole nother story!!! it took me longer the unpick, re-draft, re-cut and re-sew that damn bodice than it did to make up the whole dress in the first place!!!

The narrow back adjustment on left - original on right...doesn't look all that different but by golly, what a difference it makes!!! it's now a near perfect fit! 

I do quite like the whole pinning and cutting out process, but, I have to confess, I didn't stop and consider anything close to 'pattern matching'!!! oops, obviously to eager to get started! and get a load of the light coming into my gloomy sewing area (dining room!!!)

I finally finished it this morning (Saturday) and I can't tell you how comfortable I find this dress...and flattering!! 

 

and I'm SOOOOOOOOO pleased I worked out how to deal with my Narrow Back ... who knew that that measurement was SOOOO important ?! I shall be double checking this on all my 'top' garment makes in the future.  But you can clearly see where I should have paid more attention to pattern matching along that back seam!! 

Very much looking forward to wearing this to work next week...I 'might' even wear it on Friday...When we're going out for a bit of a Family Birthday Treat ... but Shhhhhhhh, its a secret - my Mum doesn't have her birthday til Tuesday so hasn't had her 'ticket' yet :-) 

Oh, and as well as giving a few photos of my new Hyperlink dress, I might have just popped 'hyperlinks' in this blog....now that I know how to, and know what it does!!...I think!!!!

 

so much for 'resting up'....

I spent most of last week thoroughly exhausted.  My back has been playing up and when it gets like this I find it difficult to sleep...so, every day without exception, there was I was wide awake at 3.30am with back ache!!! 

I had planned to have a very quiet, go nowhere, do nothing weekend, but it seems I'm not too good at that!!!

So, to passed a few hours today I cut out view A of my Simplicity 1805 pattern that I ordered a few months ago.  

3 simple pieces, some striped jersey I had knocking about (bought months ago from good ole trusty Minerva Crafts) and at least 20,000 pins to stop the bugger slipping about!!!

I remembered to change my needle to a ball point one, I usually forget this type of thing then wonder why things go pear shaped! I also tried out some 'stretch stitches' on my ancient machine...now...I did carry on using them but I'm not sure I like how they look and as this was a 'muck about project' I also decided to have a go with my rolled hem foot...now there's a fiddly little thing!!!! but...ooooooo it does give a lovely neat hem!!! Just not too sure this was the project for it!!!  still, you live n learn and at least I've ended up with a wearable garmet.

If I make this up again I'll definitely be narrowing the neckline - this pattern is so wide its boarderline an 'off the shoulder' affair!!! And I'd make it a bit longer... but all in all, not to bad for a few hours work, trying new stitches n wotnot when I was supposed to be resting up!!!!

 lol - outrageous 'selfie' taking !!!

 amazed just how straight I managed to keep them there stripes!

 not that VERY wide neckline! the next one(s) will be much narrower

(belated and not belated) Birthday dress ...

My favourite nephew celebrated his 18th Birthday yesterday and like any self respecting 18 year old, the very LAST thing I expect he wanted to do was spend it with his family!!! However, his mother had other ideas and a week or so ago booked a table for the whole family to get together for embarrassing 'Happy Birthday' singing in public with a HUGE chocolate cake and somewhere he could legally buy us all a round of drinks!!! 

I was also amongst a gang of friends 'belated birthday bash' drinks evening the other weekend and needed something new to wear and as I'm still on a saving splurge, I didn't want to buy anything new to wear.  This meant that for over a week the New Look K6447 pattern that came free with the March 2017 issue of Sew Magazine sat on my dining room table screaming for me to pull my finger out and get started on it!! 

The weight issue I suffered from for the last 18ish months was still being an 'issue' so I measured myself (again), sighed (again), and dithered long and hard over which was going to be the best 'size' to cut - I mean its crazy, I measure up somewhere between a 12/14 at the bust, a 16 at the waist and nudging an 18 on the hip!!! - and I'm not too clever at the 'fitting' and adjusting bit of dressmaking ... still ... so having the pattern instructions thoroughly and seeing what 'ease' was given on the finished garment and knowing that I was going for the fuller skirt option, I eventually decided and overall 16 would probably be best, and this time I actually paid attention to the 'neck to waist' measurement and shortened to bodice by approximately 1 inch - doesn't sound much but I'm SOOOOOOO pleased I did - what a difference it made! That 'contrast' waistband sits right on my 'small' waist and visually takes inches off !!!!

Having made this decision and cut the pattern out, I still can't believe I didn't get started on it straight away!! meaning that I hadn't even started on it when my own 'belated birthday bash' evening arrived!!! Sewing fail of epic proportions!!! 

 I did get my act together this weekend however and started mid morning on Saturday.  Using a lovely blue floral viscose (£5.99 a metre) and some blue soft touch polyester crepe (£3.99 a metre) - both from the lovely guys at Minerva Crafts - that I'd bought back in December - I set about pinning n cutting. Now, I did vaguely attempt some pattern matching/placement and that's worked out quite well...in my opinion...but I'm not too good at it and the end result is more luck than judgement! 

I've made a fully lined and enclosed bodice before (on the dress I made the other Summer for a family wedding) but it never ceases to amaze me how fab the finished article looks when you follow the instructions to letter, even when you can't work out in your head how it works!!! 

Now, I worked on this dress on and off for the whole weekend...honestly - I was still sewing the hem and hand sewing the bodice lining down at gone 11pm on Sunday...my house is an absolute tip and there are still bits of fabric and thread all over the place ... but .... I'm SOOOOOOOOOO pleased with the final result !!! 

The viscose fabric hangs so beautifully and 'moves' so well that I love Love LOVE it! It's my new fave outfit :-)

There are a few teeny tiny errors: 

a couple of puckers in wot not...mostly due to 'cutting' issues with such a slippery fabric).

a hem line that was soooo wobbly (again a 'cutting' issue) that I ended up cutting a good 3 inches off the hem to make it straight - I would have preferred a longer length skirt as its such a slimming and flattering style.

and I just can't work out the fit issues with the back.  It's like its too wide across my back and the bit where the zip is at the top of the 'V' sticks out.  If any one can give me some hints on how I can 'fit' this better (other than standing with a stoop/hunched shoulders to fill it out a bit!!) then please please please leave a comment and let me know! 

 see how that contrast waistband fits perfectly on the 'small waist' - having shortened the bodice by about 1 inch

 get a load of that wobbly hemline (it wasn't quite as bad as it looks in the photo, but bad enough to need to shorten it by a fair few inches..which is annoying as I'd have preferred it longer as I think is more 'slimming')

now, the top of that zip sticks out more than it shows in the photo, and I just can't work out in my head how I can correct this 'fit' issue....any suggestions anyone???

I got some lovely comments from the family when I wore it on its maiden outing yesterday and I can't wait for the Spring/Summer to arrive so I can wear it more...its gorgeous!!! 

getting in on some pinafore action

Treated myself to a sewing weekend this weekend and I've had such a lovely time!!!

I wanted in on recent 'Pinafore dress' creative wave but wanted to see if I could draft my own pattern, a friend has a shop bought version which I had a quick look at realised that her one is pretty darn basic! 

So with pattern paper in hand and Sewphie my dress form all ready to go, I set about creating a very basic template.  I was so flabbergasted at how quickly and easily I accomplished this that I began to doubt myself!! So I grabbed the 'front' piece my Kwiksew A line skirt pattern and made a little comparison...which was almost inch perfect!! Go me!!!!

Once I'd finished drafting the front pattern piece, it occurred to me that I only needed to alter the back 'bib' section (I wanted it lower than the front) and the 1 pattern piece would be good for front AND back.  Admittedly it helps that my body is actually as shapeless as the pinafore dress I wanted to make - big hips, big bum, big belly, no boobs.

Still doubting my pattern drafting prowess (this is only the 2nd time I've ever attempted it), I was a good little dressmaker and did a toile first, using some calico I'd completely forgotten I had.  Also helped me to work out the how, why's and wherefore's of constructing this terribly complicated 2 piece pattern. 

 (stage 1 of sewing toile for Pinafore Dress)

 (stage 2 of sewing toile for Pinafore Dress...lol quickest bit of sewing EVER!)

Now, I was so chuffed at how quick and easy this was - well, of course it was quick n easy...there's virtually nothing to this dress...no darts, no facings, no pockets, no fiddly 'dungaree clip thingy's (they've got a more 'professional' name but for the life of me I can't think what it is right now) - that I decided there was no 'tweaking' necessary.  I'd tried on the toil and it was fine.

Back at the end of December I ordered 2 metres of 8 wale cotton corduroy dress fabric in black from Minerva Crafts which I knew would be just perfect for this.  So out it came, and it sewed up a treat and I'm pleased to say that if I used 1 metre of this I'd be surprised, which means I've enough left to make another of the Kwiksew A line skirts too.  At a cheap and cheerful £9.99 a metre I'm sure I'm quids in ... I believe my friend paid £23 for her High Street shop version.

I managed to get a nice early (for me) start on Pinafore Dress proper this morning and can't tell you how pleased I was when virtually 2 hours to the minute after laying my pattern pieces out on the fabric to pin and cut out, it was finished, pressed and on Sewphie!!! 

All finished and ready for a day out to work next week!!

This was SOOOOOOOOOOOO simple to do and provided I get some positive feedback from the guys at work next week when I take it on its maiden wear, I'll almost  definitely make another - I've got some left over tan corduroy that should work just as well.  I may even 'embellish' it with a pocket or two.  

All in all a VERY successful weekend of sewing...well, I say weekend I was done and dusted, tidied away and vacuumed by 11am this morning!!  I'm now continuing with my knitting project, which will go VERY well with this pinafore dress.

Some weekends are just ... perfect.  Already looking forward to my next one. x

 

Cheap as Chips LBD

I just don't seem to be able to shed the spare tyre I've built up over the last 12 months, I'm still blaming my birthday treat to me of a dualit toaster with warming rack I bought last year...croissants/bagels/pain au chocolat/door step size slices of toast/muffins/crumpets...basically, if you can fit it in or on that toaster, I've eaten it by the packet load!!!

Now, I appreciate I could stop consuming bread products, but then my toaster would just gather dust, and what would be the point of treating myself in the first place?!

I've gotten around this problem recently by making some more simple work skirts :-) and, having had such success in December with making my beautiful Christmas Day dress, I knew the New Look 6411 pattern I used was a very comfy winner.

So, a week or so ago, after putting my fabric stash away in a new drawer unit I bought (I never thought I'd ever be the type to have gather a fabric stash, who knew how addictive it could be?!) I came across some black fabric I forgot I had...from Clothspot about a billion years ago...so long ago that I can't remember how much it was! 

After a little bit of jiggery pokery I managed to squeeze out enough to make up another 'christmas day' dress! Result!!! 

Free pattern with a magazine, fabric I'd forgotten I had, a couple of hours sewing and Bob's your Uncle, a gorgeous and comfy LBD!!! 

I managed to get it all finished just time for a quick 'strawberry and fresh cream scone and pot of tea' for two with my friend Mel - a free birthday treat from our local Dobbies shop!! - and its second outing was a little visit to my parents for my Dad's birthday.

This will now be know as The Birthday LBD :-)