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 :-)