Friday 17 November 2017

November dress plan

I'm flip flopping between making the vintage aqua cotton or the rayon print of blue flowers on black.








I'm leaning towards the cotton, so the next decision is the pattern. I'm tempted to wait for #4936 to arrive but instead will frankenpattern #9039 bodice, with 3/4 sleeves. As soon as I've finished the mermaid (July) dress then I can franken pattern and cut out my November dress.

Monday 6 November 2017

January (Lost at Sea) dress revisited and getting closed to finished. Again.

This dress seemed to have limped along until I finished it at a sewing retreat in May - when I was very disappointed that it just didn't fit. I don't have a photo to share or I would, of the first version where I look like I'm a child playing dress ups cos it's a size too big everywhere, and after I tried to take in the bodice enough for me to be happy.  Not only was it still too large, with the neckline not a clear V shape to suit me but the sleeves were too long, and the underarm too low.

I ended up completely recutting the bodice after buying more fabric. I did unpick the sleeves and recut them - the finished edge of the old sleeve is the new cutting line, along with the header showing how the armscye was too low for me.


The yoke placement that I took so much care over got completely omitted, and the collar is from 9137 instead without the bows at centre front.  In fact the finished dress will look like this if it was button through to the hem (though the skirt is fake buttons).

Tonight I'm hoping to cut/fuse interfacing to the facings and under collar, and finish assembling the bodice.  I didn't unpick the waist seam on the badly fitting dress, instead simply cut the seam off forgetting to rescue the loop for my security pass. So I also need to make another loop, and If I get the bodice done quickly, then for the 3rd and final time I can repleat the skirt to the bodice and insert the zip.

Friday 3 November 2017

Insomnia resulting in etsy searches and another chance for half size pattern 4936

In May last year I was so disappointed when an Etsy seller contacted me to say the pattern I'd ordered was missing and refunded my purchase.

The last couple of days my brain has woken me at 5:30 am (horrible, foolish brain) and yesterday I used the extra time to start folding laundry and clearing up my sewing mess on the table/sofa so that it's neat & tidy before starting sewing again.

Today I wasn't as productive and instead got my tablet out and looked up vintage mail order patterns on Etsy again.  I found another copy of 4936 and made myself think hard about buying it.  Yes, I did.


Thursday 2 November 2017

More half size patterns added to my stash/collection

It's been a while since I updated my half size pattern stash, and here's two of my most recent purchases.

This Marian Martin  9137 arrived in the post a couple of months ago - a sop to my desire to sew.  Once I use it I should get a photo of me posing like the cover.


Today I ordered this Simplicity



Wednesday 1 November 2017

November July Dress already cut out

Editing this post cos I picked/named this dress in July when I cut it out.

I cut this dress out about 3 months ago on a meeting room table after work - and my statement that the print is NSFW (not safe for work) amused the two colleagues who walked past and wanted to see what I was doing.  I may dress less conservatively than I did in the past (lobster print and strawberry dresses) but I'm not sure they knew that I completely grasped the NSFW filter.

I'm using the same pattern as the strawberry dress, but cut slightly shorter to fit onto the 5 yards - yet again a one direction print means a less frugal layout.  I was also very careful how the mermaids were placed on the front & back bodice pieces. I don't want to end up with a starfish placed on bust point!

I got the microdot in navy/teal for the undercollar. Not only do I like the visual contrast, fabric yardage was tight.