A dress for a book launch!

Hello November sewers!

I hope you are all well! I  am here to show a dress I made for the recent launch party for my comic book, Welcome to Oddleigh, published by the brilliant Bog Eyed Books! I haven't been sewing all that much lately - comics and work have been taking up all my time. But I knew I wanted to make something special for the launch, and that I'd feel good about myself in something handmade.

I had this white speckled cotton in my stash, and wanted to have another go at this button-down dress hack I've made up a few times now. I wear the most recent blue one a lot, and feel happy with the fit, so it was fairly simple to make up this white dress. The bodice started out, way back, as an Anna hack and the skirt is the Charlotte skirt - so it's a By Hand London Frankenpattern one way or another!

I can't now remember where the sleeves came from, or indeed if they are basically self-drafted. Anyway, the whole effect of this felt really pleasingly 80s to me, and I am seriously happy with it!

And I remembered to add one of the brilliant labels my friends Alice and Barney gave me for my 40th! I love them so much.

The buttons are from The Cloth House, where most of my buttons come from!

And here's a pic of the dress in action on the night! My wonderful friends from my studio bought me the police hat to top it off - I'm not sure many gifts have made me happier!

Photo by Mauricio Molizane 

Friends and balloons and comics and beer - who could ask for anything more?

Re-Reeta

Hello Autumnal sewers!

I'm back with my THIRD Named Reeta Dress! Why do I keep making this dress when I've had no success with it, I hear you ask! It's a good question... I just feel like I keep almost liking it, and there's so much to like! 80s feel, opportunity for lots of buttons, pleasingly baggy... 

This is a lovely rayon fabric from Like Sew Amazing - I snapped it up when I saw Sarah's beautiful Myosotis dress on her blog. And it is a much more successful match for the Reeta than the less drapey cotton khadi I made the first two with. And yet...

It's okay, I'm pleased with the construction and the changes I made, which were to forgo the integral tie waist, and make a long self-tie for it. I also extended the sleeves, tapered them at the end, then "stapled" them with cream buttons.

Check out that sexy side split, woot woot!

But I finished this dress a couple of months ago and have yet to wear it! So clearly I don't feel particularly jazzy in it... I think that much as I love the print, it doesn't suit me...

Oh lovely Reeta, three I've made... 

Maybe I'll get fourth time lucky!

Marilla Walker's Roberts Jumpsuit!

Hello fellow sewers!

I'm here to show a jumpsuit I first sewed about six months ago, but which has been through a few changes to get to this point. This is the jumpsuit from Marilla Walker's Roberts Collection! I've sewn up the dungarees before from this pattern collection, and a top made from the jumpsuit half. 

This jumpsuit was originally blue fabric from Fabworks. It was kind of insipid and I thought I might like it more in black. Which I do - but boy, dyeing is a real pain in the butt. Maybe I'm just lazy, but the hassle of it was something I'm NOT keen to repeat - and my sink is still stained a few weeks later.

I made changes by taking in a 2 1/4" wedge from the centre back seam, starting at the top and grading down. This makes the V a bit narrower, which I prefer. I also added shoulder pads, breast pockets and a long self-tie, all of which seem 100% invisible in photographs.

Except from the side - hark at you, self-tie!

I love Marilla Walker's pattern and aesthetic. And I love this jumspuit!

Denim Sapporo Coat

Hello spring sewers!

I'm here to show off my second Sapporo Coat by Papercut Patterns, this time in a lovely blue slubby denim from The Cloth House.

My last Sapporo gets tons of wear, and I really fancied one in denim. I'm pleased with this guy. I didn't make any alterations and sewed up a straight size S/XS like last time. It's still nice and big!

[EDIT] I just read my post about my last version in which I said I fancied a big tartan Sapporo - such a good idea, Past Me! Wish I'd listened, current me is an idiot! Next time...

It's lined in a linen I got online somewhere, and felt really underwhelmed by when it arrived. So it can hide in here, not annoying me too much, and thinking about what it's done! Bad boring linen!

Lovely cocoony back!

I've tried wearing this with a baggier look underneath but I think its oversize means leggings and skinny jeans look better... but I'd like to work a triple denim look (full Canadian tuxedo) with this, so will keep trying!

Yay Sapporo! To you I say: more-o!

Red n spotty

Hello fellow sewers! Long time, no sew!

Somehow I just haven't been getting much in the way of sewing done lately. I've had a few serious failures, which is always off-putting, and then felt a bit stuck for what to do next! But this dress had been sitting around, unfinished, for a few months - unfinished no longer!

The bodice is the Christine Haynes Emery Dress, with the centre fronts extended to make a button placket. Due to the fabric being stretch jersey though, I don't actually need the buttons so have just sewn them through.

The skirt is a big rectangle sewn with one seam down the back, with long ties into the back darts to cinch in the waist a bit.

I bought this fabric from A-One on Goldhawk Road - it's a shocker - not very stretchy, and so repellent to needles that my machine basically couldn't handle it at all. It was skipping stitches a depressing amount, and breaking the thread - so I ended up doing a bit of hand-sewing on this guy. 

But actually I kind of like it! It languished for months because halfway through it felt like the most horrible dress ever - a good lesson to push on through, as then even if it IS horrid, at least it's finished enough to be given away.

It has more of a 50s vibe than I was expecting - the ladybird spots I guess! Anyway, I like it, and it's been a good reminder of when sewing goes right, and makes me feel good!

Until soon!