Disappointed

The making of a new dress is always a journey. This journey began with an online fabric search and purchase of 2 1/2 yards of Cotton + Steel Mesa Lawn, titled sunrise in navy. It's 100% cotton and absolutely lovely.
The Pattern is 'The Adele Dress" from Simply Sewing issue 34 ( dress B, short version). It has kimono sleeves, a pleated skirt with pockets, a centred back invisible zipper and V neckline.
The pattern is well drafted with clearly marked sleeve and pocket notches, that are helpful in aligning each piece correctly, however I found it very odd that the instructions make no mention of these marks. Also the instructions do not mention that after sewing the side /underarm seam the underarm curve needs to be clipped so the sleeve will sit flat without tugging, maybe this is an obvious step but good instruction should not leave you guessing.
I have one regret from this dress journey and that's not making a toile first.  From the finished garment measurements I was expecting the bodice to be big on me but it turned out small.
So, I am disappointed with the final outcome and so its time to quietly move on to my next project.

The Joni Dress

The Pattern- The Joni Dress from issue 22 of Simply Sewing is a long sleeve shift dress with front placket, contrast collar and cuffs, pleats and inseam pockets.

Fabric- Cotton twill in burgundy for the dress and a quilting cotton for the collar, cuffs and placket.

Struggles and Triumphs- I struggled to match the bodice and skirt side seams and bust darts. They are slightly off.
When sewing the sleeve seam at the cuff I used a zipper foot and the needle all the way to the left to get a perfect 1.5cm seam allowance.
I hand stitched the under collar in place using a ladder stitch for a neat finish.
I finished the hem using a blind hem stitch.

Final thoughts- I enjoyed making the dress. It gave me the opportunity to learn new skills like sewing cuffs but it also taught me the importance of choosing fabric. In future I will not be using cotton twill to make a dress. It creases. Also the solid colour is a mistake. Originally I was not going to include the placket but without it  the dress looks frumpy. One of the difficulties of making your own clothes is not knowing how the finished dress will look until after you have invested a lot of time sewing. This dress looked so much better in my mind.

Work in Progress- The Joni Dress

 

My first step when beginning a new dress is to highlight my size on the pattern. Then I  trace it onto white craft paper and cut it out, thus preserving all sizes on the original pattern. This is all very time consuming. I am wondering if there is a better solution?

Book Review

So much information is available online today that buying a reference book can be seen as redundant. But for me a book I return to time and time again for inspiration and knowledge is more satisfying that typing a word in a search engine.
Recently I purchased 'Dressmaking - The indispensable Guide' by Jules Fallon. Retail price $35.00. Its a how- to book covering every technique you need to successful teach yourself to sew with clear step by step photographs. There are 5 chapters that each cover a step in the sewing process.
Chapter 1  Equipment - This chapter covers the equipment needed to sew, needles, scissors , machine, presser feet, notions and threads.
Chapter 2- Prep. Covers fabric, interfacing, understanding a pattern, measuring, and cutting fabric.
Chapter 3 - Constructions. This chapter covers the how-to sew of seams, pockets, zippers, sleeves, collars, yokes and more. Often with more that one way shown. There are 7 different ways of inserting a zipper.
Chapter 4 Stretch.You will find information on stretch fabric and how to sew it without an overlocker in this chapter.
Finally chapter 5 - Finish. This is the chapter I am most excited about because it covers lining a dress. For some time now I have wanted to add a lining to the dresses I make but lack the knowledge, not anymore. This chapter also covers hems and hand sewing with instructions for both right-handed and left - handed people. For left- handed person like myself that's awesome.
I am happy with my new purchase and see myself referring to it a lot.
'Dressmaking - The Indispensable Guide'  is a book that every home sewist should own.

Do you have a favourite sewing book?

The Sleeveless Ruffle Tunic

During my home economics sewing class I had to complete two projects, the first  a plain white short sleeve T-shirt, the fabric for this was supplied by the teacher. The second project, a long sleeved jumper with ribbing at the neckline, sleeves and waist, fabric for this project I had to buy myself. I picked a black and white stripe fabric with white ribbing. The first project was a warm up and once we finished it, the teacher instructed us to begin cutting out the jumper project.  I laid out my fabric and began cutting just as I was finishing up this step the teacher came to check on my progress and informed me that I should  PATTERN MATCH my stripes. Crestfallen, I decided right then never to buy striped fabric again. 30 years later,  ordering fabric online being a couple of dollars short for free shipping I added  2 yards of a jersey knit fabric to my order,  My package arrived a week later I was shocked to see that I had ordered a stripe. A stripe, how did I do that, what was I thinking? After I calmed down I made a dress and pattern matched, it turned out well, I no longer fear the stripe.

The Pattern-Simplicity D0657 A. This pattern is for stretch fabric. I made option 3, the sleeveless ruffle tunic in a medium.
The Fabric - A 50/50 cotton / polyester jersey knit stripe, colour pink and oat, it's 59'' wide. The pink stripe is soft and smooth, the oat stripe is rough to the touch. It was $3.45 a yard from Fabric.com.
Stitching- I used a narrow zigzag stitch( length 3, width 1) for all seams and a straight stitch for top stitching (length 3). My needle was a ball point size 80/11 and for the hem I used a twin needle. Also I used a walking foot.
Final thoughts- no fit adjustments were necessary. I deviated from the instructions when attaching the ruffle because I was not liking the overlap hem above the ruffle. instead I pressed the seam of the ruffle up towards the tunic and top stitched it to hold in place.
This is my third make with a ruffle. I don't  like the gathering of fabric to make a ruffle but I do like the end result. so its safe to say If I can add a ruffle I will!

Open Back Top

The Pattern- Its The Jenny Dress by The Fold Line. This pattern is designed for knit fabric. The pattern can be made as a dress with the open back top attached or the top can be made as a separate item. I made the open back top only. The instructions and photos provided  make  this is an easy top to assemble.
The Fabric- I used knit fabric  (about 75cm) left over from a previous project (Walkely Dress). Its has a blue background with a random green anchor print.
The Closure- The hook and eye that hold the back together was up cycled from an old shirt.
The Seams- I used a narrow zigzag stitch for the shoulder and side seams. The hems are stitched using a twin needle. I have used a twin needle before but this time I experienced problems with the threads getting tangled, so I stitched very very slowly and  what I thought would be a quick make wasn't.

 

2017 Challenge- The Nina Dress

 The Pattern- The Nina Dress by Cotton + Chalk, pattern number 6. Skill level 4 out of 5. I chose to make version B. It is a sleeveless dress with front button closures. I added the hem ruffle to my dress as I really liked that feature of version A. My measurements correspond with a medium size and made the toile in that size, but it was so loose fitting that I went down a size and made a small. It fits perfectly without any adjustments.

The Fabric- Its a black and white polka dot, cotton stretch poplin from Fabric.com.

The Seams- There are four princess seams to stitch in this dress. A little tricky, however by the fourth seam I was able to match my armhole edges evenly. (practice makes perfect). The front facing edges and ruffle hem are overcast as per pattern instructions. All other raw edges are pinked finish.

The Buttons- There are 9 buttons on this dress. I found the red buttons at Jo-ann in the clearance section, 4 for 50cents. For the first time I used my machine to sew the buttons on. It was so easy and a time saver. Why did I not try this feature sooner? The buttonholes are also machine stitched, I used my seam ripper to carefully cut them open.


So much learnt making The Nina Dress.

2017 Challenge Update

I am extremely pleased with the progress  I am making with my 2017 challenge.

The Lizzy Dress

The Lizzy Dress- back

Firstly this month I made the Lizzy Dress in a black linen/cotton blend, It looks more gray than black. I wore the dress last weekend. This dress pattern has a lot of ease , knowing this from making the toile, I used a wider seam allowance then was suggested. I had trouble sewing the curved pockets so instead I shaped my pockets differently.

I also made the Daisy Dress in a floral blue and white stretch poplin ( pictured below) I added an in seam pocket to the side without the zipper. I am looking forward to a nice hot day so I can wear this dress.



The Daisy Dress

Finally this month I also made a toile of the Joni Dress and am now looking to buy fabric.

 

The 2017 Challenge

The 2017 challenge is coming along nicely, this month I made 'The Walkey' dress and a  toile for 'The Overture Set'. The collar in 'The Overture' was a first for me and a colossal learning experience.
I have ordered fabric to make 'The Daisy Dress' in and I have also invested in an invisible zipper foot as most dress patterns use an invisible zipper.

The Walkley dress

 I made 'The Walkley' dress this week. A free pattern with Simply Sewing -issue 18. Its super easy to make. Just two pieces, a front and back, cannot mess it up. I have used this pattern once before to make the top version.
The fabric I picked up from my local Jo-ann store. Its a blue knit with a random green anchor print. I used a ball point needle, with a straight stretch stitch for the seams and a regular straight  stitch for the hems. And that's it really, have a good week.

Update on my 2017 Challenge

In the last two weeks I have made 3 muslins of the Daisy dress bodice. Finally I am happy with the fit. Now I need to buy some nice fabric to make the dress in . Can't wait.
I got stuck while making the first muslin. Turns out the original instructions included with the pattern were incorrect. The corrected instructions are on the simply sewing blog.
Other wise the pieces come together beautifully with all the notches matching up perfectly.

The 2017 Challenge

Its that time of year when people make new years resolutions, mine this year is to improve my dressmaking skills. Following a commercial pattern and stitching up a dress is easy, making that dress fit me well is not so easy. So 2017 is the year I learn to sew a well fitting dress.
My plan is to make toile versions of all the free dress patterns I have been collecting with my Simply Sewing subscription. This is the first step in my self challenge, the second step is to make one well fitting toile each month and finally the bonus will be to make one well fitting dress to wear.
I welcome any advice from more experienced sewist so feel free to leave a comment. Also you are welcome to join me in this challenge.
For the month of January I will work on 'The Rosie Dress" by Cotton and Chalk.
Here's to a happy creative year!

Working with Knit Fabric

I purchased 2 yards of a gray knit fabric last week($8 a yard). Its a cotton poly blend with gold polka dots. I have not done much sewing with knit fabric so was eager to try something easy. I chose the 'Go-To Dress' from "Sew What You Love" for my first make (pictured above). To stitch the dress I used the straight stitch for stretch fabric for the seams and a narrow zigzag for all the hems. I used a size 90/14 ball point needle.

Next I will try 'The Walkley' pattern from Simply Sewing. I have just enough fabric to make the top.

Happy Sewing.