Sew: StyleArc Hedy Designer Dress

I'm surprised there are not more Hedy dresses on the interwebs. It's such a great pattern for a dress that's a bit different. I couldn't work out in my head if it was going to work in a stripe so I decided to just go for it. It is only fabric. And I'm so pleased with how it worked out! There was no stripe matching at all for the top. The only thing I tried to match was the side seams in the skirt section.

I opted for the neckline facing and have only tacked it down at the seams. I may go back and topstitch it down all the way around at 1 cm. I'll see how much it annoys me. I chose not to include the pockets as I didn't want any extra bulk in that area.

Project Details
Pattern: Style Arc Hedy Designer Dress, size 18
Fabric: Tessuti Fabrics Dusty Liner Blue viscose jersey
Modifications: Lengthened short version by 10cm, omitted pockets
See Also: Thornberry | Sew Jean Margaret | Catherine Daze

There will be another of these. I'd like a plain colour one. Probably black or charcoal. Of course.

Sew: Floral Colette Patterns Moneta Dress

Amazing what you find in your blog draft posts! I made this dress long ago and I'm very pleased with it. The fabric may be a little lightweight for this pattern but it seems to be surviving.

This is my fourth Moneta dress. I have my beloved Jaywalk striped version, a red one that was gifted to my mum, a plain black one and this floral one. I find them the perfect work dress paired with some heals and a blazer in Winter.

Project Details
Pattern: Colette Patterns Moneta Dress, size XL
Fabric: Viscose printed jersey (Floreale Nero) from Tessuti Fabrics
Alterations: Omitted bodice lining and pockets, lengthened by 5cm
See Also: Sew Brunswick #1

Sew: Papercut Patterns Sway Dress in Red Linen

 

Probably not the most flattering of dresses but I'm not fussed. Today is going to be a scorcher here in Melbourne and I'm also flying to Brisbane which is a whole different kind of hot. My temporary childless days are over, as I'm going to get the boys from "Club Grandparents" and to see my family (very briefly).

This red linen sway dress was conceived after the success of my (yet to be blogged) Frocktails dress. Although, it's not as successful. I'm not sure what happened but the neckline has warped, possibly due to stretching. I failed to stay stitch or stay tape the neckline as I didn't need to with the first. I also have trouble keeping the straps on my shoulders so I have safety pins in there. So a bit of a doozy but you can't win all the time.

This was my Christmas day dress. It was great for sitting on the floor unwrapping presents, eating copious amounts of ham and just general lounging around. And it went perfectly with my Christmas light earrings.

Project Details
Pattern: Sway Dress by Papercut Patterns
Fabric: Red linen from The Fabric Store
Alterations: Removed some fullness to accommodate narrower fabric, lengthened by 10cm, used v-neck for front and back.
See Also: Lladybird | Noble & Daughter | Idle Fancy | Thornberry

And because I'm a sucker for punishment, I will probably sew this again and hope for the best!

Sew: Tessuti Gabby Dress

I sense a pattern emerging here. Late to join the party/bandwagon yet again...

This is of course the Tessuti Gabby dress pattern that was released many years ago and has been made by countless sewers around the world. It's a great pattern that is simple and stylish and a great way to use a feature fabric.

The fabric was purchased from Tessuti Fabrics in Melbourne over a year ago. I was hoping for a bit of Gorman style with this make. Not sure I pulled it off but I'm pretty happy with this dress. It will get a lot of wear when the Melbourne weather finally warms up.

Project Details
Pattern: Tessuti Gabby Dress, size XL
Fabric: Valeria Nero printed viscose from Tessuti Melbourne
Alterations: Lined with silk cotton
See also: Boo Dogg and Me | Thornberry | Sewn by Elizabeth | Up Sew Late

Sew: Cashmerette Appleton Dress

As always, I'm late to the party with this pattern. I like to see how everyone else goes before I attempt a pattern!

The pattern is of course the Cashmerette Appleton wrap dress. I do love a good wrap dress but the last one I made slips off my shoulders so I get sore shoulders when I wear it. The Appleton stays exactly where it is supposed to. The wrap provides good coverage up top and I won't need to wear a slip underneath (when the weather finally warms up!). I find the top layer of skirt drops down when I wear it. This is fixed if I tie it up under my breast but the wrap wants to tie around my waist where I prefer it to tie. I will need to look in to this more before I make my next version. I'm planning a plain black one next.

The fabric is a viscose knit that I picked up at the House of Cloth a few weeks ago when I went to Bendigo with some fellow sewing ladies. It was hanging in the window and I couldn't walk past. I love the colour. The fabric is pilling slightly where it rubs against something, like my work lanyard or under my arms. We'll see how it goes. The only other issue with the fabric is that the tie is a little to heavy for the fabric and I can't pull it too tightly around me. I'll use a thicker knit with more stretch next time.

Project Details
Pattern: Cashmerette Appleton Dress, size 16
Fabric: Viscose jersey from House of Cloth
Alterations: Lengthened skirt by 6cm
See also: Crafting a Rainbow | Thornberry | Idle Fancy

Sew: Tessuti Frankie Dress

Tessuti have done it again! They've created a simple yet stylish classic pattern. So many possibilities! 

Frankie and I got off to a bit of a rough start. My first version was in a stable ponte and the arms and upper chest were way too tight. The second was a muslin that I intend to wear as a nightie. Unfortunately, my test version was in a very stretchy jersey so I didn't pick up on the continuing fit issues. This version is made in a black viscose jersey from Tessuti that I've used before many times. This time I ordered 5 metres to keep me going for a while! It is completely wearable (and I will wear it often) but there are a few issues that I'll fix for the next version. 

The first main issue is that the arms are too tight. I will slash and spread the pattern piece, like I do the Mandy boat tee, and add about 2cm at the hem. I think this will fix a lot of the problem but I also think the shoulders and neckline aren't wide enough on me. I think I will try adding a centimetre or two to the centre front. I just want it to sit wider across the top. Not very technical but I think it will work.

Otherwise, it's a really great pattern. I omitted the elastic in neckline and it seems to be fine. The played around with the length of the sleeve and skirt. The sleeves were hemmed at just above elbow length and the skirt is half way between the two skirt pattern lengths. A good midi length.

Project Details
Pattern: Tessuti Fabrics Frankie Dress, size XL
Fabric: Hashtag black jersey from Tessuti
Alterations: Length is half way between the two dress lengths, sleeves hemmed to elbow length, omitted clear elastic in neckline
See also: Sew South London | Funk Bunny

So what do you think? Have you made the Frankie dress yet?

Sew: Chambray Inari Dress

 

Another Inari Dress! I was on a roll so I just went with it and kept making Inari dresses. My first one was very dressy so I went the casual route for this one. The third is somewhere in between.

I lengthened this dress by 12cm after the indecency of the last version. It's a perfect day length at the front but the back looks a bit long. It doesn't bother me though. The fabric is from Spotlight last year when they got a big shipment of printed chambrays. It's more of a denim than chambray in weight.

I used the facings for this version (my last one was lined) and although I'm not usually a fan of facings these stay nice and flat during wear. They don't look like they will when on a hanger but they do once on the body. I didn't top stitch the facing down. Just stitched in the ditch of the shoulder seams.

Project Details
Pattern: Named Inari Tee Dress, size UK 18
Fabric: Printed chambray from Spotlight
Alterations: Lengthened 12 cm

My photographer is a 5 year old with a broken hand today so these photos required serious cropping to get the dress in the frame... It's my last day at home with Mr 5 today. He's had Wednesdays off for the month of February. Next week he's going to school for all 5 days! And I get to stay home on Fridays and sew!!!!! Can you tell I'm a little bit excited?!

Sew: Frocktails Floral Silk Wool Inari Tee Dress

I didn't specifically sew this dress for Frocktails. I had worn it twice but never blogged it. So I'm calling it my Frocktails dress!

The fabric was a 1.2m remnant found in the depths of my fabric stash. I'd made a dress for my cousin's wedding many years ago and as it was so wide, found myself with a decent remnant at the end. And so it sat in the stash, getting deeper and deeper until I was rummaging one day. I struck gold!

The pattern is of the course Named Clothing Inari Tee Dress which has been made time and again across the internet. I decided to line my dress and omitted the facings. The only other change was to lengthen it by 7cm. When standing the dress is a good length but when sitting it is almost indecent. So it is a dress for standing parties! Subsequent versions have been lengthen 12cm which works well.

Frocktails was a fabulous night. I had a great time with friends and loved meeting new people. There were many people there that I didn't get around to chatting to. Next time!

Project Details
Pattern: Named Inari Tee Dress, size UK 18
Fabric: Silk & wool gazaar from The Fabric Store Melbourne (many moons ago), found in the depths of my stash
Alterations: Lengthened 7cm, add lining
See also: Groovy Baby & Mama | Randomly Happy | We The Sewing | Up Sew Late

Sew: Tessuti Alice Dress

Is there a period of time after which you cannot post an item on your blog?? I believe I made this dress at the end of last Summer and then put it away, so it's about 11 months old. Better late than never!

This is of course the Tessuti Alice dress. I'm not sure I can add much value to the discussion on this pattern. It's simple, easy to put together and perfect for hot weather. Just make sure you go down two sizes. I'm still not sold on this style on me. It does look a bit shapeless on me but some days just call for a glorified sack.

I do love this linen. I had a tiny piece of the orange colourway a few years ago. I couldn't justify the expense of it for a full garment. Then one fateful day, I saw it online reduced or as a remnant, I can't remember which, and I snatched it up. I have a little bit left which I'm hoping to get a top out of. Thankfully, fabric doesn't go off.

Project Details
Pattern: Tessuti Alice dress, size M
Fabric: Printed linen from Tessuti online
See also: Boo Dogg & Me | Thornberry | The Little Miss Gee Story | Miss Pippilotta

Sew: Vogue 8921 (aka the Frocktails dress)

For a long time I wasn't sure what I was going to make for Frocktails. But thanks to the powers of Instagram I was obsessed with Vogue 8921 after I saw Kat's post. Kat was extremely kind to gift me her pattern as she'd bought a size too large. Thanks Kat! 

The fabric I chose was a glittery mesh fabric from Rathdowne Fabrics. I bought it with no plans. I just I thought it would be a fun stash fabric. It didn't even make it to the stash. Thankfully, as I don't have any room in the stash at the moment! 

The pattern is good and I would like to make it again in a slinkier knit. I'd also like to make it with the crossover front. It was fun to wear but it's not really my style. I don't usually wear long sleeves. Or glittery knits. 

The biggest issue I had was the shapelessness of the waist. I wasn't planning on wearing it with a belt but it didn't really look any good without some sort of waist definition. I tried sewing elastic in to the waist without success. A belt was the easiest solution. 

Project Details
Pattern: Vogue 8921, size 16
Fabric: Glitzy sparkle mesh from Rathdowne Fabrics
Alterations: 4cm sway back adjustment, fully lined with slinky black knit (also from Rathdowne), elastic waist
See Also: Erica Bunker | Kathy Sews | Sew Manju

All in all it was a fun project for an excellent night. Not sure it will be worn again as is. I might shorten it to just below the knee and possibly shorten the sleeves to 3/4.

Sew: Style Arc Jessica Dress

I'd been planning to try the Style Arc Jessica Dress for some time but wasn't in a real rush. I then saw Marjorie was giving away her copy of the pattern and she kindly offered to send it to me. Thanks again Marjorie. The Jessica Dress suddenly jumped to the top of the queue!

The Jessica Dress is described as "Great easy to wear pull on knit jersey dress with up to the minute twist front feature that is flattering and eye catching." It is a relatively straight forward dress to sew with no major tricky bits. The pattern Marjorie had was a size 14, so I decided to keep it that size. I probably would have bought my usual Style Arc size 16, so it is worth going down a size or two. The neckline has quite a plunge on it and I'm happy to wear a singlet but it's worth considering.

The fabric is a viscose, polyester and spandex knit from Tessuti Fabrics online. My love for black and white is well documented so I bought a few metres of this knit as well as the small dot knit. Out of this print, I have this dress, a Mandy Boat tee and an Ali Knit skirt. What can I say, I'm not afraid of a coordinating wardrobe! This knit is probably not slinky enough for this pattern. It is also a bit too heavy. There is a lot of fabric in that front twist and the whole dress feels bulky. Also, the asymmetry of this dress bugs me. There are pleats on one side but not the other so the hem is crooked and the fabric pulls across the waist strangely. I will be interested to see how it works in a lighter, slinkier knit.

Project Details
Pattern: Style Arc Jessica Dress, size 14
Fabric: Small Squiggle Knit, from Tessuti Fabrics Online
Alterations: None
See Also: Busy Lizzie | Thewallinna | Cashmerette | Allison.C

Overall, I'm not that pleased with this dress due to the poor fabric to pattern match. I will wear it because it's easy to wear but it will probably end up in the Savers pile next year. I prefer it will a black jacket due to the bulky top.

You win some, you lose some!

L x

Sew: Colette Patterns Myrtle Dress in Mood Knit

I wore my beloved first Colette Myrtle dress today and realised that I've never blogged it. I engaged my trusty blog photographer and snapped a few photos this afternoon. He has even taken to snapping two shots for front, back and both sides!

This Myrtles dress is made in a cotton knit that I purchased from Mood Fabrics in LA when we were on holidays in 2013. I bought enough fabric for a maxi dress but it was printed terribly off grain so I could only use a limited amount of it. I managed to squeeze this dress out thankfully. It is quite a thin and non-stretchy knit so probably better suited to a Myrtle than a maxi dress anyway.

The pattern came together well but I stuffed up the elastic casing. I was trying to cut corners and ended up catching the fabric to the elastic which is not ideal. You can see in the photo above that the fabric is catching. I have more fabric in the front than the back. Oh well.

Project Details
Pattern: Colette Patterns Myrtle dress, size XL
Fabric: Printed cotton knit from Mood Fabrics LA
Alterations: 4cm sway back adjustment, removed 3cm total from back neckline, omitted pockets
See Also: Sew Brunswick #1 | Stitchin In My Kitchen | Bluebell and Brook | Evolution of a Sewing Goddess

A good friend of mine refers to this dress as my hepatic vasculature dress. It makes me laugh every time I wear it!

L x

Sew: Merchant and Mills Camber Set Dress in Printed Cotton Sateen

 

First up, two blog posts in one week after months of low activity!! I might disappear again soon as we're almost finished with the reno. Can I get a yippee?! It will then be a few months of internal painting, carpet installation, floor sanding and polishing and moving furniture around. Once that's all done, I'll be able to set up the rooms and most importantly establish my new sewing room!

Now, focus on my not-so-new dress! I made this dress way back at Sewjourn in December. It was a case of pattern to stash fabric accidental pairing that worked out perfectly. I bought this fabric years ago at Spotlight to make a pair of Colette Clover pants. Soon after that I gave up on the Clover pattern completely and the fabric sat unused. I wasn't really keen on it. Then one day in preparation for Sewjourn I was on a cutting out frenzy and I spied this fabric. I had nothing to lose if it didn't work, so I happily cut in to it using my Camber pattern. Happy accident!

After the first two wears, I decided it was too wide in the shoulders and too big throughout the body. I was tempted to give it to Savers but I decided to unpick the sleeves to allow me to remove the extra width from the shoulders and take the side seams in another 2cm through the bust and waist. I kept the hem as is so this dress is a little more A-line than my previous versions. Project saved!

Project Details
Pattern: Merchant and Mills Camber Set Dress, size 16
Fabric: Printed cotton sateen from Spotlight
Alterations: 3 cm side seams, lowered bust dart apex by 2.5 cm, removed 1 cm from shoulder
See Also: Sew Brunswick #1 | Sew Brunswick #2 | Little Betty Sews | Make Something | Boo Dogg and Me

Mr N is improving in his blog photography and as he gets taller, the photos straighten out. The last photo shows our new house colour! If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I debated on the house colour for some time. I'd decided on a dark green/grey but at the last minute, the architects changed their mind and suggested we change to the lighter colour that the majority of Instagram voted on. I took their advice and was shocked when it was actually painted. It was so bright! It is growing on me now and I really love the tone of it. It will look amazing when my garden is back and growing against it and when the fencing and scaffolding comes down. 

So what do you think of my crazy print sateen dress? And, are you a fan of grey houses? I absolutely love them. 

L x

Sew: Oliver + S Pinwheel Dress

Summer is birthday season in our house. My boys are December and January meaning that most of their friends are summer babies too. Every weekend there's a birthday party to attend!

My standard present is usually Lego or a puzzle but I had two close friend's daughters birthdays coming up and I knew they'd love a handmade dress. Without promising much, I asked them for their daughter's measurements and then set to work finding a simple but playful dress pattern. The Oliver + S Pinwheel dress fit the bill and I found the printed cotton in my stash.

I had enough of the cotton to easily make two dresses so I made them exactly the same. They'll just have to coordinate their outfits!

Project Details
Pattern: Oliver + S Pinwheel Slip Dress, size 5
Fabric: Printed cotton from Clear It - Brunswick Street
See also: Lily Sage & Co #1 | Lily Sage & Co #2 | You and Mie

I'm not one for fancy details or mixing prints (especially for kids clothes), so I just overlocked and hemmed the flounce, omitting the bias binding. I really like the clean, simple finish.

I'm sure there will be many more Pinwheel dresses in the future.

L x

Sew: Merchant and Mills Camber Set Dress in Banana Leaf Print Linen

Following the success of my first Camber dress, I proceeded to make another (two). This version is made from a medium to heavy weight linen from Darn Cheap Fabrics. I believe it is from the same range as the much talked about pineapple linen. I spotted it on the Darn Cheap Fabrics Instagram feed and asked Lara from Thornberry fame to get me 2.5m if she was going past anytime soon. She very kindly did and then proceeded to prewash the fabric for me and deliver it to me at Sewjourn. How's that for sewing friendship?! Thanks Lara!

There's not much else to say about this dress. I made the same alterations as my Nani Iro version plus removed the 1cm from the shoulder for this dress due to the stiffness of the fabric.

Project Details
Pattern: Merchant and Mills Camber Set Dress, size 16
Fabric: Banana leaf printed linen from Darn Cheap Fabrics
Alterations: 3 cm side seams, lowered bust dart apex by 2.5 cm, removed 1 cm from shoulder

I have another metre of this fabric. I first thought I'd use it for cushion covers for our soon to be finished renovation but now I'm thinking a boxy tank to go with my new culottes. What do you think? Cushions or top?

L x

Sew: Merchant and Mills Camber Set Dress in Nani Iro

The Camber dress pattern was never really on my radar. I'd seen it around but wasn't that interested in it. When we visited my sister-in-law and family in Mudgee in September she sewed up her muslin of the pattern. It worked for her with no changes and looked really good so I stole her muslin. I used the muslin pieces as my pattern pieces and have made 3 Camber dresses to date. I have another cut out ready to go. Totally converted.

I did make a few changes to my dress. The pattern was a size 16 and was a little too roomy for my liking. So I used a 2.5-3cm side seam. I left the sleeves the original size. The shoulders are a little wide on me and I've removed 1cm from the top of the shoulder on my other versions. The extra width is not too noticeable in this version due to the drape of this fabric. The other versions are a stiff linen (bananas!) and a cotton sateen and I really noticed the width on those so I've adjust them to fit. I also dropped the bust dart point down 2.5cm. The length is as per the pattern which is a surprise.

The fabric is a dreamy Nani Iro double gauze from Tessuti online. I've sewn with double gauze before and have to admit is is not my favourite to work with. I find the needles snag the fabric no matter how many times I change the needles. It is also really difficult to unpick. It is lovely fabric to wear but it does like to grab your undies so slinky undies are a must!

Project Details
Pattern: Merchant and Mills Camber Set Dress, size 16
Fabric: Nani Iro double gauze from Tessuti online
Alterations: 3 cm side seams, lowered bust dart apex by 2.5cm
See Also: Little Betty | Boo Dogg and Me | Cheeky Cha Cha | Make Something | Fancy Tiger Crafts

So I'm liking my new dress and find myself grabbing it from the cupboard regularly. A true sign of a winner!

L x