Newlook 6048

We had a couple of nice hot days last week which got me all excited about Summer getting here so I thought I'd make another dress (of course its raining again now!).
I've made Newlook 6048 once before, in a gingham with the original neckline. This one is inspired by Gerties gorgeous Coming up Roses dress with the shirred back. I followed her directions on how to shirr and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I changed the original sweetheart neckline to be straight and used a bias strip




I've been lusting over the Lonsdale straps so I thought I'd convert these plain straps to tie in the back as well



The fabric is a quilting cotton, I feel like I've broken a big rule by using it, but I've got to say it sewed up beautifully, has a nice drape to it, and I can never resist polkadots let alone teal polkadots!



The shirring is great, makes the dress so comfortable to wear!



I finished off the bodice by lining the front with a cotton poplin



I originally bias bound the hem to then slipstitch it, but I liked the contrast of the bias binding enough that I left it, I figure I can always hem it up later




This is the last dress for a while, I really need to make some more pants. I got the material today and traced off Vogue 8751 and Hot Pattern 1054 I want to muslin them up over the weekend - I usually tissue fit then pin fit, but pants are a bit trickier and I'd rather take the extra time on them.

Lonsdale dress take 2

I made this dress for my Mum, I always love sewing for her (don't tell the Selfish Seamstress though, lol) because other than a petite adjustment she fits in to clothes straight off the pattern.

I made a size 12 with a 2" shortening of the bodice and a 4" hem shorten.


The fabric is a Cotton Poplin 50's remake from Spotlight.


Satin Piping around the waistband and bodice edge


Contrast sateen for the waistband


French seams down the sides and hong kong binding on the front and back seams


The bodice is lined with a stretch cotton poplin



I made another Lonsdale for her, just got to get around to hemming it and redoing the zipper and I'll post it up as well.

Jenny Skirt; Burda 6058

(Geez, I look like I have linebacker shoulders in that pic!)



This is the second attempt at the Jenny skirt, the first I did out of a stretch ponte and it ended up looking too tight, so I added some width and did this one in a pinstripe stretch suiting that was given to me.

I had a lot of trouble fitting this, I think its because I have high full hips so I have trouble with a straight waistband, next time I make it I'll use the fitted yoke off my burda Bella Jeans.

It still has wrinkles across the front, so I think I need to add a bit more width there too. I ended up taking over 1" out of the centre front too (What Patty calls a tilted waist adjustment) (I promise I smile in real life too, I just can't seem to take a decent photo of myself smiling without looking like an overweight chipmunk, lol)


I added the vent following Sunni's tutorial I love the look of it and it was so much easier to do than I thought!


Bias binding to finish the waistband

Lace on the hem


This was my second skirt attempt this weekend, the first was McCalls 5591 which is a flared skirt with a straight waistband. I did it out a thin cotton though and it didn't sit down and just looked terrible. I should have used my beloved Sateen or maybe a denim and used a fitted yoke or no waistband, still I reckon I can reuse the material for a dress for my daughter. I'm thinking about getting Sewaholics Crescent skirt, it has the yoke waist and a nice flared skirt.

Simplicity 4070

I made the size 18 with only a 1" FBA and about 1" extra back width.

I bought this fabric over in melbourne a couple of months ago and have been trying to pick the perfect pattern for it, I finally decided to have a go with Simplicity 4070, its meant to be an evening dress pattern but I think it looks fine as a day dress in sateen. It a lot more green in real life, it wouldn't photograph well for some reason.



Its a tad tight, I pin fitted it then basted the zipper in and tried it on, so I thought I'd be safe. I think it might be a combo of the piping not letting the waist stretch and the lining, even though I used a stretch poplin to line it always seems to tighten the bodice up. I'll wear it a couple of times to see if it loosens and if it doesn't I can unpick the zipper and add a bit of width.



Piping around the waistband, bodice and straps



I used lace to finish off the hem and used my favourite pockets out of Simplicity 2588 again!

Its nice finally having something to blog about, I've made my Mum 2 Lonsdale dresses that are just waiting on hemming and photos, and I've muslined up Vogue 8727 which reminded me why I hate gathered busts! and tried the 4th muslin of the Lonsdale dress for me. I've been using darts and am just not happy so I think the next try will be converting the darts into princess seams and hopefully that will fit better.

Fabric finds

I went op-shopping with my mum on the weekend :) I haven't had any finds for the last couple of weeks so it was good to find some decent fabric.

5.3metres of Black pure wool twill! Its only 1m wide but its still heaps to make a winter coat next year. It has this printed logo on the edge, its a bit worn, but seems to say 'Army Naval Twill'.


A gorgeous satin, 3 metres of it.


1m of this nice knit fabric, its enough to make a singlet for my daughter


What I think is rayon? It will probably be a jacket lining. 3 metres.


A nice yellow cotton, I'm thinking about making this into a Lonsdale dress but I only have 2.3m of it.


This is another wool, or maybe a wool blend? It looks ok up close but I'm not sure from a distance, it might just become a muslin for a coat.

Colette Eclair 1004

Pattern description:Strapless summer or party dress has a flattering shape which tapers at the waist, and gathered waist ties in a contrasting fabric. This dress is fully lined and has a gathered six-gore skirt with the front panel of the skirt left ungathered for a smooth line. Dress includes side seam pockets and optional boning. Closes with an invisible side zipper.

Size I cut the 18.




I made this dress a couple of months ago, it was a couple of firsts for me - the first Colette pattern I made, first time inserting an invisible zip and the first time I tried inserting boning.



I made a straight 18 and did no pattern adjustments!! I didn't think too much of it at the time, but now I've been sewing longer I've realised how unbelievably rare that is! This is still the best fitting bodice I've made, and I thought the boning would be really uncomfortable but it's not, I mean the dress fits firm but I love how the boning keeps it up and makes it look so smooth, no lumps and bumps.

I used a cotton poplin and a ripstop? poly lining from the Spotlight clearance table.



It has pockets! I had to following the instructions step by step for the zipper and pocket set-up but it works really well


(Sorry for the washed out photos, I've got to find somewhere inside with a plain wall behind me for photos)

I have a lovely thin voile to make another one for summer, I'd like to leave out the boning though and maybe shirr the back on the next one with maybe less gathering in the skirt.

Licorice allsorts dress

Self drafted pattern (as self drafted as a couple of rectangles are, lol)

Fabric - Quilting weight cotton from Rathdowne Fabric



My daughter has a RTW dress that's too big now and she wanted a copy of it. The original dress has elastic shirring but I thought with this one I'd sew channels and thread thin elastic through.



I used the rolled hem on my serger for the first time, its so easy! I'm so glad I didn't have to hem it all with a normal narrow hem, would have taken ages!




She always complains about straps being too tight so I thought I'd make a channel of fabric and thread elastic through it as well

and because we both seem to have an obsession with pockets I put patch pockets on the front and put a couple of snap fasteners on them too to stop her stuff falling out (Gee, I didn't realise how uneven the pocket ruffles were till I took this photo!)




Ruffled front hides the bodice seam



and buttons from the Alannah Hill outlet in Melbourne



I like sewing kids stuff, its so much more forgiving than adults and hides mistakes easier, plus you can use bright patterned fabric that I love but would look silly wearing!