Monday, March 29, 2010

MUST SEW #6 AND A VINTAGE DRESS


My next project is this circa 1954 Simplicity 4651 which I bought from this lovely Etsy Seller
Bec and I spent some Mummy Daughter Time together on Saturday fabric shopping, and I found this lovely (craft) fabric in Textile Traders .
I'm thinking that the dress pattern would look really nice made up in the Polka Dots....
Love Polka Dots!
It's 100% cotton, and now I'm busy making chocolate coloured bias binding for the pockets and neckline. I bought enough chocolate fabric to make the matching jacket for my Must Sew #6!
Bec found some groovy fabric to make some pj's....she thinks I'm making them...
Muahahahah!

Monday, March 22, 2010

THE DRESS THAT ALMOST WASN'T




Well, that's several hours of my life I will never get back!!

I thought I'd whip up a simple shift dress, and it turned out bigger than
Ben Hur!

Love the sketch on the pattern cover, and it could have been a simple pattern, but for the life of me, I couldn't work out how they did the neckline and facing! My Mum told me that I need to think like someone from 1966 (funny!)

I tried to do it how the instructions stated, but I just couldn't get the thing to work out. In the end, and several days later (and more than enough unpicked facings later...), I put the instructions back in its packet, and just made the whole thing up as I went along!
Its McCall's 8565 (circa: 1966) and I've made it up in a cool wool suiting in the teeniest of hounds tooth pattern. The fabric feels really nice to wear and this is the first time that I have made up a pattern that called for underlining.

Because I didn't want the pockets (no need to make my hips look any bigger), I made a self covered button for the front just to add a bit of interest (to match the buttons on the back belt).


It's not my favourite dress,
it will be OK for work though, and I'm sure it will grow on me over time.
Not sure if I'd ever make this up again.