Burda 7407

I can see this now becoming an annual dilemma; which pattern and which fabric to use for my Christmas party dress. I took a risk and bought a pattern on ebay that came without the pattern envelope (it was a bargain and I loved the shape).

The pattern arrived in pristine condition and Burda 7407 came to life. I chose option B. I just love the shape of this dress, the longer length skirt and the fitted vest. It was a very quick pattern to construct and I only added the lining on the top part and not the bottom section. I also missed out the bow at the back.

The fabric choice is Liberty lawn (bought on sale at a craft show) and I made it more Christmassy by adding appliqué and sequin trim to the shoulders, neckline, belt and a black rose trim on the skirt hem. It made such a difference to the end result. The dress is such a comfortable shape to wear and very versatile in that it could easily be made as a casual summer dress.

Kwik Sew 3735

My beautiful mum celebrated a birthday recently, so I made her this dress as a gift. I chose some bright navy and cerise stretch fabric from Fabulous Fabrics in Ashby.

We both loved the pattern, it looks so flattering and polished, something you could wear for a party, evening out or work.

I used some interfacing for the collar as per the instructions which were easy to follow but I should have used thinner interfacing as the collar came out a bit thicker than I liked.

Overall it was a quick process and we were both pleased with the outcome.

 

Kwik Sew 3099 Dinosaur Costume

This really was a quick sew! Very easy to construct and pleased with the end result. I used purple and yellow felt but wished I had added interfacing to the dino-spines and doubled them up to make them stand on end. But it turned out quite well.

McCall’s M6417 Halloween Costume

I made option C, the vampire costume, and chose red and black satin and white cotton for the sleeves.

I found it quite time consuming but worth the effort. The collar on the cape was quite tricky but was sewn in a way so that it stands up like a vampire collar, otherwise it would have looked like a magicians cape.

I also made a bat brooch out if red felt with small LED red bulbs for eyes that were attached to a battery at the back. I was worries that these might heat up but I tested this beforehand and it was fine.

Quilted table runner

I wanted to learn some basic quilting techniques so I bought a moda jelly roll, pre-washed it (doh!), then had to iron and trim it back into shape before I could start. I chose the ‘Oh Deer’ roll and used some yellow fabric from my stash for the backing.

Here’s the end result. I botched the mitred corners by guessing at how to do them rather than checking online. At least now I know where it went wrong and how to mitre next time. I also chose metallic embroidery for the quilting stitch but the thread kept breaking.

Kwik Sew 3694

As a beginner dressmaker I have to admit I’m kind of drawn to anything that has ‘easy peasy’ on the label. Here was a pattern promising a quick sew and it delivered exactly what it said on the tin as it took me around three hours including cutting the fabric. It’s basically two pattern pieces, a neck band and side tie.

I have used some cheap jersey fabric I bought from ebay. It feels really comfortable and flattering to wear.

The only downside to this pattern was that the pattern pieces are huge so you need at least 2.5 metres of fabric so there’s a bit of waste but that’ll just go back in the fabric box for another project.

Sandra Betzina Vogue V1291

I do love Vogue patterns. This is a present for my Mum. I used some chiffon fabric which slipped around the sewing machine but I tried french seams for the first time which worked quite well along with overlocking some of the edges too.

I found the pattern sizes up small, but it’s quite a floaty shape so really flattering on.

It’s a lovely pattern and quite easy to make, I’d like to try this in a stripy jersey fabric next time. Mum hasn’t seen it yet, I hope she likes it.

 

 

DKNY Vogue V1250

This is my second dress from this pattern and this time I opted for a green and navy jersey fabric. I was worried about matching the stripes in the right places but amazingly it seemed to come together for me.

I don’t know if its the fabric or me (oink) but this is a bit snug so off to a few more classes at the gym!

I struggled with knowing what to do with the hem, the jersey fabric was curling up so I just used some iron on hemming tape and that seemed to straighten it out.

 

Vogue 1250 – DKNY

After my overlocker course I decided to make this next dress which was easier to make than I expected.

The fabric is digitally printed and has quite a bit of stretch both ways. I wore this on my birthday to the theatre. I think I will be making this one again if I can find the right fabric. Maybe shorter as a top.

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Simplicity 2054 – Cynthia Rowley

This is a dress I made on an overlocker course I attended this year. It was great to learn how to use this technique on stretch knits.

The fabric has a reasonable amount of stretch and was a bargain £5 per metre! Possibly the cheapest dress I have made yet. I wore it recently as a tunic with black leggings and heels.

Sewing with the sequins proved to be a challenge and they got stuck underneath the foot but as soon as I placed the fabric with the sequins facing the feed dogs it worked out fine.