The grape dress

This dress almost didn't get made. You see when I first saw, and bought, this fabric, I thought it had a random swirly pattern. See what I mean?

However, when I was ironing it, after prewashing, I realised that they are actually grapes! Yikes, I wasn't sure that I actually wanted a dress with grapes on it.

But I did keep coming back to it and eventually made it into this

I only had a metre of the grapes fabric so I used some black textured cotton for the back.

This was made using KS2627 again, with self drafted tulip sleeves. This pattern is also free so if you're looking for a good, basic shift pattern give it a go.

I used this excellent tutorial from sewmanyseams. I also used both fabrics in the sleeves.

Checking out those grapes. Or perhaps realising that i did actually have shoes on this time....

I have used this pattern several times already. The first time I started with a combination of size L and XL. Then I used M and L. I have now decided that I'm going to do an FBA on the size M.

I have come to this realisation because on this one I took it up another couple of centimetres at the shoulder seams and everything fits better, especially the sleeves. Although of course this also raised the bust darts which then had to be lowered on the actual dress after they had already been sewn:)

I also think this soft drapey rayon it actually too lightweight for a dress. It probably would have been better as a blouse. And this pattern will make great simple woven Ts once I've done that FBA.

Oh, well. The dress is extremely cool and comfortable and easy to wear.

Lower your expectations?

Do your hopes and dreams for your own creations (and their failure to meet them) blind you to what they DO have to offer?

You know what it's like before you begin a new project. In your mind's eye it's perfect - whether it's a simple T, or a pretty dress or killer trousers. You also know how it's going to make you feel - polished, sexy, comfortable, whatever.

Unfortunately though sometimes they don't quite turn out that way.

Don't get me wrong, they aren't complete fails - they just aren't quite what you had hoped for. And so you don't reach for them and they hang - neglected.

But maybe you just need to let go of your hopes for them so that you can appreciate them for what they are.

For example, here's V8805 that I made a couple (a few) months ago.

V8805

I had hoped that this would be a 'goodish' dress. Obviously it is casual (as is my life) but I had hoped for 'better than everyday'.

And you know what? It just isn't.... 'better than everyday' that is.

So I'd put it on, be disappointed that it wasn't a 'good' dress, take it off again and wear something else.

But last week I put it on and realised that it is a great everyday dress. I work from home and so can literally wear shorts and a T-shirt if I wish. And often (too often) I do. But then if I have to pop out to the post office or the market or the local fabric shop (more likely), I need (want?) to get changed and then a quick trip to the shops turns into something slightly more complicated and time consuming. This dress is also cooler and more comfortable than shorts and I certainly feel more 'dressed' in it and so I'm ready to go and can be out the door in minutes.

Now I love it.

And the only thing that changed were my expectations.

What about you? Are your hopes blinding you to what your makes DO have to offer?

Make a Garment a Month March Complete

I've made another shift dress. To be honest I'm on the fence about this one but only because of the colour.

I popped it on quickly and am not sure about so much grey, especially close to my face. But we'll see. It is delightfully cool and since we are forecast for an 'unseasonably warm' 43 degrees celcius next week that might be all that matters.

So this is KS2627 again. I made a couple of changes and probably should have tried them one at a time. So first I rotated the bust dart to the shoulder. There is lots of info on this but I found this one to be fairly informative about darts in general. It does warn that this may result in a little more room in the bodice and I'd certainly agree with that.

In this pic you can (just) see the shoulder dart (yellow) and because it does add extra room in the bodice the extra tuck I had to add at the neckline. (also yellow). Both of these are just stitched down about 4 cms (including seam allowance) to prevent them popping out too much. So I guess they are more pleats or tucks than darts.

I think the extra in the neckline was exacerbated by the square neckline. Again there is lots of info out there on how to draft this. I didn't use any one in particular (and largely just looked at google images). It turned out wider than I had expected but I suspect that there was probably some extra fabric in the original round neckline anyway that is just made more obvious when it is square.

Overall I was happy with how the neckline turned out. I drafted a facing, understitched it and also stitched over the front tucks and shoulder seams through the facing to be sure it stays put. I also think that a crisper fabric would have suited the square neck better. This cotton (available here) is very soft and almost a crinkle cotton - which looks like meaning it won't need ironing, so that's a win.

I'll get some better pictures (hopefully with me wearing it) soon and we'll see how it goes. If I really don't like it, I'll probably cut an upper bodice from V8805 in navy to add a better colour closer to my face.

But I will definitely use this pattern again and with shoulder darts and a square neckline but maybe not both of them together. I'm also going to try gathering or easing the bust darts sometime soon as well.

Do you have any tips re bust darts and their manipulation? Good tutorials or experiences to share?

Make a Garment a Month February Complete

This was finished well in time but as usual it was the photos that held up the blogging. And looked like holding it up for a lot longer so I'm afraid you get morning after slightly hungover photos, without make up, so not the most flattering photos. But it was that or nothing.

So as some of you may know I made KS2627 in navy cotton which has a textured self-stripe and a white textured geometric border. And this is how it turned out.

I really, really like it. I wore it out for beers at the local last night and got loads of compliments. Mind you some of those were probably shock at seeing me in a dress.

It is starting to heat up here and this is so cool and comfortable. Although seeing these photos I am a bit disappointed but as discussed recently on www.madalynne.com, one thing photos can't do is capture how a garment or outfit makes you feel. And this dress makes me feel really good.

Must find a new photo place. We've just had a tree severely cut back which is why the house next door is now so visible. Luckily no one lives there.

This certainly won't be the last shift dress to be sewn this summer. In fact this may be "The summer of the shift dress". I have habitually worn separates but now that I work from home I no longer need a work wardrobe and so the mix and match flexibility of separates is no longer such an issue. I have always felt that shift dresses would just look tent-like (mind you having seen these pics maybe they do a bit) but I am definitely going to be exploring the options.

Are you ever disappointed to see photos of an outfit that made you feel really good?

Make a Garment a Month February Plans

Well I've finally made a decision... I think. I mean really, I have no idea why I have been dithering so much about this. I have changed my mind and then changed it back again, several times. Which is really silly considering I hope to make 2 or 3 garments this month anyway. I'm going for something simple since I also hope to be doing some selfless sewing this month as well. (More on that later)

I'm using Kwik Sew 2627, which is a free pattern for a simple woven dress. I'm making view C - the short version - out of this navy cotton. (Yes, it's another Thai cotton) It has a really nice self stripe and then a great silver border around the bottom. I think the simple design will work to show off the fabric.

And of course, it's navy and the sewcialists theme this month is blue February so that works out well too.

I noticed a few of us were a bit delayed with our garment decisions this month. Maybe it's something in the air...

How are you going? Made your plans? Started your garment? Finished your garment? (What already???)

Complete Make a Garment a Month November

Well I have a day dress. I've only ever had one day dress before so this is a new experience for me. And while it isn't perfect, I like it. Unfortunately, I don't have any good photos of completed dress:).

So here it is

Looking at the photos, I actually think it may be a little big. I am sooo afraid of making things too small that I think I err on the side of making them too big. What do you think? Too big?

I cut a straight size 18 but I increased the size of the neckline, which also meant I didn't need any kind of closure (although that wasn't why I did it). And I won't do it the same again. I will still increase the neckline slightly but not this much. I also think it has affected the hang of the dress plus it has reduced the visual impact of the upper bodice pieces which in turn affects the proportions of the colour block. Especially since I added the extra length (sorry can't remember exactly how much) to the lower piece. I should have spread the increase proportionally over all pieces. This will also lower the bust darts, which it needs.

It has a CB seam from the original maxi skirt I used. I had wanted to make the 'stripe' of the fabric vertical but there was a faded fold mark in all the wrong places. Hence, keeping the CB seam which also has a tendency to buckle a bit because it is quite thick.

I also think the colour choice for the lower piece is wrong. Either a darker grey or a dark blue would have been better I think. It would have anchored the bottom better.

I also did a completely incorrect forward shoulder adjustment. Instead of starting it at the seam line, I started it at the fabric edge. This completely threw it out.

But it is really well finished (which I of course didn't photograph). It has flat felled seams everywhere.

So adjustments I made;

• Shorten bust dart (2cm)
• Increase neckline size (about 1.5cm at shoulder to 3cm at front)
• Forward shoulder adjustment (2cm)
• Increased length

What I will do next time;

• Increase neckline but not as much (1.5cm all round)
• Correct forward shoulder adjustment
• Increase length on all pieces (this will also lower bust dart)

And maybe if I'm feeling brave I'll cut a size 16 instead, which of course will probably then need a different set of adjustments.

I am actually in the process of making another one already but this one is for my sister. She chose this fabric

(fabric available here)

Instead of contrasting colours, I am going to run the 'stripes' horizontally on the upper bodice and lower panel, with verticle 'stripes' on the middle piece. 

So what are your thought on the dress? Too big? 

Fabric shopping in Chiang Mai

So on Friday I was in Chiang Mai to visit some friends and just had to sneak in little fabric shopping. And I found a new shop which has great printed northern Thai cottons. I'm going to be going back there for sure.

The first is a great geometric print

And the second has stripes and spots because the stripes are made of spots

Both of these will also be made into V8805

One will be for my sister and one for me. Don't know which yet, I'm letting my sister choose first. I'm nice like that sometimes:)

So now back to my original V8805 dress. I made a wearable muslin tunic version which I wore on Friday night and was very pleased with it. No photos yet but I'll post about it soon.

If you like the fabrics you can find them here in my etsy shop.

Here's to a productive sewing week for everyone....

Make a garment a month November plans

Apparently I missed the party the first time round (I wasn't sewing then) but better late then never... I am making Vogue 8805

and I'm making it in this (these)...

The contrasting solids are just cheap ($2.50/m) cotton from my local fabric shop. The main fabric is locally made Thai cotton which is actually a maxi skirt. i.e. a tube of fabric with one seam up the back. I have had it for years so I can't remember where I got it (probably Chaing Mai night bazaar) or what I paid for it (probably about $10).

You can find similar(ish) Thai cottons here in my etsy shop. Have a browse, maybe you'll find something you like.

I also plan to use #makeagarmentamonth on social media so why don't you too, then we can all follow along on Twitter or Instagram or both.

Lots of other plans brewing (that may involve a yellow skirt) but more on that later.

Here's to a productive month everyone.

Make a Garment a Month

Hi all (warning this a long read and not a lot of fun)

I really hope your sewing (for this challenge or anything else) is going better than mine. You may remember that I am making the Danielle from Burdastyle. Well, I was..

After several tissue fittings and two bodice muslins (muslin bodices?) I am conceding defeat. Well, momentary defeat. I definitely intend revisiting this in the future.

I have realised that the basic problem is that the pattern is just too small. In the front anyway - the back is great. Now I know that I could grade the pattern up - I have even read several tutorials on this. But grading it up plus adding an FBA, forward shoulder adjustment, respacing the under bust darts, etc, etc is just too difficult at this stage of my sewing journey. I really need to start with something that is a closer fit and tweak it.

I have also read  (and reread several times) this post on a Fashionable Stitch. This really resonated with me because I cannot buy patterns locally (I have never seen one here) and compared to the price of fabric here (or tailors for that matter) patterns are expensive and then of course there is the wait for them to arrive. But now I am looking at them in a slightly different light so I am happy to make the investment in some good basic patterns. So I am currently looking at the Amazing Fit range from Simplicity and now just have to choose one. So that will be my garment for next month.

"But what about this month?" I hear you ask. Never fear, I have already finished one blouse and will do a proper post on it shortly when I get some decent photos. But here is a sneak peek.

I also really want to buy the Scout woven tee from Grainline. However, I am concerned about the sizing. The largest size is too small in the bust (by 2"). Will an FBA fix this? Has anyone done one before? Am I going down a familiar path of starting with a pattern that basically doesn't fit?

I am looking for a basic blouse pattern that I can then modify in the future. I am a very apple shape - my back waist is a full 15cm smaller than my front waist. Weird I know, but I have recently recovered from a long illness (4 years long) the cure of which involved taking steroids. This has resulted in the "potatoes on toothpicks" (Really that is what they call it) body shape often associated with taking steroids long term. There are many patterns that I love (Anna by By Hand London for example) that I just can't see working because of my belly (which also starts just under my bust).

So do you have any suggestions? Any and all suggestions would be very welcome.

And thanks for listening to what has basically turned into a whinge.....

Make a garment a month challenge

Wow, my first ever challenge and just to make it even more challenging it will be my first completely me-made garment in nearly 30 years. (The sort of sorbetto doesn't count and is already back on the cutting table).

And if that wasn't enough, I am also going to make the Danielle dress from Burdastyle.

I must admit that I have looked at this pattern many times and felt very ambivalent about it. But I kept going back to it - probably because it is remarkably similar to the only dress I have owned in the last 20 years (I'm more of a separates girl obviously) and I did like that dress, a lot. I kept thinking, the right fabric, the right sleeves (because it was never going to happen as per the pattern) it could work.

And then I saw this by Deby at Sew so easy and I was convinced. It is hard to believe it is the same dress.

So I decided the pattern was a go and then I also found this

And no it isn't a great border print, it is a printing error. But it has created a great border effect and coincidentally in the right proportions for a light bodice, dark skirt ending in the light border. And because it is a defect I got it for $1 pm. So I don't have to worry about ruining great (or expensive) fabric and I bought the whole 4 metres so I have some extra to play with.

So the fabric is pre-washed and ready to go. For the first time ever- I didn't even know you were supposed to do this until recently. (In my defence, last time I was sewing they had barely invented the computer, let alone the internet.)

I have downloaded and taped and cut the pattern pieces. So now there is just the small thing of an FBA on this bodice - my first ever FBA, I might add. Should be interesting....

Thank you so much Sarah Liz for organising/coordinating this challenge. It is just the incentive I need to make a well-fitted, well-finished dress. Yay!!

I look forward to seeing what everyone else is up to.