All posts tagged: maxi dress

My Colette Wren – The Nitty Gritty

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I had a vision! + = POSH FROCK Here’s how it happened! After taking my measurements I opted to trace off size large.  I didn’t notice the chart for the finished measurements.  If I had I would probably have saved myself some time.  The pattern has negative ease and my fabric (being a ponte knit) wasn’t quite as stretchy as suggested. The left photo shows my first muslin in a large.  I recut it in a XL and lengthened the pattern pieces by 4cm (on the shorten/lengthen lines). A lesson to all – Trace your pieces!  I’d have been snookered if I’d have cut into my PDF pattern and would have had to print and stick it all together again! The lower back bodice picture above is the first muslin.  As you can see its tight and also there is excess fabric in the lower back.  I lengthened the bottom by 4cm and then did a 5cm sway back adjustment – following this tutorial. I ended up with a very odd shaped piece but it …

The Colette Wren at The Yorkshire White Rose Awards

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On Monday we attended the White Rose Awards at the Leeds Arena.  It is the largest celebration of tourism excellence in the UK.  The dress code was black tie.  I didn’t need any more encouragement than that to fire up my creative juices and make a new frock! I’ve already written a post about my first and second muslin of the new Wren dress pattern from Colette.  I had 5m of this sparkly silvery ponte knit from Minerva.  I originally bought 2m to make my sister a coco for her birthday but then couldn’t resist and had to buy some more for me. I intend to write a full post later about the nitty gritty of the other changes I wanted and also needed to make to the pattern so it would be perfect for my chosen fabric and the occasion! This post is all about the finished dress and the awards ceremony. All dressed up and somewhere to go!!  Hubby scrubs up well too, don’t you think?! Wahay! Look at that thigh high spit! …

My Mums Sewing Adventure

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Back in July my mum & I paid a visit to Minerva Crafts shop in Lancashire. I’d seen some fabric in their online store and wanted to see it in real life. Whilst there my mum got all excited and bought some material & a pattern. She’s not sewn for ages and ages so was going to be dusting off her machine that was neglected in her spare bedroom. Here’s the pattern (simplicity 1611) & fabric (a woven soft fabric with a lovely drape): My mum decided to make the dress full length but without the overlay. After seeing the material and pattern for a few weeks in the dining room, neglected, I decided to help her out and cut the pattern out for her. Then ‘we’ (the royal we!) began stitching. Lots accomplished in just an hour – all stitched up – it just needed hemming and the arm hole edges finishing. Then things came to a grinding halt as we were thinking the dress needed sleeves as the arm holes were a little …

McCalls 6612 – My First Frock in Years!

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I made this dress from start to finish in a day, including shopping for the pattern and fabric…… I made view B, but made it floor length. The pattern was quite bold and I spent ages laying it out on the floor trying to get the sides matched up. I’ve since learnt that I need to cut out on my kitchen hardwood floor, rather than the lounge carpet – I found the bottom layer gripped the carpet and the top layer slid all over. It was simple to make.  I love simple! I made a knee length slit either side so I could walk. I didn’t bother hemming the bottom – it doesn’t fray and no one has noticed so far! Hemming it is at the very bottom of my to do list!! I plan to make all of the versions of this dress but need to get the pattern back of a friend. She now has 3 new dresses and also said it was easy peasy! I’ve only got one pic of me in …

easy outfit from only 1 metre of fabric

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Here’s one of the first things I made when I recently got back into sewing. I bought a metre of fabric from minervacrafts.com intending to use it to line a bag I was knitting. When the fabric arrived in the post it was much too nice to be hidden in a bag. I draped it all sorts of ways around me wondering how I could make this metre into a dress. It HAD to be a dress! Eventually I plucked up the courage the cut into it………not able to make a dress I opted for a long skirt and ‘boob tube’ style top…… My bust measurement is about 105cm so I only sewed a narrow side seam and adding the elastic to the top just helped hold it in place. I overlocked the top, and turned over the top just enough to fit the elastic. I did the same with the skirt. This had a little more ease and enabled me to be able to walk! On reflection tho’ I wish I’d have made a …