Centaurée dress - Deer and Doe

Did everyone enjoy the gorgeous weather at the weekend?

After completing some driving duties on Saturday and expecting to be working on the Sunday too, the boss said that due to the work being carried out on the Sunday (involving CS gas!) if I don't want to come in I don't have to. How on earth could I pass that opportunity up? Usually when it's a weekend in, you have to be in for the full weekend. Lucky me!

So, I knew this was a perfect opportunity to finish off my newest dress. Literally the minute Deer and Doe advertised their new dress I was in there buying it. Looking at the pictures and the description I thought that this could be quite an interesting challenge, after all, how many bodice patterns are constructed with what appears to be triangles?

But, despite my preconceptions, it was actually quite easy to construct. Easier than princess seams, that was for sure, there was no easing required, so it came together really quickly.

I would say, however, that I'm not completely happy with the fit of the bodice. But, this is not a maternity pattern, and so I had decided to go up a couple of sizes in order to accommodate my 'in between' bump. I'm not small enough to fit into most of my regular clothes any more (especially not jeans). However, I'm a little on the small side for maternity clothes. 

  

You can just about see my bump here! I've actually got a few pairs of maternity jeans, because it's just not practical to wear dresses all of the time, the 'under the bump' pair are a lot more snug than the 'over the bump' pair, but I'm finding that the over the bump style is a lot more comfortable even if I spend half of my time hoicking them up!

You can see here I have a little extra under the bust, with the creases. These pictures were taken this morning and I do find that first thing on a morning I'm at my smallest, so towards the end of the day the dress actually looks as if it fits a little better.

I don't know if you noticed, but I used shop bought bias binding. I kinda regret this now. I think I went for larger than I should have and so the straps don't sit right at the front. So, instead of letting them sit straight up, (which made them look a bit odd) I decided to allow them to cross, which allowed them to sit flat. Next time I make this dress I will be making my own bias tape from the instructions!

All in all, I'm really pleased with how this dress has turned out. Even though the fit is a little loose and the bias tape isn't quite the right size. As I grow, I think it will fit a little better and I'm hoping I can wear it for most of the summer. I will definitely be making it again, but I think I'll wait until next summer!

Jeans re-fashion and a Stripey dress

Good Morning! Posts are getting few and far between, some days I feel like I've lost my sewing mojo and others I realise that I am just to tired to get in to it. But, over the weekend I think I've managed to get it back and I managed to finish off 4 cushion covers, re-fashion a pair of jeans, hem a dress that's been in the making for some time and fully complete my first Maternity dress - yes the reason I've been so exhausted!

I started this dress prior to finding out about my pregnancy and before my waist had started to expand. I should have seen it coming, I'd made a couple peplum tops, one out of my favourite vogue pattern and the finished product felt just a little too snug. I thought it was due to the stiff fabric. Then I started to make this dress using the bodice from Vogue 8815, which from the previous result I decided to make the seam allowances a little smaller and reduced to 10mm. It still didn't feel right and I looked rather dumpy in it. In hindsight I would have thrown it in the UFO box to complete at a later date! I still need to complete the lining, but I'm not really all that interested in it now I can't wear it!!

Look at that, I even under-stitched the arm holes, you have no idea how proud I was of those! I will put the dress away and return to it next year, with the intention of wearing it next summer.

I also had a go at re-fashioning an old pair of Etam jeans. I'd previously seen a post from Andrea where she'd re-fashioned jeans from being boot cut to skinny. I've been itching to try this on these jeans for some time now and seeing as I also wanted to turn them in to maternity jeans I thought I might as well give it a go.

I was really pleased with the boot cut to skinny adaptation, however, I do not like the little triangles of jersey I inserted at the side seams to adapt them for use in maternity. I think I went a little too far down the leg, so unless I wear long tops they are a little too obvious. I'm also not quite big enough for them so a belt would be required. I think I'll have to go back to my sewing desk with these and have a re-think!

I've also completed a maternity dress, but I want to model that one so watch this space...

The Elisalex project

It has been an eventful and busy week since I last posted. We now have a beautiful baby niece so we popped round to see the happy couple and our teeny tiny little Ivy. She's just amazing! Then we spent the weekend trying to complete the kitchen, but actually spent more time talking about it and buying the materials than actually finishing it. But it looks somewhere on the way now....

So, I haven't had much time for sewing and the time that I had, I spent making Elisalex muslins. Because everyone loves a frustrating project that never seems to want to fit! No, of course they don't. I almost gave up. In the end I managed to get there and now I'm so pleased. 

This is my happy face!

The first muslin that I made I cut a straight 10. This was a terrible fit, even worse than the cheapest RTW dress that I own. It was super tight around the waist and super baggy everywhere else. The neckline gaped, the back gaped and the bust was a little baggy. This is so odd because I've only just slimmed down to a size 10 and I even put on 5 pounds over Christmas that I'm very slowly shifting. So I pinned it up and re-drafted the bodice pieces. From my new measurements I graded it from a size 8 in the shoulders to a 10 in the bust and a 12 at the waist. I created another Muslin. This attempt was much better, but it still didn't fit well. I had to take more from the shoulders, which I just removed from the front and back center pattern pieces. I also had to remove a little off the shoulder pieces as there was way too much ease, giving me loads of crumply fabric around my armpits, but at the same time I had to add to the rest of the sleeves as they were so tight around my arms that it was pulling at the top of the bodice.

Fed up with all of the adjustments I decided to go ahead and cut my fabric. I knew what adjustments were needed and was pretty certain that this would achieve the required fit. 

This fabric I've had in my stash for at least 6 months. It's part of Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow collection. I love it so much that I didn't want to use it! Unfortunately the pictures don't do it justice, I think this possibly might have something to do with the Burgers that I grilled last night, they left a sort of haze through the kitchen and sitting room and I think that's why we couldn't get any decent pictures of the fabric. I could have sacked it off and done it today, but I wore the dress yesterday and there's nothing like seeing a dress on an actual person.

As you can see, I didn't go with the original skirt in the pattern. The fabric just wouldn't have been stiff enough. So, instead, I opted for a skirt that I've already used from New Look Pattern 6824. The pattern calls for pleats, but I decided to go with gathers and I think it works quite well. I do like big skirts, I was considering using the skirt pattern from Butterick 9269, but I wanted an every day dress and I feel like the bigger the skirt the more of a special occasion it should be worn at. Plus they carry so much more bulk round the waist that I feel it necessary to wear a belt over it and I don't want to have to. Sometimes it's nice to be free of belts!

I'm very pleased now with the fit, and despite having to re-draft the bodice, I will definitely be making this dress again. 

Silly selfie time!