September 21, 2011 by ginghamgirl
This dress a) doesn’t need nimble fingers to do up all 8 teeny tiny buttons which of course require ninja moves to reach my hands to and b) has pockets. Viva la wrap dress!
I made this using another pattern from Colette Pattern, the Crepe, a wrap dress that I made up using some synthetic/polyester/artificial/alien material that was my Nan’s. My father kindly remarked that I look like an advertisement for the Olympics. If this confuses you, you’re not alone.
This was the first time I’ve used this pattern, and it was more of wearable muslin than anything else. First thing I noticed was that is uses A LOT OF FABRIC. Luckily my Nan always over bought fabric so there was enough to make it, plus I rewarded myself for stash busting with a plate of cookies. Mmm. Next time I think I’d make it a smidge tighter, lower neckline, shorter and a tad cut out from the back pieces to make it lower there too. Oh dear- COVER UP WOMAN.
It was fun making a dress without any notions or closures (and less swearing at the sewing machine when I run out of thread halfway through making my last buttonhole), and I could see myself making up many a Crepe come summer. Maybe I could try for an Olympic Torch dress.
Have a good day. Bry xo
Category Dresses, Sewing | Tags: Colette Patterns,dress,Sewing,stash busting | 1 Comment
September 15, 2011 by ginghamgirl
Dresses in my wardrobe everywhere and not a separate to see.
I love dresses, I really do. But sometimes I want more. I demand MOARR. More chocolate (another family block please), more rings (every finger deserves a lil something something), MORE pretty clothes to stroke and coo at and call pet names. Ahem.
This skirt was made on a particularly boring Friday night. I had actually done all my assignments, New Zealand’s Next Top Model had finished and it was raining outside, leaving me trapped inside lest my frizzy hair be touched with rain.
It’s a self-drafted half-circle skirt and my favourite type of waistband- one where it dips in at the middle. I have convinced myself it gives the illusion of me being smaller than I am. I’m not sure if it works or not but I am happy with the delusion. I had been itching to add a placket with buttons and trims for yonks and yonks and with such a simple skirt it seemed like the perfect time.
This skirt was super quick to make, the buttons, trim and zip were from my stash and the black cotton was leftover from a dress I made (and are still yet to take photos off oops). So this project was free. Yippee.
I accidently made this a smidge too small and short (the perils of stash busting with limited fabric) but I have decided with tights I can kinda get away with it. Kinda <.<. I should probably avoid windy drafts or bending over ever though. Unless that’s the way I roll ; ). Excuse the awkward poses. I was sucking my tummy in and it did something to my face. I’m a model daaaarrrling.
This top was my Nan’s when she was younger and I utterly adore it. Embroidered crop top? Oh my!
Thanks for reading, Bry xo
Category Crafts, Sewing | Tags: Sewing,skirt,stash busting | 2 Comments
September 5, 2011 by ginghamgirl
Ah life. Or something like it. Always interrupting me when I have plans to sew. Or when I actually do manage to finish something, disturbing me before I get time to take photos. So, because of life I have many, many things that have been left unfinished (ahh hemming, my old enemy) or not captured on camera (ahem boyfriend, it is very hard for me to try and take photos of myself. The self timer beat me. The self timer ALWAYS WINS), or not blogged (because sadly I do actually have to hand up assignments in order to get a degree).
This dress was made as part of The Sew Weekly challenge a few (?) weeks ago, ‘Peer Reviewed’ where you take a look from someone else and reinterpret it for yourself. This idea suits me perfectly. I often drag photos from each week’s challenge to my desktop for inspiration so I thought this would be a good opportunity to actually use them. I, of course, forgot my tendency to make things too small for me and set about trying to interpret Sarah’s Colette Parfait jumper from the ‘Kidding Around’ challenge. I somehow missed the point about it having shorts and merrily set about hacking into this blue linen I found in my stash, which I’m fairly sure was a tablecloth in a former life.
It’s my fault really, I should have taken my time instead of ploughing through to make time for the assignments I have due for uni (which *maybe * should have the priority over sewing…). So a quick whirl of my machine on a rainy Friday night later (missing out on watching True Blood in the lounge with my Boyfriend for the pleasure I might add) and BAM fitting issues. BAM unmatched lines. BAM crazy pockets. I’m not even going to show you what I look like in it. I look that strange. I should have made a muslin, I was going to, but I silenced the voices in my head with the promise of more time to eat chocolate and appreciate Bill Compton’s furrowed brow- uh I mean admire Sookie’s pretty dresses.
Like Sarah I used a metal zipper. Unlike Sarah I made a potentially unwearable dress. Very annoying as I actually quite like some of the details, like little bows on the pockets and straps (instead of buttons). This fabric is really light too and would have been perfect for summer. Gah. Must. Not. Focus. On. The. Disappointment.
I could see myself trying again with this pattern; I think the fault lies purely with myself. I, as per usual, went wackity wack with my scissors and rRRrrr rRRrr with my sewing machine without really thinking and as a result the dress is not entirely what I wanted. But that’s what sister’s are for, my eldest sister adores everything I make so I shall gift this on her, and in return earn brownie points which I can cash in to borrow her things 
Have a good day ☺ Bry xo
Category Dresses, Sewing | Tags: dress,Sewing,The sew weekly | 1 Comment
