1 pattern, 3 dresses

After years of collecting, I have stacks of old patterns, ranging from the 1930's to the late 80's. But there are certain patterns I always gravitate back to, either because they are a joy to make, or they fit me really well. The pattern below is one of these:



Simplicity pattern 6555, circa 1966

I've made the shorter version twice without havibg to make any changes - it fits beautifully! I also love the unusual daigonal seams at the front:

Diagonal seams detail

 And here I am with the 2 versions - on the mannequin is a Halloween Alexander Henry fabric I bought while on holiday in San Francisco, and I'm wearing a black brocade purchased locally. Don't they look different?!

The same dress, 2 different fabrics

Next up - leopard! I've always loved it, and it seems to be in fashion at the moment, so it seems my timing is right. I picked up a couple of metres of this lovely stuff the other day from my favourite 50p stall; total cost £3.00. Bargain!



Detail of leopard fabric



Check back to see my progress!

Fabulous Finds!

I love finding cool stuff in the street! For some unknown reason, this mannequin was left on my street with a bunch of other rubbish. I had a quick look at it, seemed like it was in good shape, so I took it home. There were even some pins and a needle stuck into it, so whoever threw it out must have been using it for home dressmaking. Well, I'm more than happy to give it a good home!

My new dress form

It's not my size, but when I get time, I might pad it out in the bust, waist, and hips so that it reflects my size. I remember my sewing teacher at school telling us how Hardy Amies had permanently padded dress forms  in the sizes of all his regular clients, eg The Queen, stored away. If it's good enough for Liz, it's good enough for me.

Sober work skirt, with a surprise! - Part 2

After much slaving over a hot sewing machine, here is the finished product -

'Miss Needles, take a letter'

So let me take you through the rest of the process......

September 2nd -

I finished the seams, ironed them all in place

September 3rd -

I sew the zip in by hand. I chose a nifty red, to add a flash of colour and to match my shiny red lining. I also completed the pockets, which look great!

I cut out the lining and sew the seams. Here's a picture of me ironing it all, looking my least glamourous with pincurls and no make-up!

September 4th -

I sew the pockets onto the skirt and place some vintage buttons I found in a junk shop on to the flaps -

e

Pocket placed on skirt

Next, the lining is placed inside and sewn over the zip. I sew the waistband together, then pin it to the skirt and sew it in place.

September 6th -

I try on the skirt - lookin' good! I have a special facing for the hem, which I pin in place and then sew. 

September 10th - 

Spend what seems like hours sewing the hem in place. I quickly sew the lining hem, and then the final touch - 2 hooks on the waistband.

So, here's the surprise - 

Remember the Union Jack fabric you saw in part 1? Well, this is what I did with it! As I said, I have to be all sober and grown up for work, but it gives me a little kick to know I've got all sorts of colour and what-not going on underneath. I also lined the pockets with it.

Hem detail - close up

I wore the skirt for the first time today, and had several comments on it, even more when they saw the hem!

Sober work skirt, with a surprise! - Part 1

August 15th -
I work in a fancy-schmancy department store, where we all have to wear black. It's not so bad, but can get a bit boring. I'm tired of some of my work clothes, and decide I need a new skirt.

I've got some fabric lying around which I bought on a whim from a local  market stall for the bargain price of £3. (This stall is brilliant - most of the stuff starts at 50p)

50p stall, Ridley Rd Market, London

Next, I have to decide what to make. I have enough fabric to make something full, maybe with pockets, which is always useful for work. I've often seen pictures of skirts from the 1950's and 60's where the pockets stand away from thr skirt, and manage to dig out a pattern from my collection which does this:

Skirt with stand-away pockets

Next, I compare the measurements of the skirt to what I want. I think the pattern dates from the mid to late 1950's, when skirts were often worn much longer, around mid-calf. I don't really want it that long, and I don't have enough fabric, so I fold the pattern to a reasonable length, pin it to the fabric, and cut it out:

Pattern pieces after cutting out

The Union Jack fabric is going to be the surprise - all will be revealed later......

August 31 -

Start pinning everything together.

September 1 -

Go get some red lining and a zip from my old favourite, Dalston Mill fabrics, on Ridley Rd Market

Quick studded hairband

I was out the other night, having a few drinks, watching some bands, and noticed a great studded hairband on a girl with green crimped hair. I couldn't stop thinking about it! So the next time I had a day off, I set about making one.

First, I went to my local branch of Peacocks http://www.peacocks.co.uk/category/index.jsp?categoryId=3889079 to buy a cheapo plain black head band for £3. It had a flower and some diamante attached, which I cut off. The diamante weren't too bad, so I decided to save them and incorporate them into the design.

Next, I dug out an old studded belt that was too big for me. Cost - £0, as my husband found it in the street! Started attacking it with pliers, and got loads of studs off, as well as ruining my nails!

Old studded belt with studs removed

Then I got some scraps of black fabric, and started arranging the studs and diamantes in a strip, matching it to the headband as I went along. The design seemed a bit sparse - I wanted it full! - so I pulled some studs off of an old worn out t-shirt I was hanging on to. Added these to the design, and started turning the prongs under and sewing the diamntes in place.

The whole design needed something to give it some body/support, so I went on the hunt for some cardboard to glue to the back; I think I finally used a takeaway menu from the recycling! This was glued to the underside of the headband, then the studded strip was placed on top, and the fabric folded around and under and hand stitched in place.

Finally, the underside was tidied up with a black ribbon stitched along the centre. And here it is:

Headband close up