Simplicity 8130

Long time readers of this blog will remember how much sewing I used to do for my girl. Pretty much everything she wore was made by me! But as the years went on she eschewed my sewing efforts, and was content in RTW tees and denim shorts.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was when she requested I sew her a top. No matter that it had to be exactly the same as the one on the pattern envelope - I was in!

Thankfully, she LOVES it! She even gave me a 2pm deadline to get it finished today, so she could wear it to see her friend whilst they did their government allowed 2 hour walk, but such was my joy at actually getting to sew for her that I didn't mind in the least!

This was a quick and easy make - I especially enjoyed putting the bias edging onto the band section. I'd never done bias edging like that before, but it was super easy. Now I just want to edge EVERYTHING!

I left the boning out of the lining, as she wants to wear this to school, and the boning wouldn't have been very comfortable. And I'm not risking sewing her anything that might be deemed uncomfy - she might never ask for anything else again!

Project Details:

Pattern - Simplicity 8130, view A

Fabric - Cotton gingham fabric and plain black cotton fabric from The Cloth Shop

Notions -  5 buttons

McCalls 7752 Green Dress

2020 has been one heck of a crazy year, but at least it has delivered on the green dress front!

I made this sweet baby using McCalls 7752 bodice, then attached a circle skirt. I am so loving this bodice - it fits like a dream, and is so versatile. Bookmark it kids, because you'll be seeing it over and over again!

The fabric is a thick cotton jacquard I picked up from The Fabric Store ages ago. I had no plans for it when I purchased it, but experience has taught me that when you see the perfect green fabric, you grab it with both hands and swing your handbag wildly about to make sure no other fabric customer can steal it from you. Joking...maybe 😛

The bodice is interfaced, lined and boned on the side seams. I love the structure of a well fitted bodice, and think it really is worth the extra work. 

Full skirt made for twirling... I'm a satisfied green dress customer!

Project Details

Pattern - McCalls 7752 bodice, self drafted circle skirt

Fabric - 2m cotton jacquard from The Fabric Store

Notions - 40cm invisible zipper, boning, interfacing

The crazy sequin lockdown dress

I think I have corona-fever. Not the actual corona virus itself - thank goodness for that - but a weird form of cabinesque fever, induced by corona enforced restrictions, curfews and general worries and malaise. Because that is the only reason why I can fathom that my addled brain thought it would be a genius idea to make a crazy sequinned dress in the middle of a frigging global pandemic!

To be sure, opportunities to wear this piece of sequinned goodness are few and far between at this point in history. But who cares - making it cheered me up no end, and since all the fabric was already in my stash it was economical to boot! And when we are all working on reduced incomes, I'll take all the penny saving sewing I can get!

I made this using McCalls 7752 for the bodice, and my trusty old Vogue 8184 for the skirt. I am so happy with how this turned out - the fit on the bodice is perfect, and the straight skirt is perfect for showing off these long sequins! 

The sequinned skirt has a skirt lining underneath it. To sew the sequin fabric, I unpicked any sequins that lay in my seam allowance. Yes, it was a laborious job, but worth it to get nice flat seams, and ensuring the sequins next to the seam lay flat. If the sequins had have been shorter, I may have considered just running over them with my machine, but they are really quite long so I decided to Do Things Properly! The sequinned fabric is from Mood Fabrics - I had a bit of a splurge with my birthday money, and treated myself! I'm so glad I did... these are the most glamorous sequins I have ever seen, and in the perfect shade of green to boot! Long time readers will know how much I love my green. Seriously, there was never any chance of me resisting these!

I finished the dress off with a grosgrain ribbon - it adds a nice touch, and hides the weird gap between the backing tulle of the sequins and the bodice. The bodice was fully interfaced with Whisperweft, and is boned on the sides - I love boning my bodices now! It takes a wee bit more effort, but bodices look sooooo much better with that structure hidden inside. 

So I think this is my new favourite dress... I have plans for a few more in a similar vein!

Project Details:

Pattern: Bodice was McCalls 7752, and skirt was Vogue 8184

Fabric: Emerald green sequins from Mood Fabrics, textured viscose for bodice from Draper's Fabrics

Notions: 35cm invisible zipper, Whisperweft interfacing, boning