The Lisette Passport Dress

I've been itching to make the Lisette Passport Dress ever since the finish of the Continental Sew-Along.

I just so happened to take a trip to Spotty on Friday and found the Lisette Cotton Sateen on the clearance table for $5 per metre (must have been divine intervention).

The Passport is a bit more tricky, as it has a side zipper, and front and back darts and pleats.

I decided upon the Size 16 (as that's the size I should have cut for the Continental) and cut out all of my fabric Friday night.

I've never made a dress with darts before, so I must admit that I was ever so slightly confused!

Thankfully, I remembered to try the bodice and the skirt on, separately, before I attached them together, or finished any of the side seams with the overlocker.

Turns out that the size 16 was too small...

I had to reduce the side seams to 1/4 inch, and completely remove the rear bodice darts, and the rear skirt pleats to make it fit.

But, thankfully after lots of stops and starts, I actually managed to finish it.

Here's a closer look at the finished front darts and front pleats. I'm not quite sure that I finished the darts properly as per the instructions. I'd show the back darts and pleats but there aren't any!

Oh, and of course I had to add the obligatory pocket on the opposite side to the zipper!

It's freezing today but I teamed it with my Flox tights and a cardi and wore it to work (I did actually have shoes on too).

I'll definitely make this dress again, but next time, I'll re-draft the bodice to combine the 16 (at the top) and the 18 (at the bottom), with a size 18 skirt, and reduce the size of the armholes underneath the arm as they're a bit gapey.

I think I only ended up using 1.5 metres of fabric so it's not a bad investment!

Channelling Ita

I picked up my gorgeous new Polly Pratt Shift Dress from Gleaners Inc on Thursday.

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I feel like I should be on the set of Paper Giants.

 

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Or, joining these 60's hipsters...

The Dress

I'm always lamenting that fact that I don't make enough things just for me, so I'm making a more concerted effort at the moment.

I'm taking my inspiration from Michelle at Buttontree Lane and her participation in Self Stitched September. 

I can't quite imagine having enough me made clothes in my wardrobe to be able to put together an outfit every day for a month but.... that's my aim!

It all began with this vintage pattern from the oppy. Back in the olden days it seems that some patterns were not sold with size variations, and sizing was a bit different to what we consider standard now.

I assumed (quite wrongly) that size large would be perfect.

After sewing the basic seams (and before overlocking), I tried it on and it looked more like a sack.... with arm wings large enough that a gust of wind might have been able to carry me away. So that's when I ditched the pattern and just started freestyle sewing, beginning with the side seams.

I made the arm wings smaller, and then slightly gathered them and finished them with binding.

I added top stitching to the side pockets so that they would sit neatly....

.... and instead of the large wide belt, I made a skinnier tie up belt and added belt loops so that it would sit nicely around my waist.

I'm quite happy with how it turned out. Next time, I might try something more complicated.... and perhaps without wings?

I'm Ready...

I spent lastnight sitting on the couch creating this lovely weddingy (not sure if that's actually a word) wire and plastic bead tiara...

Now I'm all frocked up in my op-shopped dress, and ready to go.

Just where did I leave my invitation?

Frifty Friday

I hadn't been op shopping for the longest time.... it literally must have been months, so I was very excited to get out and about for a little oppy tour on Tuesday.

It seemed that everyone else had the exact same idea. The local oppies were bustling and there were line-ups at the counter each time (unheard of).

In my 'burb, we have Vinnies, the Salvos, and The Lighthouse in quite close vicinity to each other, so it was quite amusing to go from shop to shop and see the same faces. All the customers were following along and checking out all three shops.

Of course, the problem with the op shops being so busy, is that bargains were very few, and treasures were not be found.

But, I did pick up this dress for $7.50, and that was enough to make me smile!

Pretty Pinnies

It was such a beautiful day yesterday. The sun was streaming in through the windows in my craft space, so with no other plans for the day, I decided to hit the sewing machine.

When Gypsy came along to the NCB this week, I promised that I would help out with her request for pinafores to be donated to the Dago Dela Hera Orphanage in Kenya.

I had a pattern in the stash that I'd picked up for $1 at the oppy yonks ago - it's a McCalls 7783.  The request from Gypsy was to make the pinnies reversible, so that each one is actually two dresses in one.
I cut out two sets of fronts and backs from the pattern, and then ditched the rest of the pieces and instructions while I worked out how to make it reversible instead.

I found that the easiest way to make it reversible was to sew up the side and shoulder seams of both the dresses, and then iron the seams flat on each. I then placed one dress inside the other (with wrong sides facing together), and stitched in the ditch along both side seams to attach the dresses together.

To finish off the seams, I first stay-stitched all the way around to join both, and then bound the neck opening, arm holes and bottom of the dress.

I was rushing at the end, so the arm hole binding needs a bit of unpicking and extra work still.....

There's still time to help out - just get in contact with Gypsy, or bring along your contribution to the next Northern Craft Bonanza to pass on. If you can't make a pinny, they're also taking donations of simple elastic wasited shorts for little boys.

Banishing Boring Beige

The BEFORE photo - as in before dyeing, and before I could find the matching belt

I've been following along and watching all of Jess's bear dyeing adventures lately, and it suddenly reminded me that I had my own little dyeing project hanging around in my wardrobe, just waiting for some inspiration to hit.

It's been yonks and years since I've tried it. In fact the last thing that I dyed, was a rather unfortunate pair of high waisted jeans while I was as Uni.  Does anyone else remember when coloured denim was cool...ahem? Those jeans met an unfortunate end after my foot was run over by a taxi outside a nightclub (but that's a story for another day)...where was I?

Oh yes the beige dress!

I picked this lovely dress up at a factory outlet on Smith St many moons ago. At the time, I didn't bother to try it on, I just took it home.
It wasn't until I saw this photo of me wearing it a BBQ in 2007, that I realised that beige is a very very very very bad colour against my pasty white skin tone.

The poor dress was banished to the back of the wardrobe, never to see the light of day again.... until 2010.

Jess emailed me through all of her pot dyeing on the stove top secrets (I really didn't want to ruin my nice white and shiny front loader), but I still chickened out and asked Bec if she would help me out for the first go.

My original intention was to go to with a nice dark browny grey colour, but when I got to Becs house, she had a huge selection of dyes to choose from, and I just couldn't go past the ruby red!

The slip that is worn under the dress took the dye really well and is a nice bright red....

The dress is a blend of cotton and synthetics, and I love how the dye has actually given the stripes a much greater effect in the way that the dye has taken to the fabric.

I had to include an action shot of Bec doing all the hard work while I sat at the kitchen bench drinking coffee and snapping photos...hee hee

I think I'm going to have to wear my newly dyed dress today (over a pair of pants - its only going to be 23 degrees).

Thanks Jess and Bec for all your help!

Trial and Error

With the forecast of all of this hot weather, I decided that I needed to make myself a new summer dress to swelter in.

Of course, I don't actually own any dress patterns, and I don't have any learned dressmaking skills, so instead I just used the trial and error method. (BTW - I wouldn't actually recommend this method, but I like to just free form sew).

Step 1 - Draw a picture
Step 2 - Grab the tape measure and take a couple of random measurements
Step 3 - Cut fabric
Step 4 - Sew

It's not too bad for a first trial, although it does look more like a nightie than a dress. It's too tight under the armholes, a bit too short, and too low at the back, and I wouldn't actually wear it outside of my house, but other than its fine...ha!  I figure that this is all part of the learning process when it comes to making clothes.

I took the photo before I hemmed it!


It can only be onward and upward from here......