Most worn: Ginger Jeans

Given that my black Ginger Jeans are one of my favourite and most worn items, I gave the pattern a second go for a pair of spring/summer jeans. I'd say the results are mixed on these for a few reasons, and I actually made these last summer but haven't blogged about them because of that. However, I found a way around what I wasn't happy with and now I've ended up wearing them a lot since the spring.

Most worn: Sew Over It Penny dress

This year I've been trying to revisit patterns that I know I already get a lot of wear out of. The Penny Dress is definitely one of my summer favourites because I love the way it looks and it's lovely and cool to wear on hot days. It's also quite a nice little one to make because the bodice is much simpler than it looks.

Fabric

My last Penny was made from a rayon fabric and I think this works quite well with the pattern because it's light and drapey. It's comfortable to wear as well as taking the elasticated waist well and not adding too much bulk. This time I upgraded my rayon to an Atelier Brunette fabric. This is the Shine night viscose which I got from Lamazi Fabrics - it's usually £19 per metre but I bought mine in their Black Friday sale with an extra 20% off. It's worth the extra cost because the rayon is a very high quality and supersoft. It does crease very easily though.

In the fabric requirements it says you need 3.2 metres for a size 10, but I managed to get mine out of 2m with a lot of careful pattern placement. I would have liked to have added pockets but because I was being stingy with fabric I didn't have enough. (I may go back and add them in a different fabric at a later time if I find one that's a good match).

Pattern

This is my second time making the Penny dress; there's a link to my first post here, with lots of other details. I find the flat collar and elasticated waist makes for a simpler sew, and the sleeves are also really easy to make because they aren't a separate piece. They are all flattering features, as is some gentle 50s style gathering at the shoulders.

I have the original version of the pattern, and I think subsequent releases may have adjusted the length of the torso, but mine hasn't and it is something I need to alter. I added about 2cm to the bodice length which turned out to be a much better fit and is a lot more comfortable. (It's now available as a printed pattern which I much prefer to pdf).

Love it!!!!!

French Viscose Halterneck Dress

Confession...I actually made this last year and have only just now got around to blogging about it! After I wore it on holiday the weather has been so miserable I didn't even feel like photographing it. This is one of those dresses where you fall in love with a fabric online, and when it's delivered you love it even more. Unfortunately the pattern I used didn't hold up to the same standard of satisfaction. It was a nightmare to make and can be tricky to wear at times too. If I didn't love the fabric so much, it probably wouldn't be worn as often....

Breaking the Pattern Solina Dress

I have been screenshotting, saving and pinning images of dresses that look pretty much like this for ages. High necks, long sleeves and midi lengths all in glamorous floaty fabrics that come together to make an elegant dress that you can wear out  in all seasons. There certainly is a gap in my wardrobe for something like this. And then along came this book, so I knew what I had to make first out of it!

Boho Blush Shawl double feature

It's been a bit quiet over here on the blog - there has still been making but not much photography and writing! About this time last year I decided to learn to knit as well as sew, and I've been just as addicted to this as dressmaking. (If you are interested, the knitting label on the right will link you to my very first projects and how I got started with learning this new skill). I gave away my first shawl as a gift for my Nan, and found myself on holiday later in the year desperately wishing I had another (it was hot in the days but cold at night!). So whilst on holiday I spent my time looking at patterns and yarn. It just so happened the Andrea Mowry also had a sale on her patterns, so the Boho Blush shawl became top contender for my return from holiday project. I loved knitting it so much I made a second as another gift, this time for my Mum, which turned out even better!

Sew Over It Rosie Dress in Liberty lawn

This is a perfect summer dress pattern. It's one I've had in my stash for some time and I'm kicking myself that I haven't made it until now! The Rosie dress has a pleated and gathered skirt with a princess seamed bodice. You can choose from different necklines and straps, or to make the skirt on its own. I made mine in beautiful Liberty lawn and love it!

Fabric

I bought this Liberty cotton lawn from the Sewbox stall at the Knitting and Stitching show. They sell pre-cut packages at a good price - this was 2m for £26 (pretty much half price). I had intended this for another project, but it didn't have enough drape for that. It is perfect for this dress though as you need something with a bit of structure to hold the centre pleat. It's light and feels comfortable in the heat.
I managed to source a navy cotton lawn to line the bodice with - that is actually more difficult than you might think! The only one I could find that wasn't at full Liberty price was this one from FabricUK.

Pattern and Instructions

I bought the printed pattern in one of Sew Over It's sales and kept it for quite some time! I initially bought it because you can insert boning into the bodice which I found interesting. In my version I left off the boning in the end but the instructions are there, with handy illustrations too.
As per all Sew Over It printed patterns you get a package containing an instruction booklet and the pattern pieces printed on tissue paper. I normally sew a size 10 in their patterns, and this was no exception. There are a few different options that you can play with - I cut the sweetheart bodice and wider straps. You can also choose a straight bodice or vintage style 'collar' and narrower straps too. I find their instructions quite straightfoward and didn't have any problems in making. I would say though that I underestimated how long it would take to hand sew that hem....there's a whole lotta skirt there! I wouldn't machine it though as I think the hand stitch is better.

Alterations

I kept the length for a change! I had to take in the bodice side seams a little at the top as they were winging out - there could have been some stretching as I was making because I didn't stay stitch the bodice pieces (that's not in the instructions either though). The waist has a little more ease than I usually wear, but I didn't want it too tight for a summer dress.

This is an intermediate pattern, but I found it really enjoyable to take time over these details, using the tips that I gained from the Couture Techniques Craftsy class I had taken. This is easily a pattern that you could use for a wedding guest dress; it's a perfect summer dress.

Personally, I find the way that the pleats are arranged at the front, along with the gathered back skirt, makes for a very flattering silhouette. The pattern also includes a variation just of this skirt which I am seriously considering in a crepe fabric once I have figured out what I can wear on the top half to match...suggestions welcome!