The Dressmakers Ball - the low down!

Have I mentioned I had a fantastic night at the Dressmakers Ball, I'm sure I haven't talked about it too much!

So let's start with my outfit, I desperately wanted to make my own version of Meryl Streeps Oscars outfit. I loved the class of trousers with a big fabulous skirt, which made a feminine and practical outfit!

So I set about a re-make.

I made my trousers and my top with lovely yellow scuba I fell upon on eBay and they happen to match my skirt flowers. My skirts scuba again was from Minerva, which when they arrived were a perfect match!

I've never made trousers! So I bought the Sew Over it London Ultimate Trousers. These trousers didn't say I could make it from scuba so I guessed and winged it! It worked out well but because of the ease they were a tad huge! So I took in the back darts in order to stop them falling down.

I made the Bardot Top using fabric godmothers tutorial that I discovered whilst doing my jeanius upcycling last year. It's essentially two rectangles carefully sewn together so they make a lovely folded over top. In the tutorial it says to add elastic which I haven't done as I used scuba and the stretch was enough in it.

My skirt is a 3/4 circle skirt which I finally worked out the maths on! If you are interested to make the waist radius = 1.3 * (waist measurement-2) then all of that divided by 2π. I cut a half circle and a quarter which meant it all fit on 2m of fabric. I then cut a sweeping curve out the front allowing people to see the trousers I'd so lovingly made underneath!

I went to my lovely sisters and she did my hair and make up for me, because she's wonderful but forgot to tell her my quick time frame so was late to pick up the Jenny from Jennystitched. We scooted off to Leicester at a rate of knots and met Megan from pigeonwishes at Jenny's hotel. After a quick turn around and get changed we jumped in the car to avoid the rain. But we got lost and couldn't find the venue so we abandoned the car and followed our phones to the venue!

At this point I was utterly starstruck. It was so amazing to meet all the fantastic Sewing community that I have come to know and love on Instagram. We had a lovely dinner then there was the catwalk of all of our outfits. I had to very careful not to spill my dinner down myself!! The dresses were absolutely incredible. I decided to enter in the beginner category as I've been sewing less than 3 years. The lady that won my category had only been Sewing since September and her dress was amazing! I was really pleased to get a special mention in this category too so the judges obviously loved my outfit.

 

Once we had catwalked the experienced category went next. These dresses were inspirational! Everyone fantastic and something to aspire to.

Then we had cake. Told you it was a good evening! It got even better when Gabby Young and other animals started playing and I had a perfectly swirly dress to dance with. Special mention to Gemma from agirlsewgeeky for fangirling with me whilst everyone danced!

We got lovely goodie bags too! What a night. It was so lovely to meet everyone and I can't wait for the next meet up.

Me Made May the first half!

Well Me Made May is off to a great start! I'm over half way through with only one day off, but that's because I was poorly and stayed at home all day. Not bad going, I didn't realize I had made myself so much to be perfectly honest.

Day 1 I wore my super twirly circle skirt made with my amazing teapot fabric. I bought this fabric quite early on in my sewing 'career' from fabric land and was too scared to cut it for a long time as I loved it so much! I finally did and did my maths wrong so it's a bit big but still wearable, though the pockets are very low down!


Day 2 is my walkaway dress which I have blogged about before here I made this from a double duvet from Dunelm on sale so I think I did pretty well. Again this was before I really knew what I was doing so it is a little thin, and I didn't finish the edges properly so it is starting to fray, but boy do I know about these things now!



Day 3 is my beloved Tilly and the buttons Bettine dress blogged about here this is the only dress I have since made multiples of, some for friends and some for myself and the first pattern I have used to make something from jersey. I really recomment this pattern for beginners as it really is very easy and the fit is simple to apply to yourself.

Day 4 is my Winslow Culottes blogged about here These were my first time using crepe AND my first time making trousers/making a gusset! I love swishing around in these and cant resist showing everyone they are culottes hence the ridiculous picture!



Day 5 is my first Moneta dress that I made for the Moneta Party and blogged about here. I'm also wearing my By hand London Victoria Blazer that I hacked and made from jersey so it's super comfy and I wear it so often with jeans or for work. I don't think I've blogged out the jacket though as to be honest it's not my best work, and this picture is far away! ;)



Day 6 I had a guiding even I was running so I had to wear uniform but I took with my my camp blanket which i have blogged about here but have since added a shed load more badges on. If you are interested check out my Instagram for a video of the whole blanket.

Day 7 I glammed it up a bit as I was going out for sunday lunch. I wore my Simplicity 8065 blogged about here This is another duvet cover dress because really who can afford all that fabric! and is great for dressing up with my petticoat under or not for a sunday lunch.

Day 8 saw me in my new Studio TKB Fallon top blogged about here with my normal work trousers. I love this top as it's nice and floaty and the shape is really flattering, as you can see though it was a bit windy that day!



Day 9 I waorked from home with a serious case of the lurgy, caught from my husbands man flu, so I didn't really get dressed so definitely no pictures for you today!

Day 10 was the Butterick B6318 which I blogged about here This dress had never made it out in the wild as the bat wing arms and big boobs meant I couldn't lift my arms very much but I thought I'd give it a try. I think MMM has been great for this as now I know I don't want to wear it again and it was so uncomfy so I'm going to make it into something else. This was a Design Team project for Sew Crafty and I learnt loads in the process but sadly it's not for me.
Day 11 a new circle skirt, which I still got the maths wrong on, made with a remnant of chiffony type fabric from peterborough market. It looks great as I walk around as it floats nicely but I think the waist is a bit big as it lays too low on my hips.

Day 12 THE DRESSMAKERS BALL! I'm going to do a separate post for this but needless to say, it was fabulous I felt fabulous, everyone was fabulous. Just wow.


Day 13 was definitely a slouchy day as I had been rushing around so much on the Friday and didn't get home from the ball until around 130 am. I wore a RTW dress from dotty p's and a Cardi my grandma made me. I love snuggling in my Grandma made cardis! Ok so technically I didn't make it but someone in my family did so i'm claiming it!

Day 14 I went to the Handmade fair at ragley hall. I'm going to do another post about that too, but I made a new Moneta dress for the occasion. This is made from the fabric I got on the St.Ives bank holiday market I got 3m for a fiver and I only used just over 1m for this dress (with careful placement and and clever back seams) I'm getting a wizz at the twin need now thanks to the Moneta party, and I put box pleats in the front of this, mostly cos I ran out of elastic, but I think I prefer the shape on me.

So two whole weeks down! another 2 and a bit to go but I'm having lots of fun and getting SOO much inspiration from everyone's makes! Keep it up everyone well done!