It's a bugs life...

I found this beautiful bugs fabric on ebay whilst hunting for something else and I knew immediately it would be perfect for my friend at works daughter, who is bugs mad!

I bought and let her parent chose which pattern I used from few free ones on Pintrest. The pattern they chose is the one in the picture to the left, if you click on the picture it will take you to the sewyourtv.com website too which the pattern and instructions if you want to make it yourself, please take what i'm about to say into consideration if you do want to.

This dress is not really for beginners, the concept would be great for beginners but the pattern is just pure awful. For example the front pattern peice is about 7 cm's longer than any of the other prices for no reason that I can tell, as I ended up slicing the excess off. Also there is no pattern piece for the bodice lining so I hacked it using the front and back pieces put together overlapping enough for seam allowances. I used bias binding around the arm holes as there was no was I could get the bodice lining to turn right way out once I has sewn this. I also didn't use the pattern piece for the skirt as the pieces didn't seem to fit together right, so I just used a straight rectangle and used my new gathering foot to make the ruffles. (ps gathering foots! genius!)
Once I had gifted this dress also, she couldn't get it over her head! Now, not having a 3 year old of my own and never having owned one I wasn't really sure how big her head was going to be, but I remember looking and thinking wow kids have small heads! Apparently not that small! So I have now had to slice down the back and create a button panel so she could wear it!

Anyway enough about the failures of this dress I does look super cute! The frills on the sleeves are a great stash buster, do you remember the turquoise from my simplicity dress and my Victoria jacket toil? I tried to french seam all the bits that had to be inside and I have done the skirt seam on the outside so it didn't irritate her, and the sash covers it nicely.

I'm going to retrace my pattern pieces into what needs to be used next time so that I can make another because once it's finished it is lovely, it's just a lot of brain work to get to that point.

Simplicity 8065 another duvet cover dress!

 

I love a good 50's style dress. The tea dress style really suits my shape as it flares out at my waistline and hiding any lumps and bumps.

When I saw this pattern on the simplicity instagram I had to try it! It uses so much fabric though so I had to did out the other duvet cover I  bought from dunelm on the sale. It was a perfect colour for the summer wedding I was making this for.

The pattern was easy again because it is a wrap around dress. It is a full circle skirt so I didn't have enough table to cut it out so I had to cut it out the floor and so the dogs were desperate to help me... they aren't very good at helping!

Once I managed to cut it all out sewing it together was so quick! I was being a bit optimistic starting only the week before the wedding but I managed to finish it!

I got my beautiful flowery bias binding out again and it goes all the way around the back and the neck giving it a lovely finish. The back is a lovely crossover which is very low so I needed to get some kind of bra that wasn't so revealing.


Once I was wearing the dress it kept popping un done when I sat down. This is not ideal as its a wrap over I exposed my bum! I think I will upgrade the poppers I used to some cam snaps I have bought this week or some hook and eyes to help secure it a bit more.

I wore it with my fluffy underskirt and I felt fabulous! Perfect for dancing and making an entrance! It was lovely and plain but still made a statement, and it was talked about by the whole wedding party!

Poofy skirt with elastic waist

Another make from a sewing mag this time Love Sewing!

I followed the instructions in the mag for this one, which was issue 15. It basically involved 2m of fabric and some wide elastic.

I drew round the pocket template in cream and sewed one on each straight edge of fabric. I then put the straight edges together and sewed the up either side, going around the pocket edges also.

I hemmed the whole thing up in a loop. Then I zig zagged the whole top of the skirt, then did a long stich all the way around which I pulled on the bobbin end to gather it.

I then attached the elastic without stretching it.

If I did it again I would use less elastic so that it needs to str3tch to fit and it will lie much nicer.

Kimono style jacket

This was the first thing I had made for myself properly. I used a rough pattern that was in Simply Sewing.
I bought 2m of jersey floral fabric off ebay as usual and set to work.

I folded the two meters in half right sides together and sewed 1" seams either side leaving 15cm for arm holes. I apologise for my mixture of metric and imperial my brain works in cm by my sewing machine works in inches!
I then cut all the way up the middle and across the top in a T shape. The top of the T was  20cm but it could have been much smaller.

I then put it on an felt like I was wearing a dressing gown, so I trimmed the bottoms about 30cm on each side to make it the length it is on the picture.

Ta daa! easiest and quickest make ever!