More clothes!

I definitely don't need to buy anymore clothes, but making them's okay right?  OF course it is!

I bought this pattern ages ago because I fancied a change from skirts and dresses.  I think it might also have been on sale which helped.

They're not the most adventurous of tops I admit, but I reckoned a few of these would be great for work.  Because I always need more work tops, don't I?  No.

This was a new one for me, cutting on the bias.  It was a right pain to fold properly to pin out the pattern pieces but once pinned it was a piece of cake really.  No zips, no sleeves, no waist bands!

One very nice (if I must say so myself) dart.

And there you have it.  I used linen, mainly because the pattern suggested it and who was I to argue.  When J took a photo of me wearing it I blended into the curtains.  Camouflage for when I need to hide from him, like possibly later in the week if when he discovers I placed an order for more Stylecraft.  Yep.

I reckon being me it could do with some livening up.  Given that I've not finished sewing the red buttons onto my skirt I don't think buttons are necessarily the answer.  I'd quite like to give embroidery a go, I have some lovely books on sewing that my Dad of all people bought for me.  He is awesome!

So perhaps an embroidery ring will be added to my wishlist.

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The afternoon tea dress

It's been said that the BBC has a lot to answer for recently, and no I don't mean any of that stuff that's been going on - this is a crafty blog! - I'm talking about the Great British Sewing Bee...

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 I'm not new when it comes to sewing, I've knocked up all sorts of things from...

...Cushion covers

 

...to bunting...

... and I've made a couple of skirts.  But when I watched the first episode of The Sewing Bee I was like "right, I NEED to make a dress now!" And apparently I wasn't the only one, the

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So I bought this simplicity pattern, it's 3 dresses and two little jackets (although I'm unlikely to make those) and at the time it was half price so I was pretty chuffed with that.  It's Simplicity pattern 1873 :)

I should warn you, this next bit is very photo heavy so if you just want to see the finished this just scroll to the bottom :)

cutting

pinning

learning tailors tacks

my first ever darts

cutting the lining that I decided I didn't need & quickly realised I did

a sewn bodice!

pinning & sewing the sleeves

attaching the sleeves!

finishing touches on the waist band

And finally after a couple of days, of pins in my thumbs, of ripping out stitching I'd done wrong & consulting books and YouTube when the pattern made me think "you what?!"....  it was finished :)

Wooooop!  I'm more surprised than anyone that it even fits, ok it's not perfect & I could do with working on my measurements & darts but hey you know what I really like it.

Typically it's not stopped raining since so I haven't worn it out :(  Maybe we'll have a nice bank holiday?

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Anyone else inspired to get the sewing machine out?  I'd love to see what you've been making! 

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