Saturday 8 October 2011

Sewing challenges? I'm all over 'em like a rash...

I have finished a dress! Oh yeah ....

This dress has been one sewing challenge after another. I bought the pattern on etsy I think. It's divine, a 1940s wrap at the back dress. It has rick-rack detailing. I liked view B best, on the right.


I got the fabric when I went to Goldhawk Road in London on the sewweekly.com meet up in the spring. I was particularly pleased to have a 1940s dress to sew because I really like the 40s style and I have been so inspired by Mena at http://www.sewweekly.com/ and Debi at sewweekly but also her own blog http://www.fashionsfromthepast.blogspot.com/ . In fact, I signed up for Debi's sewalong, Sewing Through the Decades (see button on right!). So far I have managed 1950s, 1970s, 2000s. So the 40s would be another one - I hoped to do one original pattern from each decade from the 1930s onwards.

The pattern is not printed. It includes buttonholes. And sleeves. And sewn in rick-rack. Could you smell the fear?

I started it for a http://www.sewweekly.com/ challenge: my perfect summer dress. It is now October and I am using the winter duvet. Then I thought it would be good for peer inspiration week, citing Mena and Debi as the sewing divas they are. Still not finished. The dress also had a potshot at UFO 2 week. No cigar. But, with my roses on the fabric, it is my Spanish Harlem week dress! I am going to persuade hubbie to take photos tomorrow when i don't look like I should be in bed.

In the meantime, here is one of the seven, yes seven, buttonholes, that made me so so nervous about slicing them open and even sewing the darn things in the first place was giving me hives.



Finally, I cannot tell a lie, I sewed it all myself but I did have the support and guidance of my sewing teacher Kate at the classes I go to each Tuesday at The Design Studio in a village near me with the wonderful name of Anton's Gowt. If you are ever in Lincolnshire I heartily recommend it to you.

6 comments:

  1. Ohh what a lovely pattern! Can't wait to see the finished dress on you. :-)

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  2. YAY! I am so excited to see this dress! What a lovely 40's pattern and I love the fabric you used! yipppeee!

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  3. Thanks both, glad you like the finished dress too x

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  4. What a absolutely lovely, gorgeous and flattering dress. I have been searching and searching for a back wrap dress with a square yoke, waistband and no ties. Do you mind telling me what pattern this is?

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  5. Thanks PepperToast, the pattern is a 1940s one so quite hard to get hold of I think, I got it from a seller on etsy. I'll check its number and get back to you but it isn't one of the big pattern companies as I recall.

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  6. Thanks so much. I really really appreciate it!

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