Marathon

No I'm not back running, but my dressmaking is taking on marathon proportions and my posts even more so.......

I think I am becoming obsessed! Okay those that know me know I am always obsessed with something, but at the moment it is finding the perfect fitted dress pattern.

So I am whispering this as I know I will change my mind again, but I think I have just about constructed my perfect dress bodice sloper. I say dress, but of course I can now use this for fitting tops and blouses too, so I am a pretty happy bunny. Which is just as well as I have purchased so much fabric in the last couple of months that I could almost open a dress shop by the time I get it all made up!!

I printed off the customised pattern I purchased from Bootstrap Fashions and per their instructions still made a toile to check the fit. It was almost perfect, just needed a bit of tweeking at the armhole to remove the tiniest bit of excess fabric there and voila.....

It's really not that easy taking photos of yourself without looking a right dork!

Anyway, bad piccie or not this is the first attempt. The only issue I have is that I should have shortened the waist to bust dart. Other than that I think it's okay and I like the fuller skirt for a change. The fabric is a stretch denim printed with tiny flower sprigs I bought for another project and It's made up  really well. I have at least 2 metres left so DH could be in for a dress or skirt too!

The second is very tongue in cheek. Made from Makower fabric sporting caravans and campers, with mauve check linings to the patch pockets which I have folded over and fastened down with spotty buttons. I think it has a real vintage vibe and will be perfect when I am manning my Olive & Edna stall at the Vintage Flea Market at Lincoln Showground on Sunday 23rd April.
This time I think I have got the fit just right.

Finally I have made up another dress from an old Vogue pattern 2659 which I made about 2 sizes ago!! I love the original that I made in a dark brown firm stretch fabric, but I look like a litter of piglets stuffed in a bag in it now. This version is in Ponte Jersey. A bit thinner weight than my original, and I'm not over the moon with it but it's okay.

I shall have to try to source some fabric with a little more body to it, or lose some of mine lol!!

So that's my dress journey to date and as for the encore......

I told you I wouldn't go to the NEC and return empty handed..

The top is a duck egg blue with a sort of pumpkin design in orange, next down a taupe and white fabric with a London skyline sketch in  stripes across it. There were lots more I could have bought but as I had already made a couple of purchases on line before we went I was trying not to get too carried away. At least I didn't buy another machine this time!
The bottom two are the ones I  bought on line....,
The deep dusky pink is to recreate a 1940s dress I made when we first went to Twinwood for the Glen Miller Festival and the final piece is a grey/mauve with tiny balls of wool unravelling.

As you can see I have plenty to keep me out of mischief at the moment, but I'll be having a little break imminently as it's time for my spring trip to Bonnie Scotland. Shame it won;'t be warm enough to model any of my new creations, but at least we do seem to be getting a few more bright and sunny days now.

Well if you've got this far you're definitely gonna need a big drink, so enjoy and I think I might join you.

TTFN
Jenny xx