Gifts that keep on giving...

It was one of those truly touching moments back in June when I received a squishy parcel in the post containing a generous metrage of a certain Aztec cotton jersey from a certain generous with a capital G fellow blogger friend - yup, none other than Marie of A Stitching Odyssey. Wanting to make the most of the beautiful print, I immediately made up a floor sweeping 1/4 circle skirt. I still had a little leftover which went back into my stash with modest hopes of one day becoming either a top along the Renfrew or Dixie lines, or simply another breezy mini skater skirt or something... But apparently the Stitch Fairy had other plans - and somehow I managed to get a whole dress out of little over a metre! And I still have leftovers!!?!! Marie... what did you send me? The fabric that never ends??? BLESS YOU.

If you follow me on Instagram @elisalex you will have already seen this picture of me freezing half to death...

The dress is just another variation on a very simple self drafted bodice - previously made up with a dipped hem skirt, 1/4 circle maxiskirt which was later re-made mini due to some unfortunate machine inflicted shrinkage - and this time with a straightish miniskirt that kind of goes up at the side seams a bit like a mannish shirt... What's that even called?? I feel like it's on the tip of my tongue here... 

I actually made this dress way back in December, along with a fair few other as of yet unblogged makes. I'll get to it eventually, I promise! But I'm afraid the By Hand Blog comes first - especially with exciting things like sewalongs and new patterns coming soon...!

It's only now looking at these pictures that I've noticed the stripe matching at the side seams - not at all perfect by any means - but pretty good considering it wasn't even done consciously. I'm sure this isn't the last we'll see of the Aztec jersey. In fact, I don't think I'd be alone here in guessing that Marie is actually, and not so secretly, the Stitch Fairy herself!!! 

Deeply dippy, part 2

Still obsessed with dramatically dipped hems, this jersey dress - a long sleeved variation of this self-drafted dress, later re-made here - very nearly made it into our first collection of sewing patterns at By Hand London. We had wanted to offer a super easy beginner knits pattern and I tell you, they don't come much easier than this dress! 

I've said this before, but this dress is such a breeze to make. No zips, no buttons, no closures, no shaping, no nothing. Just a simple bodice back and front, sleeves with wristband finish (or just an armhole band for short sleeves), circle skirt basted to bodice then elasticated at the waistline. The only reason this pattern didn't make it into the collection was that it would've used too much tissue paper to print an entire whole-cut circle skirt pattern without breaking it up into multiple segments... and therefore defeating the point of a dress that should be make-able in under an hour.

Like my silk dipped hem skirt, this jersey dress has the same wonderfully swishy, billowy feel that just makes me want to swan about, spinning and skipping every other step. While the silk skirt saw plenty of action over Summer, I think this dress, with its burnt orange and fried egg-like florals, might just be my go-to party dress this Autumn.

The remake of a recent make

My washing machine and I are going through a bit of a rocky patch... I'll admit I may have been a little neglectful of its needs, but this retaliation really hit below the belt:

Both fairly recent makes, less than 6 months old, both dearly loved and frequently worn. Now completely buggered. I'm especially gutted about the shirt as the fabric - of which I had just over a metre, given to me by my Mum - is irreplaceable. And it doesn't end there... Remember that black floor length jersey dress? Arsehole machine took care of that one, too. Thought it would look better with an asymmetrical hemline. I, do not.

Luckily, I was able to salvage the dress just by slicing it shorter. Then I remembered some amazing gold crochet trim I bought from Goldhawk Road...

In your face, washing machine. Put that in your drum and spin it.

Here comes the Bride...

Sophie & Graham

It all began in November last year. A girlfriend got in touch to ask if I might be able to help out a friend of hers who was getting married and feeling very daunted by the prospect of having to navigate the sea of bridal magazines and wedding boutiques to find her perfect dress. Not even imagining that I would end up making the dress myself, it started out as a sort of Bridal Consultation. We would meet every couple of weeks and I'd try to break up the time into manageable tasks - deciding on a shape, talking designer vs. vintage; bespoke vs. off the rail, going through fabric samples, building up a moodboard... and before long we had designed her wedding dress. At which point came the inevitable, "so, you reckon you can make this then?". Ummm, I guess so...

With three months until the wedding, I got to work on the first toile. We had loosely based the design of the bodice on a Jenny Packham dress, which involved a ruched plunging neckline and some sort of lace body underneath (which would be shop bought), and the skirt would be a simple half circle with an overlay of gathered organza.

Jenny Packham // toile no.1

So far so good. Except that we couldn't find a lace body. So the second toile was to incorporate the lace into the bodice under the ruching over the bust. We were both very happy with the lace bodice, but suddenly the ruched bust and gathered skirt looked frumpy and, well, ever so slightly matronly... 

toile no.2

Third time lucky! Toile number three saw a simpler, smoother skirt - something in between a half and quarter circle with a half circle organza overlay, with the excess slightly gathered in back. We kept the lace bodice but lowered the neckline and lost the ruching, adding little lace cap sleeves to keep her decent for a church wedding.

toile no.3

And just as soon as I thought I'd nailed it, I realised I then had to actually make the Real Thing. Capital R, capital T. No more calico, poly organza and scrap lace... We were talking ivory dupion silk, Chantilly lace and silk organza (all from Joel's). I won't even say how many pounds worth. With every cut, every stitch, I was experiencing a bizarre concoction of my heart sinking at the thought of doing it wrong, and absolute elation at the prospect of doing it right. 

As it came together it became more and more apparent that I was, in fact, doing it right! The only modifications needed after the first Real Thing fitting (at which point, let's be honest, there is really nothing fundamental that can be changed without having to start all over again) were reducing a little volume from the cap sleeves - easily done, just a bit of handstitching at the underarm - and adding a subtle lace scallop into the V-neck to soften her cleavage.

first fitting of Real Thing

finished bodice

Everything was going wonderfully. Sophie seemed thrilled, I couldn't quite believe I had pulled it off and the only thing left to do was to handstitch scallops of the Chantilly lace to the hem and train of the silk organza overlay, an absolutely blissful task which allowed me to spend long, serene hours meditatively sewing, reflecting, and hopefully infusing each stitch with love and happy visions of their future together.

But there was one fundamental component still missing: the silk covered buttons and loops I had ordered never arrived!!! With a matter of days to go until the wedding, and a wedding dress gaping open at the back, we managed to get another batch of buttons and loops made at MacCulloch & Wallis just in time. And when I say just in time, I mean that there wasn't even enough time for Sophie to try on her dress before having to get straight back in her car and race back to the country! I never thought I'd be have pre-wedding jitters on behalf of someone else, but I promise you, the night before the wedding I dreamed that the dress had fit so badly that she'd been forced to go out and buy some hideous replacement dress instead... But then I saw these pictures start to crop up on Facebook -

Thank you, Sophie, not only for trusting me with possibly the most important dress you will ever wear, but for giving me the pleasure to experience the making of something so significant as the dress you wore to be married. I wish you both all the happiness in the world. And babies! Lots of babies!!

Finally something practical!

After having failed miserably at my Monday morning plan of sewing up some easy wearing bits and instead getting way too carried away with star-print tulle and sheer skirts, I swiftly made up for it by whipping up - and by whipping up I literally mean it took about as long as it takes to whip cream - a super easy, super practical black viscose jersey dress.

Scoop neck, drapey fit and quarter circle full length skirt.  Simple as that.  I don't even really have much else to say except that it is beyond comfortable, makes me feel as though my legs go on forever and I'm going to make at least a million more in all kinds of colour/skirt combinations.  In fact, right now I'm thinking about this dress in a certain aztec jersey... What do you reckon, Marie?!

But I've Never Won Anything In My Life!

Being the sort of person that never won anything, these days I rarely waste any time or money over lotteries and competitions.  I'm even reluctant when it comes to entering Giveaway's (when a blogger hosts a competition giving their followers a chance to win something of theirs eg. a sewing pattern or some fabric, or a product from one their sponsors) and I only ever do if I really, really want to win.

source

So you can imagine my surprise and delight when I actually won the only two Giveaway's I entered since I don't even know when!!  First up was the print shown above from Little Light Prints.  When I saw this on Life Made Lovely I knew instantly that it had to be mine; either I would win it, if not I would buy it, and when I saw they didn't ship to UK I was preparing to re-create it!  Where The Wild Things Are is easily one of my favourite books... I know the whole thing off by heart; I played Max's Mum in a school play when I was 5; and "we'll eat you up we love you so" is just the best Love-quote ever written I reckon.  I regularly feel the urge to consume those I love, don't you?

I'm now thinking that maybe the reason I won the print was because I had so completely believed and manifested that it would be mine, by whatever means possible.  The same can be said for my next prize, Butterick 8509, given away so generously by Cation Designs, along with some vintage seam tape, a little collection of buttons and an adorable kitty pin cushion (which my son promptly claimed as his own).  The pattern happened to be just the something I had been looking for, was my exact size, and I already had the fabric set aside for a dress just like this!  Since receiving the pattern, however, I have slightly elaborated my plans for this dress... 

...and I want to make the main bodice strapless with a princess neckline, then overlay the whole thing (according to View A) in a sheer nude dotted swiss voile (with black dots) which I think would contrast beautifully with the pinky lotus fabric I've been saving (see below).  Plus, I just love the idea of the double neckline, and the way the sheer voile will modestly cover up the shoulders and bust-line only slightly and actually quite suggestively, but definitely very elegantly...

The fabric I will be using is this 1960's 'Lotus Pond' cotton I found on eBay.  Heavier than quilting cotton so I'm confident about the strapless bodice variation (which will of course be stitched in place to the voile overlay), but not quite upholstery-heavy that the skirt will be too fat when gathered.  It's a dreamy, hazy sort of scene with pinky mauve hues and darker accents which will only be made dreamier I think by the sheer, floaty voile slightly obscuring the print.

So far, not so great though, as I'm finding it near impossible to find this elusive nude and black dotted swiss cotton voile... Nothing on eBay, it was hard enough to even find an image online, no luck on Goldhawk Road... I have yet to try Joel & Son, so fingers crossed I find it there.  And if anyone out there has any other suggestions, I would be most obliged.  

Well, that's all from me for now, in the meantime thank you thank you thank you to Little Light Prints, Life Made Lovely and Cation Designs for my wonderful winnings!!! I'm off to watch the snow fall in my garden.  Goodnight.

So Little To Show For So Much Going On

I guess it's only to be expected at this time of year.  I feel like I'm doing so much, being so productive: Christmas presents, home improvement, personal stuff, commissions... You name it, I'm working on it.  But why then, when a day like today presents itself, golden sunshine illuminating the fallen leaves, the perfect window to photograph some blog-worthy projects, I realise that nothing is actually in a finished state ready to be photographed.  I feel like I'm treading water in an ocean of WIPs (Works In Progress).  No land in sight.

OK, this one is actually finished.  But I'm in the process of making a second in a plaid brushed cotton (see sewing table shot), and planning a third, so until the trio is complete it still feels like a WIP.  The pattern is Butterick 8949 and I hope to have all three done by tomorrow evening.

Above: my sewing table right now.  A bit of a nightmare, but sort of an inspired nightmare as I'm deeply enjoying everything on there - the second in my Butterick Top Trio, and possibly the most outrageously elegant dress I've ever made: Vogue 8820.  I'm doing View A with the scoopier neckline, but the longer sleeves of View B.  I love a good slinky long sleeve.  I had planned to make this in wool crepe or a heavy, drapey silk, but found nothing I liked.  Then, and I'm really quite ashamed to admit this... I saw the perfect thing: fire engine red, crepey, drapey... But on closer inspection it revealed itself to be Polyester Crepe.  Not something I would ever buy, especially not new.  But... it was only £3 a metre, it was the last 5 metres on the roll, and it was exactly what I was looking for.  So I'm considering this first attempt at Vogue 8820 a glorified toile, and am still on the lookout for a fabric more deserving of this delectable dress.

Below: a pile of crocheted snowflakes which will eventually be strung and hung to make my home all festive-like.

And finally (but actually not finally at all, because I still have plenty of other stuff on the go...), something which I'm still not allowed to talk about, but lets just say that it's coming along beautifully, and working on it is proving to be a moving and humbling experience.

Prom Dress - Final Fitting

Jess in her Dress

I was actually quite nervous as I waited for Jess to try on her Prom Dress this morning.  This is the first time I've been asked, or commissioned I guess, to make something, for someone, for a special occasion.  Prom, no less.

When she came out of my studio to show me, I was horrified.  For a long moment I couldn't figure out why the bodice seemed to fit so badly despite having tailored it so specifically to her figure...  Then... phew!  She had put it on back-to-front!!

Having put it on the right way round, and hemmed the skirt, she and I are both thrilled with the result.  And now, as with all projects I've completely enjoyed making, I'm sad it's over.

Prom Dress Update

A few weeks back I mentioned how thrilled I am to have been asked to make my neighbour Jess' Prom Dress.  After browsing through all my patterns, she was undecided between the 50's classic Walkaway Dress and a 60's full skirted dress (see post here).  We took both patterns with us fabric shopping last week, and the moment we got to Liberty's 3rd floor, the fabrics chose the dress...

Similar to the dress I made for myself from this same pattern, Jess liked the idea of different prints making up the four skirt panels, and a plainer bodice.  So she went for the blue and red roses and the poppies for the skirt, with a soft off-white cotton for the bodice.

After a fitting yesterday, it's all looking lovely (I want to keep it!) and this morning will see me blissfully hand stitching the neck-line interfacing, shoulder lining seams, and gathering the skirt, ready to be put together and zippered for one last fitting tonight to determine the length for hemming.

Walkaway Dress vs. 60s Full Skirt Dress

Having gone a bit sock mad this week - more about that later - and at a temporary standstill due to lack of yarn for my Cavalier, I decided to spend this beautiful day working with something a little more summery than chunky woolly yarn.  So I pulled out my box of vintage patterns, had a little rummage, and settled on Butterick's 1956 Walkaway Dress.  

The perfect project for a day like today, this dress is so quick and simple to make that you can really get through it leisurely, stopping for coffee breaks in the garden... marvelling at the first crop of cherries on the little tree... planning other projects... and still have a great dress to show for it in less than a day.  I wanted to show off this beautiful ribbon trim I've been saving for a few years so I used a very simple off-white muslin for the main body of the dress.  I also reduced the volume of the skirt making it less flouncy, and I hemmed the edges as opposed to bias binding (bias binding gets on my nerves...).  

This isn't the first time I've made the Walkaway Dress, and I am always amazed at how different the same dress can be just by changing the fabric - see Walkaway Dress version 1 below, which I made for my 25th birthday using a pale pink Shantung silk, with a very subtle arabesque print and bound with a black scalloped trim.

Walkaway Dress version 1.

Being such a lovely day, I asked my lovely neighbour-model-babysitter Jess to come over so I could photograph a couple of my dresses on her, which brings me nicely to something I'm very excited about...

When I was at school (not even 10 years ago), Proms were the stuff of American high-school movies.  No such fun for us Brit-teens.  We all felt very deprived.  But now, it seems, (10 years too late - spoken through teeth gritted with envy), the Brit Prom has caught on.  Obviously the best part about Prom is the finding of the perfect dress, so you can imagine how excited and flattered I am that Jess has asked me to make her Prom Dress!!!  After discussing what she wanted and looking through my patterns, she was torn between the Walkaway Dress and the 60s dress I made last Monday, but after trying on versions of the two dresses I've already made, we're almost decided... Fabric shopping on Friday!

Up to the minute Prom Dress (PD) updates to continue throughout June...

this evening...

...I am admiring the dress I made today

...and listening to

Sleep or Sew?

After two 5am starts in a row, I felt almost delirious this morning as I - still in pyjamas - dropped my son off at nursery.  Practically salivating at the thought of going back to sleep for the whole day, I got halfway up the stairs to my bedroom and stopped.  No, I thought, I will not spend a full day of precious me-time asleep.  And then the next thought was:  I have a party tomorrow night and I have nothing to wear...


So instead of crawling back into bed I put on a pot of coffee, turned the ipod up loud and started looking through patterns and fabrics.  Much more fun than sleeping!

I've been desperate to make this dress ever since it arrived last week (latest batch of vintage patterns from Lanetz) and, totally wired from too much caffeine and not enough sleep, I'm having such a great time making this dress!  After considering my options fabric-wise, I decided to go with the pink floral/check cotton combo to begin with.  Nice and easy to work with, and not too disastrous if it all goes wrong.  If it goes well, however, I will definitely be repeating this dress in a number of variations...

So now I've come to the boring bit - skirt gathering... And yes, I am procrastinating.