Belcarra top {Sewaholic}

My first Sewaholic pattern, the Belcarra top. It's a really simple top with a raglan sleeves and shaped into the waist. It is a loose top which is nice to pull on and really quick and easy to make. I actually made this months and months ago (oops) to wear tucked into my black work skirt, but this has reminded me to make some more for summer!

Pin cushion jar

A non-dressmaking post...a make-do-and-mend one. My mum has a great portable pin cushion in a little fabric pot, so the pin cushion is inside the lid. It's cute but also really useful to have in the sewing box. I have a lovely pin cushion but it is too big to carry round so I wanted a sewing box pin jar, but I couldn't find a copycat version anywhere. Cue a bit of industrious DIY with leftovers to recycle- Pimms and Eurovision-watching optional ;)

Supplies: circle of scrap fabric, wadding, glue, jam/honey jar, circle of cardboard (slightly smaller than the jar lid, or it won't fit back on!).

Sew gathering stitches around the edge of a circle of fabric, gather and pack with a little wadding, glue to a circle of cardboard (i.e. cereal box card!) and then onto recycled jar lid and leave to dry. Ta da!

Elisalex dress {By Hand London }

My second By Hand London make, finally. I have a couple of BHL patterns from my summer job last year at a haberdashery, but I made the Anna dress twice and I'm not a massive fan  (although, note to self, I still need to finish converting my first go into a peplum-top, as my v-neckline was pretty flash). I'm not sure whether to size down again or that the slash-neck option really doesn't suit me. Anyway.

So, in short, I left BHL patterns alone for a while until the Elisalex came along. I made it up in some of my African wax-print cotton from a Goldhawk Road trip ( I say *some*,  I  still have metres of this!), pretty much on a whim one rainy afternoon. I really like it! It's just a nice, different dress style. 

It has a lined bodice with princess seams, a box-pleated tulip skirt and an exposed zipper- although I used an invisible zip, because I only had one of those to hand. It also has a cool low-scooped back, which I forgot to photograph. 

The skirt isn't as tulipy as I thought,- I think you would need stiffer fabric?- but then again the fabric is so busy that it wouldn't be worth it. The bodice lining instructions are so straightforward and came out really nicely, especially as I just used some leftover lemon poly-lining unpicked from a skirt I didn't like.

A pattern success then and I want to use this bodice with another skirt type too. Also, this fabric though.....true love :)

Alder Shirtdress {Grainline Studio}

My first Grainline Studio pattern! I am really impressed by these patterns (I already have an Archer shirt cut out as I write this). There is a nice level of challenge but it is still straightforward to sew with very clear instructions.

I used this lovely cotton poplin and made View A, which is the straight A-Line shirtdress with curved hems; it may not be fitted but it is so comfortable and just well-drafted. There is a gathered-shirt option (B) and the Grainline blog also gives you an impressive amount of variation choices.

My next plans for this would be a chambray/light denim View B and  plaid v-neck, cap-sleeved variation on View A. There is a boring lack of comment really as it's just such a nice pattern. It's no McCalls fitted shirtdress-type- it's supposed to be loose and boyish in silhouette, if that's what you want, but is is really lovely.

Cheap John Lewis button-success!

The pattern instructions leaves you with a beautiful finish inside; I think I am going to incorporate these instructions into other patterns I own to be honest

Colette Dahlia

I am not entirely sure why I am blogging this before other waiting-to-be-photographed makes but this pattern is seriously annoying me.

This is Dahlia no. 2 and it still does not fit right. The waistband yoke ended up being 3 inches too big. 3 inches, wtf. The waistband is kind of 'lumpy', for want of a better word- I am going to unpick the lining and see if I can make it lie better, although I think taking it in by so much at the side seam did not help  matters all that much.

However, my main rant stems from the neckline- which is vast. As in, almost-off-the shoulder vast. The pattern instructions have you gather the bodice last thing, but on this second try,  I did it first, thinking that would make it fit okay; but the back is still way too big. I put some darts in the back to pinch it in a bit before binding the neckline, but it is still big.

I am not by any means an expert seamstress, but I can follow patterns well and don't see where I am going wrong with this pattern. I made up this second one slowly and carefully, in the same frame of mind as the Sew Over It Tea Dress; but still found that pattern far easier. I think I might have to trace the bodice and yoke pieces and completely customise them to get a good fit; although I am determined to alter this and/or go back to my aborted first try, so that I have an ok-fitting dress. But....it is still giving me the rage.

On a positive, this cotton voile is drapey and lovely, so I kind of want to make this dress better to suit the fabric. But: it's a bit hard-going for a supposed beginner pattern isn't it. Sad faces all round....