Apologies for the unscheduled disappearance. I meant to keep up with the blog, but I was kind of busy with this. Any spare time last week was taken up with urgent work stuff, a few meetings, a day in London (working) and getting some fresh air and sunshine. It wasn’t quite a holiday, but I certainly wasn’t working flat out as I usually am.

I also managed to set up my sewing machine in ideal viewing position, so I could sew during the quiet bits!

I cut out the fabric for this many, many months ago. Possibly even last year. It was good to start work on it. Its a toile for a dress I’m thinking of making for a wedding later in the year, and judging by the results, I think its a go-er. Despite this being a toile made from an old sheet, I made it up properly so I can wear it as a nightdress – as the pattern was originally intended as.

I’ve done the bodice of view one (on the left) with the skirt length of view 2, which is actually well below the knee on me *I am NOT tall*.

The actual dress, which will be red, will have some decoration around the yoke. Not sure if it will be pleating or suffolk puffs, but something of the sort. I cut the skirt part on the bias to improve the hang, and this seems to have worked well, and made it super easy to hem. I’ll cut the skirt in one piece for the actual dress, front and back, and put a side zip in.

This is the back, before the elastic has gone in. For the actual dress I think I’ll make a series of pleats in the back, rather than have it gathered with elastic which isn’t very elegant. With the side-zip fastening, there’s no need for the elastic. The pleats should make a nice drape on the back too. But I’ll need to work out how to make it all less bulky around the seam in that case as the bodice is lined and the skirt will be 2 layers (lined chiffon) so there are 4 layers of fabric in this seam, which isn’t going to pleat too well. I could cut the skirt and back in one piece, but that means the back bodice will have to be on the bias (not ideal) or the skirt can’t be on the bias. Also not ideal. Any other ideas?

But otherwise, the whole thing has gone together super easily. It only needs adjusting in the shoulders for a perfect fit, and I’m confident (maybe foolish) that I can find the time to do this before late September. I may be kidding myself, but I’ll try.

I’m also considering what to do with this. Although its a lovely apron, I’ll never use it, so I think I’ll make the most of the fabric (its huge) by making it into a top. Time to test-fit this one, I think.

I’ve got a few more sewing projects nearly ready to go, so there will be more from my sewing machine shortly, I hope.