This is my lovely neighbour, Natasha. I've known her since she was a toddler and started going to the same pre school as India.
Natasha loves vintage style and last Summer I offered to teach her to sew her own vintage clothes. I let her rummage through my patterns, and she chose a 1960's mini dress, with peter pan collar. Fairly ambitious for a first project, especially considering how different construction of this kind of dress is now to back in the 60's.

There are a lot of darts, and with this particular pattern a fairly complex pleat panel, cuffs and a collar. Plus Natasha chose a very lightweight fabric that necessitates french seams.

These days this style of dress would most likely be made with a stretch fabric, rather like this one in Top Shop.



She's doing really well though, despite often long breaks between working on the dress due to our conflicting schedules.
Today she took home something that is beginning to look like a dress. Hopefully one or two more lessons and we'll be finished.
Natasha has promised me photos of her wearing it on stage when she plays in her band.