Two years ago I signed up to do a City and Guilds Level 3 in Fashion at a local sixth form college. I already had an A level in Needlework and Dress from my school days, and of course many years experience, but I had only ever taught myself pattern cutting, (thank you Winifred Aldrich!) and wanted to expand my knowledge in that area. So, every Wednesday night for two years I pootled off to college, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I loved having that time to do something 'just because'. I met some fabulous people, not least my lovely tutor Heather Lightfoot.



The course included modules on pattern cutting, dressmaking, tailoring and art work. I loved having a reason to keep sketchbooks again. I have sporadically kept sketchbooks over the years, but it was wonderful to have a reason to sit with all my art work out and spend time more seriously on my 'research'. Something I hadn't done since leaving art college in 1991!



My final collection was based on the work of Japanese artist Utamaro, and included six dresses, Obi belts and an evening coat. I was thrilled to be marked a 'distinction' for each module and therefore a distinction overall.



If you are reading this and have pondered the idea of going back to college to learn anything, but especially a dressmaking course or similar, then I urge you to do so. Sadly so many adult education classes have been cut from Local Authority budgets, including the very course I have just completed. Such a shame too, but if you find one, enrol, you'll love it!

It's been a hectic few weeks, and not showing much sign of slowing down any time soon. I've had very little time out in my shed doing what I love best, and yes I am starting to get rather jumpy!
I'd been promising to decorate the boys bedroom for longer than I care to admit, and when Sid asked me earlier in the summer if I was actually ever going to do it, I was suitably guilty enough to get my paint pots and brushes out.
One of the reasons I was putting it off was knowing how hard it was going to be to cover the very bright colours that were already on the walls. Eden helped me, and I'm so glad she did. The ceiling took 5 coats of paint and the walls took 3. Ernest even came and helped a little.
The whole room was finished on the tightest of budgets. We bought paint from a local discount warehouse, and used pots found in the cellar for accent colours. (I mixed two different shades together.) The curtains were made using fabric from stash (and have yet to be lined.), I scrubbed the shabby old carpet by hand, gave the orange pine bunk beds a couple of coats of egg shell, (also left over paint from the cellar), and then rubbed them down for a budget shabby chic effect, and re purposed an old sheet of chipboard by painting it with left over chalkboard paint and getting Woody to screw it to the wall.
I did buy some new bedding,but also got a lampshade from the charity shop for less than £2.
My favourite part of the room are the Fairy Tales For Hope prints above their book shelves.


You can see Angus is most impressed with the noticeboard!

I have managed to squeeze a little sewing into the spare few minutes here and there ; when your teenage daughter needs something to wear in a hurry for her friends 18th, but has no money, it's time to go stash diving and run something up in a hurry. What better pattern to use than Laurel by Colette? I'd heard great things about this pattern, but honestly never considered making it for myself, it's a style that would simply not suit my curves! I jumped at the chance though to stitch one up for India, and what a great pattern! Goes together fast and easy. India loves it!


I used a piece of green polka dot and stripe satin I'd bought last year in Abakhan, positioning the stripe at the waist. I finished the neckline and sleeves with bias cut from the same fabric.


I'm almost tempted to make myself one with sleeves, and perhaps more shaping at the waist. I particularly love this modifaction, avaiailable as a free download .

Maybe, I'll get time to try it out soon. I hope so.

I do love this pattern! This is my third Emery dress, and I don't think for one minute it will be my last. I cut this out several weeks ago, but too busy with other projects and commissions I only got the chance to stitch it up on Saturday. I spent a lovely day in my shed listening to the rain on the roof and stitching away.



Honestly, I'm a little disappointed with my lack of pattern matching, actually it's pretty good on one side, but off on the other. My own fault for cutting out a very slippy light cotton lawn in two layers, I really should have cut it out singly to be sure. I can live with it though.
The fabric is from Abakhan in Manchester. I am very lucky to have my friend Mary working there, she knows my tastes and if she sees something she thinks I will like she gives me a shout. She got this one spot on! Thank you Mary!



PS: yes my roots need doing, job for later today!!

I bought this pattern as soon as it was released, not entirely sure it would suit me, but hopeful. I've gained a lot of weight over the past year and I'm once again in that weird place of trying to figure out what suits my current shape. I hoped the high waist would flatter my curvy shape, and the peplum would balance my hips with my bust, and I think it does?



I used a thrifted tablecloth for this skirt, it cost £3.50 from a local charity shop. I didn't want to cut into good fabric for a first try, when I wasn't sure of whether it would even suit me, and wasn't sure of the fit.

 

I had to do some creative cutting out to fit the print onto the pattern pieces, it was a bit of a head scratcher, but I'm fairly pleased with the symmetry at the front and the back, I just wish I'd been able to match at the side seams, and realised after I'd sewn it together that the two back side panels would have been better if I'd flipped the pattern piece. I'm sure very few people will notice, but still, it would've been nice.





As for fit, I cut out the second to largest size, thinking the waist would be a tiny bit tight and the hips a tiny bit big, but when fitting found I was just 1 cm out on both, so took 5mm off each of the side back seams when joining to the back. This morning the waist is a little loose, but my waist grows during the day sadly.
I also added the wrong size zip, I just reached for a regular skirt size zip, thankfully though I can wriggle it easily over my hips so it's not a problem.

I really love this pattern, and plan to make another very soon.

One of the reasons I love sewing, is that for me it is a kind of meditation. I had a day off from my mindee on Wednesday, and after dropping Sid at school and Ernest at playgroup, I made a little detour on my way home to a local furnishing fabric shop. I'd been feeling down, the extra walking always helps, and I'd heard they had a 50p a yard sale in the remnant room. I wasn't expecting to find anything much, maybe a few pieces for a bag or a skirt, but I was lucky I rummaged through the shelves and found four pieces of co ordinating fabrics in greys and mustards, I also bought a yard off the roll in the same range, and the whole lot cost me £10. I wasn't sure then what I was going to do with them, but when the sales lady asked me if I was going to make cushions, I found myself saying "no, I think I'm going to make a dress." I wouldn't usually tell a sales person in a furnishing fabric store I was going to sew clothing with their fabrics. She seemed nice though, and wasn't at all sniffy when I told her my plans. (She also knocked £1.50 off the bill.)



I started work as soon as I got home. I didn't pre wash the fabric. Now, I'm not much of a pre washer anyway. I only usually pre wash fabric if I expect it to shrink. Furnishing fabrics are often dry clean only, and not made to be washed frequently. Usually with furnishing fabrics I might test wash a swatch to see if there was any shrinkage or fading before deciding if I was going to pre wash the rest of the fabric or have the final garment dry clean only. This time, honestly my priority was to sew. The act of  cutting, and sewing a simple familiar garment with no particular fit issues, for me is a kind of therapy. I can feel myself breathing again as I work through each stage. 




The bodice is the Emery dress bodice pattern. The skirt is a part circle skirt pattern, the same vintage pattern I've used before on my Wool dress and as a skirt for both of my vintage pledge makes this year.
I trimmed the sleeve edges with the same patterned fabric I used for the skirt.
I decided against the collar and the bow for this dress, but I am tempted to make a co ordinating bow belt using Jennifer Laurens tutorial. I think it might be nice to have the option of a bow if I feel like it.



I still have enough fabric left too to make a bag. I think I might be stepping dangerously into that weird middle aged matchy matchy business though...not sure? I am rather smitten though with the Charlie's Aunt bag patterns, and think the remaining fabrics would work well with several of the designs, just trying to decide which one...

As for washing, hmm, I'm not going to try. I will spot clean for now, and if the dress needs a wash I'll try a cold gentle wash with gentle detergent and see what happens.

I'm most definately not going to win any prizes for the photos in this post, so apologies in advance. These were taken at 6.30 am this morning, so the light was terrible, I still have tired eyes, but I had to take them before everyone else was up, and before my mindee arrived while I was still nicely ironed, with fresh make up and hair. Trust me, by 9.30 I'd done one school run in the pouring rain with no umbrella and already had bits of Ernest's breakfast down me!



I used some of the fabric I had left over from my Emery dress to make these culottes yesterday. This time I didn't lengthen the culottes. The model wearing them on Megan's site must have very long legs because the culottes are very short on her which is why I lengthened my first pair. Of course it is possible I just have very short legs....

For some bizarre reason this pair have come up slightly smaller than my first pair. I can't fathom why and can only think that it's to do with a slightly firmer weave of fabric.

I am still unhappy with the hem. I think my proportions between waist and hip are the problem. I don't have particularly big hips in relation to the rest of me, but the culottes pull up at the sides, and at the back. (over my bum, which also isn't particularly big I don't think.) If I make another pair I will have to add length just to the back and to the sides of the front pieces, I think only about 5 cms should do it. It's not really obvious, but I notice it each time I look in the mirror, and find I'm pulling the sides down as I wear them.



A great pattern, one I think I will be coming back to in the summer.

I started Art College back in 1989, and the general uniform for surface pattern design students at that time seemed to be flippy floaty skirts or culottes teamed with dms, oversized t shirts (layered.) and granny knitted cardigans, bum bags were optional! I even wore a pair of oriental print culottes to my friends wedding, with the obligatory dm's a crocheted top and a large straw hat. Thankfully I don't have photos!
The Tania Culottes kept popping up in conversation with fellow sewers, and then on Pinterest, and I was intrigued. I liked the idea of a culotte that most definately didn't look like a culotte. I had, when India was a baby experimented with the skort, and shudder I definately didn't want to go back there again!
Reassured that the Tania Culotte looked like a circle skirt when worn, but offered the reassurance and practicality of a short trouser, I thought I'd give them a go. I took advantage of the 20% discount on all PDF patterns over at Megan Nielson, and ordered a copy on Friday evening.

 

Saturday morning I began taping all the pieces together with parcel tape; seems a certain toddler had used up all our sellotape making presents for Larry and Leo, his imaginary friends.



I had a rummage through my fabrics and couldn't decide between these two. The olive and brown cotton lawn is definately more within my comfort zone with the colours, but afraid it wouldn't drape enough I decided (with help from Facebook and Instagram) to use the blue fabric, which is a very drapey lightweight synthetic that I'd picked up at The Vintage Village some time ago.

The culottes stitched together nicely, it's a very straight forward pattern, with good clear instructions. I was a little slapdash lengthening the culottes, which meant I gave myself an absolute nightmare hemming them, and had to unpick my first hem. Honestly the final hem isn't great, but I figure it'll do, still better than anything I might buy from a high street store.



I thought I might get away with this fabric by picking out the black in the design and wearing with tights and a sweater, but it doesn't really work. I think they will look better in Summer with bare legs, ballet pumps and a green t shirt. Of course the ultimate accessory would be a gorgeous ladies Pashley bicycle with basket.

I did discover today that culottes are not public loo friendly, but maybe that's too much information. Also, worn over tights they bunch up, which is not an attractive look in the crotch area.
Despite that though, I am going to make another pair, just so I can prove to myself that I can get an even hem on them!

Ernest says they are beautiful, and seemed very excited when I was trying to get photos.