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!!

Just one week to go, and today I was gardening in my me made's. A skirt cut down from my first muslin/toile for the Hawthorn dress I made last year, and the Emmeline Apron I made probably 6 or so years ago? I still love that apron despite it being covered in paint and rather scruffy these days.





I have repeated a couple of items, but that doesn't bother me, I've enjoyed wearing items from my wardrobe I might not otherwise have bothered with, some will get worn more often and some will get ditched/recycled.

This weekend I gave my sewing shed a bit of a spring clean. It is so lovely out there now the sun is shining. I of course love my shed in all seasons, but having the door open onto the garden and not having to put my heater on makes it that bit more lovely. The lighter mornings and evenings are great too.



Some things are best not sewn in my shed, like this First Holy Communion dress made from my friends wedding dress for her daughter.



The little girl it was for wanted a simple elegant dress with a sash. I used a pattern from a very old copy of Ottobre, with a few minor alterations. I added a roll of glass beads to the neckline. I got up early one morning last week to sew them on before the children were up. I can tell you having a white dress in the house made me nearly as nervous as cutting in to my friends wedding dress in the first place!



I did manage a little sewing for me this week too. I cut out this dress a few weeks ago and finally got around to stitching it up on Monday. Honestly it's not my best work. The fit isn't quite right on the bodice. I basically fudged it a little while cutting out. Still I do love the fabric and I got a lot of compliments while wearing it, so I guess most people are not looking at it with the same critical eye I am.



I have been keeping up with Me Made May '14 , but having to wear repeats now. The weather has brightened up considerably, sadly none of my summer dresses from last summer now fit me (must stop eating biscuits!), and it's too warm for the clothes I made more recently that do fit. Think I need to stitch up some summer dresses, or lose weight.....

I'm really enjoying Me Made May '14. I do wear me made most days, but there are items in my wardrobe I make and rarely wear, this project is making me look at those items again, and work out why I don't wear them...Lady Skater dresses I'm looking at you!
Weirdly, every time I wear one of my Lady Skater's Woody tells me how nice it looks...OK this morning he said "that dress really slims you down", which for him is a compliment, but what I heard was far from a compliment and we did have a fairly lengthy albeit lighthearted bicker about how he can't give a compliment, and I apparently can't take one!

I think I don't like my Lady skater dresses because of my fabric choices, maybe I need to make one in a more stable knit. The one I wear most is my red one, made from a far too stable vintage knit, but it's the one I feel most comfortable in.


Let's see what next week teaches me about my Me Made wardrobe. If you are taking part this year, what lessons have you learnt so far?

 This year, like many others I am taking part in Me Made May. I have pledged to try and wear at least one me made item of clothing each day of May. I wear a lot of me made clothing anyway, but maybe not usually every day. The reason I'm taking part this year is because I want to figure out what gaps there are in my me made wardrobe. I already have a good idea that I don't sew enough with solids, and I don't sew enough basics, relying too much on certain super cheap high street stores for things like stretchy tees and cardigans, though I also buy a lot from charity shops too.
If you'd like to know more about Me Made May '14 then click the button below.



May began on Thursday and I had an important meeting in Manchester where I needed to feel good , so I wore my Anemone skirt which I love. I wore it with a stretchy long sleeved t shirt from the high street, opaque tights and black loafers. I'm thinking I might need to buy the new Nettie pattern by Closet Case Patterns, and start replacing these stretchy tee's.



Yesterday I wore my trusty Fall For Cotton make . I think I need to make this dress up in some summery fabrics.
Today I'm wearing jeans! I almost never wear jeans, but I wanted to wear my Stretch Banksia and I have a distinct lack of solid skirts I could wear with it. The cardigan, shoes and headscarf are all from charity shops.

Anticipating Me Made May and my lack of solid fabrics in my stash I did nip in to Abakhan the other day with the intention of buying solids, I came away with these....



I need help! Tell me, what are your favourite solid fabrics to work with and where do you buy them?

When my friend Mary suggested we go for a vintage photo shoot at HMS Vintage in Salford, I thought it might be fun. Then I told my family and they all reminded me how much I hate having my photo taken, how I'm not very photogenic,  I don't like having my face touched, and don't really like getting my hair done either!
Mary booked, and I started to panic. The day came and I tried to keep the controlling part of my personality under some control, but couldn't quite manage it and turned up at the studio with four dresses, four pairs of shoes, several changes of lingerie, and five or maybe six pairs of stockings in various denier.
Ian, the photographer met us outside and immediately put us at ease with his friendly manner. We were led up to the dressing and make up room where we met Ewa, the make up artist and hairdresser. Ewa was lovely and helped us choose and try on various outfits from the heavily laden clothes racks. Mary quickly found a couple of dresses she loved and one in particular that really suited her and she eventually wore for her photos.
I was a little more fussy, and despite trying on several outfits, nothing really felt right, so I decided to wear my Emery dress.




Mary had her hair and make up done first; victory rolls and classic 1940's make up. She looked beautiful.
Meanwhile Ian brought us, tea, sandwiches, cakes and a bottle of bubbly. I settled for a nice cup of tea, far too nervous at the prospect of the photo shoot to eat anything.
Once Mary's make up and hair were ready, she was whisked off to the photo studio and Ewa began my hair and make up.
Inspired by the Emery dress and my current bobbed hair Ewa suggested a 60's look. I'll be honest, I was a little unsure. I trusted Ewa, but I'm not at all used to handing over control for my hair and make up like that and it made me nervous! Poor Ewa, when she had finished I couldn't recognise myself in the mirror and I think she thought I hated it. I didn't at all, but I just couldn't quite take in the transformation, and was terrified of the shoot itself.





I needn't have worried so much. Ian was lovely. He could tell how uncomfortable I was in front of the camera and really helped me relax by guiding me through the poses and chatting to me, and really making me laugh. By the end of the shoot I was even almost enjoying it!
After the shoot, Mary and I got plenty of time to look through the photos and choose our favourites.
Mary's are so elegant and beautiful, this one particularly.



She looks stunning, am I allowed to admit I'm slightly envious of just how gorgeous she looks?
My photos are fab though, they really make me smile and remind me of a really fun day. I can't remember the last time my jaw actually ached from laughing so much. HMS Vintage get a huge thumbs up from Mary and me, a great fun way to spend an afternoon.

A few months ago I was asked by a friend, Ali Dover, if I would design and make a couple of garments for her daughter. We discussed ideas, she chose her fabric and we struck a deal. Ali is a fabulous photographer, so I did the designing, and the stitching and was "paid" in photographs of the final garments.

The Lucy Smock is a simple swing style top with bound neck edge, back button fastening and short sleeves. The fabric is a gorgeous organic cotton, so wonderful to work with.Available from Merchant and Mills.
Here it is shown with a seperate collar from Little Troll .




Ali is not local to me, so during the design process there was a little tooing and froing of ideas via the internet. I sent photos of my drawing, and then posted the first toile for fitting, which Ali posted back for me to complete the final garments.

The Prairie Dress uses the same upper bodice design, but a gathered skirt is attached and this time there are long sleeves. The fabric again is organic cotton from Merchant and Mills.

India turned 18 on Wednesday, my first baby is now an adult!
A few days before her birthday we discussed making her a birthday dress. I had bought some lovely curtains in a charity shop that I knew would make a beautiful dress for her, but she was unsure.
She had been talking about baby doll style dresses, and having seen this dress on Pinterest I suggested I make one like it with some cheap and cheerful printed fabric I had in my stash. She liked that idea so I set about designing something similar.



She hated it!
So, with one day until her birthday, I struck a deal with her, that she entertain her littlest brother for the day and I would make her the first dress I suggested.
I used the Full Skirt Dress pattern from the Great British Sewing Bee book, but I changed the neckline slightly as requested by India. She didn't like the way the neckline looked quite square on the model in the book.





I had to make some changes to the bodice to fit India, letting out the front princess seams slightly to accomodate her bust and taking a little off the shoulders.
We left off the cap sleeves, India didn't like them, so made the dress sleeveless.
With only a day to make this dress, I realised I had no suitable lining fabric for the bodice. I found a pale green pillowcase I'd recently bought in a charity shop and that worked perfectly as the lining.



India liked the way the zip finished at the centre back, so I didn't add a hook and eye.

This one she likes, she even said she prefers it to her prom dress!

 

Yesterday we were in sunny beautiful Anglesey, my mother in law had organised a special day at Cemaes Bay as part of her role as Geologist at Geomon Anglesey Geo Park .
We marched behind a local Welsh band (resplendent in kilts!) to Llanbadrig headland. What a beautiful place! We visit Anglesey fairly often because my mother in law lives there, but we had never been to this part of the island before. It was a beautiful spring day, very windy, but we found a sheltered spot and had a little picnic.



I wore my first summer dress make of the year for our first sunny walk of the year. This dress is made using the Full Skirt dress pattern from the most recent Breat British Sewing Bee book.



I didn't add the cap sleeves, and fully lined the bodice. I made a size 18 and adjusted the front princess seams slightly to accomodate my large bust. Sadly it gapes a little at the arm hole, so if I make another I will fit the front better.
I am not at all comfortable with sleeveless anything, but for the sake of this blog I'm willing to inflict my flabby white flesh on anyone reading just so you can see the dress.

 

I will never go out like that, I like my cardigans! I might even draft a short sleeve if I make another, although I like no sleeves under a cardigan or short sleeved cropped cardigan in summer, so maybe I wont.
Here is a less windy photograph taken early yesterday morning (hence tired face!) at my mother in laws cottage, before we set off.





After our picnic, we walked back to Cemaes Bay along the coastal path. I'm so glad we did too, such stunning views, and lots of beautiful little coves. We'll definately be going back in the summer.

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.