Notions Of Fabric

This skirt is really a winter exclusive, due to the fabric. It is a wool blend, I think, and is a very warm fabric with quite a lot of body. It gives this skirt a really cut look and holds the shape of the skirt. I picked it up from Walthamstow at Saeeds, loving the winter vibe and the purple colour. I used it to make a self drafted 1/4 circle skirt. I used the By Hand London circle skirt calculator with the 1/4 circle and the mini length. It is hemmed using bias tape to keep as much of the length of possible. After finishing it and trying it on, it was gaping at the waist, so I took the zipper out and reinserted it, taking a diagonal wedge out towards the top. In retrospect, I should have made a shaped waistband instead of just using a rectangle. Since I made that waistband adjustment, I have lost a little bit of weight so the skirt is a little loose. However, it actually make it perfect for winter wear, because it fits perfectly when you take a winter sweater and...

Having made so many dresses, I wanted something else. My favourite skirt is a high waisted one with a gathered skirt and waistband, covered in multi-coloured polka dots. I wanted another skirt that I wanted to wear just as much, and given that I wear this skirt on average twice a week, I'd say I was onto a winner. [Since writing this post, that has been upped to at least 3 times a week, I think. It's so comfy and versatile!] This is a self-drafted 3/4 circle skirt (drafted using this tutorial ). I wanted a full circle but didn't have enough of this lovely weight check fabric, so 3/4 it is! Both the Scotland Check fabric and the black Bemsilk lining I used were from Lincraft, again. The skirt is cut to 22" to hit just above my knee. I ended up putting a few tabs on the waistband - it was just a little loose when completed. I love how twirly this is! New skills: self-drafted.

For my second entry in the Sew Dolly Clackett competition... It's an Eiffel Tower dress! Having obviously seen this fabric heaps on Roisin's blog , I wasn't actually sure it was for me. But it grew on me, and although many of the colourways weren't quite right, you can't really go past black and white, right? Right. This is actually another Cambie pattern hack as well (the same as my Dorothy dress), as after i finished that one I didn't want a gathered skirt. I had planned to do another with a 1/2 circle skirt, but having not enough fabric meant I self-drafted (if you can call it that) a pleated skirt. That basically means I made it up as I went. I left in the pockets for this one (so amazing and useful!), and the fabric itself is gorgeous and drapy. Again, I cut a straight size 12 for the bodice, and used the complete width of the fabric for the skirt. Lining is plain black polypop (and bemsilk for the skirt lining). Pleating the skirt kind of meant...

Also known as the Dorothy dress (which I've been calling it from the beginning). One of the reasons I got so heavily back into sewing was from reading blogs: and the first one I found was Dolly Clackett . I love her style, and the prints she uses, and read the entire blog in less than a week, all the way back to the first post. Crazy, maybe, but Roisin is incredible. Partly from her blog, and all the other sweet versions online, I bought the Sewaholic Cambie pattern - I just had to have it. And the perfect fabric to try it as a wearable muslin? Baby blue 1/2" cotton gingham from Lincraft on sale! I cut a size 12 straight after consulting the measurements - it is completely gorgeous! The sweetneart neckline, the gathered sleeves... Swoon. Now, you can see from these pics that actually, this is not the straight dress. I made the entire thing, completely by the book, and the skirt was just... huge. I took out the under layer and it was better and wearable, but not q...