The many faces of New Look 6123

You could say that I kinda love this pattern. I have made this many times and there will be many many more versions. It comes with two bodice variations, two skirt variations. three sleeve options and a skirt flounce. But this a great basic bodice and skirt pattern and I have been using it almost like a sloper.

For the first version I used a grey with black hearts wool fabric from ebay store iana fabrics. I lowered the neckline slightly and went with the straight skirt with the sleeve flanges (odd word that flangeeeeeee). Apologies for these photos, my mannequin isn't quite as busty or hippy as I am. It is fully lined and has an invisible zip. I'm rather proud of my zipper and dart matching on this dress. This wool was lovely to work with and pressed really well . My flanges look a bit droopy here but haven't noticed this IRL. This is probably cos I haven't interfaced them. Interfacing and me have failed to see eye to eye so far, always a bit cardboardy......

Version 2 was inspired (or pretty much copied) from this dress that I saw on Diary of a sewing fantatic. I already had the fabric in my stash but was unsure what to do with it.

As you can see, I used the sleeveless bodice and straight skirt and added waist tabs. 

The bodice and the skirt were joined and the back darts of each merged to form fish eye darts. The waist tabs were taken from Simplicity 2588, incorporated into these darts and attached at the front with some buttons saved from an old skirt.
I tweaked the bust dart placement by moving them about an inch towards the centre front on this dress. Once again this one is fully lined. The pattern doesn't include linings pieces but I always like to add them especially to a dress like this for work as dresses sticking to my tights drives me slightly mad. The pattern matching worked out very well especially as I squeezed this out of just a yard of fabric.

Okay just one more today if anyone is actually still with me.
I used a ponte jersey for this one, adding cap sleeves with pleats at the top. I also added a zip but really don't need it as this pulls on and off easily. A very easy and comfy dress to wear.

Okay thanks for reading and I will be back soon with more. 

The First Post

Okay then, here goes nothing .... my first blog post.

The sewing indie (hondabuss) month competition had finally given me the push I needed to start a blog!!! I am more nervous about this than I really should ...Right ?!

I have been sewing for myself for a little over a year now and I absolutely love it. 

Some would say I 'm verging on the slightly obsessed.

So far I have made quite alot of dresses and I do love a good frock. 

So first  up 

This is a hack of the Dixie DIY ballet dress . 

I have gotten serious use out of this pattern, I think it is a great basic pattern that can be hacked many different ways and so far I have made at least six variations. Not bad for the few dollars I paid, though I think Dixie has increased her prices recently, $8 is still a good price.

I left the sleeves off and changed it to a V neckline. The bodice is self lined and the armhole was finished using this great Colette tutorial. The ballet dress comes with a semi-circle skirt but I swapped this out for a maxi gathered skirt, just using the full width of my fabric. I also added pleats at the front shoulder which are crappy pleats but the busy fabric means these are not that noticeable. 

Overall this is a great comfy dress and the best bit is a finally have a maxi dress that fits me! When you are barely 5ft tall, you learn to bypass maxi dresses pretty quickly when shopping. Yah for sewing for me !

Here is an awkward headless photo of me "modelling" 

hondabuss.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/announcing-sewing-indie-month.html

This blogging business could take alot of getting used too.