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Worsted Wool Long Pinafore Dress

navy blue small check worsted wool pinafore dress made using vogue 7975 and simplicity 2247

Lucy did that dressmaker superpower thing of combining two patterns to make something greater than the sum of its parts. The top of this fabulous worsted wool pinafore is Vogue V7975 pattern with Simplicity 2247 for the skirt. The top was also modified so the middle of the front part of the top consist of two pieces which overlap. It’s like “double breasted”. It’s fully lined. She spent some time to make it right. For the skirt Lucy needed to make adjustments to match up the seams of the panels to the top.  

This worsted wool is super fine and has a wonderful drape, making a pinafore dress is perfect as it means it spends far less time at the cleaners.

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Leaf Print Linen and Viscose Maxi Shift Dress

leaf print linen and viscose blend maxi shift dress for tall women

Lynn looking fabulous in her green and brown leaf print linen and viscose blend maxi shift dress. The pattern has been adjusted to account for Lynn’s tall (6’+) frame. This is an ace pattern that will work well in medium weight fabrics like linen and linen mixes. There is a centre front seam in this dress so choose patterns with no obvious repeat or geometry to them (or buy extra to match).

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Orange Stripe Linen Kalle Hack Dress

Orange stripe lightweight linen closet core Kalle shirt hacked into a dress

Lis has outdone herself with this fabulous Closet Core Kalle Shirt that she has altered into a dress.

You can find her post on Instagram : “The photos don’t do justice to the beautiful striped orange linen I used for this #kalleshirtdress hack. I simply made the button placket version, cut it at the hips (62cm in my case) and added a gathered skirt at a ratio of 2:1. The skirt section is 70cm and allows for an extra deep hem to give it some weight. 
The only other minor changes were to gather the back yoke and I also slightly deepened the armhole and widened the sleeve so that the oversized look was balanced there as well. 
Perfect for swishing around in our June heat wave”. 

This stripe linen has sold out but you can find others HERE

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Green Ovals Jersey Dress with Overlay

green and blue oval spotty print viscose and elastane dress with overlay

Teresa made this dress using our viscose and elastane lightweight jersey and it is beautiful.

She sent us this message: Really pleased with this comfortable, useful dress.  Made with another of your gorgeous fabrics.
The pattern is an old one but maybe there is another similar out there. (Simplicity 8070)
With the patterned fabric it is difficult to see the overlay on the front skirt but in wear it shows with movement. I underlined the body of the dress with one of your tricot knit linings.

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Gingko Leaf Print Cotton Lawn Shirtdress

gingko leaf print cotton lawn shirt dress

Chrissie made this beautiful Vogue 8903 shirt dress using our gingko leaf print pima cotton lawn. This lawn is super silky weave similar to a Liberty tana lawn and the prints are of an excellent quality. The only modification Chrissie made was adding in-seam pockets (who doesn’t want pockets?). It’s a super dress that is belted in for extra shape.

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Watercolour Print Linen Butterick Dress

watercolour designer print linen butterick 6784 maxi dress

Brigid grabbed this superbly popular watercolour print lightweight linen for this Butterick 6784 maxi dress and it works BEAUTIFULLY. The linen works really well with this balloon skirt as it holds the shape without being stiff. Buying the right fabric for the right pattern is half the skill and we will always advise if you are unsure about the suitability of a particular fabric for a project. This dress oozes such wonderfully summery goodness it’s impossible not to love.

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Big Graphic Floral Print Linen Tessuti Ruby Dress

big graphic floral print linen mix tessuti ruby dress

Anne used the funkiest of funky prints in a simple and fun A-Line dress by Tessuti patterns called Ruby. The Linen and cotton blend is a lovely medium weight cloth which is lovely to wear in the summer months. The pattern says the “style is flared at the hemline & makes a perfect floaty garment”  Anne says she will practice floating down her local high street looking tres chic 😂😂😂😉

big graphic floral print linen mix tessuti ruby dress
big graphic floral print linen mix tessuti ruby dress
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Neon Crepe Ruffle Dress

neon moss crepe ruffle dress

Do not adjust your screen! Shockingly bright neon moss crepe made up beautifully as a ruffle dress by Malin who initially planned it to be a skirt lining – but all best laid plans and all that – It turned into this. Made over the duration of two evenings as a last minute party dress. It’s fabulous. Malin had lots of lovely comments. And she definitely stood out!

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Olive Green Suedette Shirtdress

olive green suedette shirt dress

This dress looks a million dollars and so well executed Katie is rightly proud of her make (and we are so proud of her).
She used a tried and tested pattern ….vogue 8903 and added a cuff. She said she “had to hand sew the collar stand down as it was too much of a challenge getting all those layers through my domestic machine. Really pleased with this and will wear it to death!”

The fabric is a super soft and washable suedette with a bit of stretch in it ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

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Blue Gingham Shirred Sundress

navy gingham seersucker cotton sundress

All praise this super simple (no pattern) shirred cotton gingham sundress made by RhiannonP. ❤️
Why complicate what is perfectly simple?

A bodice like this is simply a rectangle about 3 times the bust measurement and shirred (elasticated) in to fit. The skirt is approximately twice the hip measurement and gathered in to fit the bodice.

What is harder to achieve (in the UK ) is the sunshine to go with the dress. 🙄

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Blue Floral Georgette Skirt & Top Faux Dress

blue floral georgette matching top and skirt dress

Q) What’s more useful than a non-iron super drapey and flattering floaty dress?
A) A non-iron super drapey top and skirt that looks like a dress!
The beauty is the versatility with wardrobe options a plenty. This ‘dress’ is made in a lovely heavy polyester georgette (georgette is a very light fabric so heavy is a relative term here). All self drafted because Emma is a clever chick.

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Pink Daisy Print Jersey Swing Dress

pink daisy print 100% cotton jersey swing dress (self drafted)

Effee said she bought this pink daisy print 100% cotton jersey fabric ‘by accident’ whilst looking for tailoring supplies, and then I guess this dress was accidentally made into this brilliantly happy swing dress from a self drafted pattern, and a jolly good accident it is too.

This type of 100% cotton jersey does not have too much stretch to it so perfect for this style dress.

pink daisy print 100% cotton jersey swing dress (self drafted) – close up
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Navy Linen Parachute Skirt Dungarees

navy linen parachute skirt dungaree dress

Fiona (lovely as it seams) made this absolutely fabulous heavy washed navy linen parachute skirt dungaree dress – self drafted. Isn’t it fabulous? Perfect eyelets! Perfect everything. She’s a very clever girl and I want her skillzzzz.

navy enzyme washed linen parachute skirt dungaree dress
navy enzyme washed linen parachute skirt dungaree dress
buckle detail with eyelet rivets
buckle detail with eyelet rivets
navy linen parachute skirt dungaree dress
navy linen parachute skirt dungaree dress (back view)
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Black Cotton Bleuet Shirt Dress

rear view of bleuet dress with altered bow detail using slider buckle

Bess used this fabulous nearly black suiting for her Bleuet Dress (by Deer and Doe Patterns), the fabric has a great drape and hardly creases despite the natural fibres so is perfect for a close fitting dress (so you don’t get those unsightly crease lines across the tummy). Bess highly recommends the pattern – it all went together beautifully. We especially like the closely placed buttons which allows for some fun with choices, she used up all manner of mismatched dyed shell buttons which she said was only a fraction of extra brain power when doing the button holes (different sizes!).

Despite loving the back waistline bow on the toile Bess was worried she would feel foolish in a bow (she’s not a bow kind of girl), an epiphany in the shower (it’s always in the shower!) came with the idea of using a slider buckle instead – same shape and idea as a bow, but without the prissiness. Her primary excuse for making this was she needed a “plain black semi-respectable dress” – despite the multi colour buttons and the not quite black of the fabric this sort of fulfilled her brief 😊

black cotton mix bleuet dress
Bleuet Dress with mutlicolour shell odd buttons
rear view of bleuet dress with altered bow detail using slider buckle
rear view of bleuet dress with altered bow detail using slider buckle
Bleuet Dress made using black cotton mix suiting and odd multicolour shell buttons
Bleuet Dress made using black cotton mix suiting and odd multicolour shell buttons
1/2 size toile bleuet dress in white linen
mini toile made up in white waffle linen
1/2 size toile bleuet dress  -back view in white linen
mini toile made up in white waffle linen – rear view showing the bow detail
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Pink Wool Crepe Dress with Sleeves

deep fuchsia pink wool crepe

Julie needed a ‘posh frock’ for a winter wedding and wool crepe fitted the bill nicely. Wool crepe will tailor so beautifully and is a joy to work with. It is warm in the cold and cool in the heat so a perfect choice for those occasions when you are half outside in the freezing cold and then indoors with the fires blazing.

The dress is lined in Venezia lining – a breathable anti-static lining that is soft and drapey like the crepe

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Turquoise Fit and Flare Floral Dress

turquoise fit and flare floral print viscose dress

Jane (who used to come to classes back when we did classes) made this fab fit and flare floral print dress for a family wedding. The fabric is somewhat stretchy which made aspects of this dress tricky but with patience and perseverance she got there (we are always available for advice when needed). It is lined in Venezia which helped a lot in making the dress behave itself. Venezia is so soft and breathable it is perfect for lining summery dresses that would otherwise lose their shape. Even the pale colours are perfectly opaque.

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Embroidered Tulle Posh Frock

embroidered tulle posh frock

Karen made this fabulous embroidered tulle with 3-D flowers into a posh frock to die for. The pattern is Simplicity 1606 made for a strictly come dancing ball.

She says: Thank you for the great fabric Turquoise crepe worked well as a base for the tule. Used the scalloped edge around neck, sleeve and hem

It’s Fabulous Karen!

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Ponte Roma Long Sleeve Sheath Dress

Ponte Roma long sleeved sheath dress

This is Jenny wearing her extra long sleeved McCalls M7531 dress made in rococco print posh ponte roma jersey. It’s a very simple pattern (Jenny’s words) . She is usually a 10 – 12 and for this pattern was a medium. Surprisingly she didn’t need to shave anything off the the hips which is an alteration she normally does (snake hips!). This probably means us more endowed in the hip department will need to add.

Jenny chose not to have a seam down the back, as with jersey there is absolutely no need, so cut the back on the fabric fold also having straightened the pattern to match the front . 
As it was a beginner pattern she ignored some of the directions (e.g double stitch the seams) and made the sleeves extra long goth style. 

It came out good ! Very warm dress for a winter occasion. Pretty good on the lumps and bumps also (Ed. Jenny, WHAT lumps and bumps?!)

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Banana Print Cotton Poplin Dress

banana print cotton poplin shirt dress

Alice’s further adventures in bananas here with a cotton poplin dress (McCall’s McCalls 6696 view A).  She made quite a few alterations to the pattern –

Changed the back bodice to get rid of the gathers at the yoke and added darts at the waist.  

The front bodice was a bit too big in an 8 which is the smallest pattern size so pinched out the excess on the toile and re-drew the pattern which resulted in making the neckline smaller so the collar and collar  band also had to be resized.

Trimmed about half an inch off the collar long edge to make it neater.

It sounds worse than it was in practice!

She decided to gather and line the skirt rather than pleat it and omitted the side seam pockets. This is the second dress she’s made for Lizby in this pattern which makes the adjustments worth the effort!

The fabric was a dream to work with and Lizby is delighted with the finished results. 

banana print cotton poplin shirt dress (back view)
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Black and White Mary Quant Dress with Daisy Pocket

mary quant black and white dress with daisy shaped pocket

Bess downloaded the free pattern from Alice and Co at the V&A Museum in a flash and made up this Mary Quant dress with little to no alterations (unheard of for her- she nearly died of shock), the pocket took the longest and this was the second go as the first one looked like a fried egg! She used bondaweb to applique the daisy and slowed down her normal sewing speed in the hope she could sew accurately (more or less!). The black is a fabulous piqué weave viscose (very similar to a viscose twill) and the collar and daisy is a lightweight linen (probably not the ideal fabric as it frays like the devil but the colours were right and it more-or-less worked so don’t knock it!

mary quant dress collar detail
mary quant dress with daisy pocket (detail)
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Ivory Silk Taffeta and Chiffon Wedding Dress

ivory taffeta and chiffon wedding dress

Here we have Tom and Zoe celebrating their special day with Zoe wearing the most spectacular dress made by Diane. The main dress is silk taffeta with pleated chiffon added to the skirt and a beaded tulle jacket. We love the way the dress floats in the wind. The jacket and headpiece is Simplicity 8364 and the dress is from Diane & Zoe’s imaginations. Simply Stunning.

ivory taffeta and chiffon wedding dress
ivory silk taffeta and chiffon wedding dress
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Silk Mix Penny Spot Brocade Skirt Suit

Teal and ivory penny spot silk mix brocade

The lovely Bernie from French France made this amazing silk mix brocade up in a fitted skirt suit for a family wedding, both the patterns are tried and tested, they originally came out of the Burda sewing magazines- the dress from March 2001 and the jacket from sometime in 2012. Isn’t she fabulous? Here we have proof that style never goes out of fashion 🙂

The hat was made for her using a scrap of the brocade in a local hat shop in Pézenas. Perfection 🙂