Me....and....my...seeeewing..

[Seahorse]

...awalking down the aaavenuuue.Sorry, couldnt help it.

Well, as some of you may know I want to start sewing again,plus i can combine this with the fact that I went shopping for a dress for a wedding the other day and couldnt find anything I liked or in my price range...or in my size...alll these factors are very annoying as Im sure we have all encountered.

I had a genius idea(even if I do say so myself)of going to charity shops and buying the shapes of clothes i like and obviously I can try them on to see if they fit before I buy and its all cheap and I can take the items apart and use them as patterns.

Went to charity shops at the weekend ...couldnt find anything!!Oh the irony!

Then ..ping...I remembered I wore a fab bridesmaids dress a few years back which has sat in a cupboard for about 5 years not to doing anything.
I tried it on(luckily it was a bit big when I wore it but now it fits well,thank God for cake)so I spent most of the afternoon(watching Flubber)unpicking this dress so I can use the lining as a pattern!!

It was a long slightly flared dress, straight across the top with small straps, fitted well all over.All I need ot do is make the lining a bit below knee length.Maybe add a centimeter or 2 around the back for total comfort(dratted cake)but basically I have a usable pattern, cost me nothing and good to go!!

Hoorah!!
So this thread will be used to tell you how things are going and it will allow me a place to vent my anger when things so bad.

[sherrielinda]

clever Seahorse

well done for the lightbulb over the head. Keep us posted as promised.

[Focus on Life]

Eeh that all sounds very clever indeedy, enjoy your sewing sensations seahorse!

Shaz x

[craftyjan]

very clever indeed i wouldnt have the faintest idea where to start , cant wait to see pictures when youve finished . as for the cake ,it just jump in your mouth doesnt it,and the chocolate does the same.

[Seahorse]

Yep, crisps and chocolate force themselves into my gob!I try to resist but its pointless.
Tho I am trying to be good for the next couple of weeks, see if Im capable.


Anyhoo.Just went shoppping and bought some cheap material, a zip and some pins so I can make a tuille and see how i can adapt the main pattern.Need ot make it shorter for starters, just below the knee I feel is befitting of a gal in her 30's(early).

[Seahorse]

I just did a tuille and looks ok and fits, put a chiffony 30's style jackety thingy I made ages ago with it and looked quite pretty.Im just waiting for something to go wrong.

[Hopej]

Brilliant! what a great idea, i will bear that in mind next time i'm in a charity shop! Best thing as well as you can see how it all goes together when you are un-picking it, rather than try to decipher it from a piece of paper.

[Critchley]

Me....and....my...seeeewing..

What patience - I'm one of those people - garment a day. Which means if I can't finish it in one day I loose interest which also means that I have an awful lot of half finished things around, and when I do finish them they all look homemade so I don't wear them. Can't wait to see it, it sounds like a lovely creation.
Carol

[Seahorse]

What patience - I'm one of those people - garment a day. Which means if I can't finish it in one day I loose interest lookCarol

Im the same but luckily for some reason I was up at 7.30 this morning so Ive decided to go to a shop I went to yesterday to get the cheap material as I saw some goooorgeous green material and Il ike to make a dress in that, adding purple/gold ribbons as a belt and straps, slightly peacocky.

Now I just hope that the material was £3 and not eh £10 a meter I think it really was.

[Seahorse]

It was £10 a metre which I talked myself out of.
Went to another shop, found very similar material in same colour for £3 a metre,baaaargain.

[creativeclare]

Smashing! Look forward to seeing a pic of the finished dress!

[Seahorse]

Thanks.
Im pondering as to whether I should wash the material before use as I may make it, wear it, wash it and itl shrink in the wash.

The lining is cotton, and I think the main material is a bit cotton.

[Babushka]

Washing it may not be a bad idea. I remember making something years ago which I loved and it shrunk the first time I washed it. I was not impressed

[Moley]

Seahorse, have you enough fabirc and lining to cut ,say a 6 inch square of each, put them in anet washing bag or an old pillowcase and then chucke them in with the next load of washing? Then you'll be able to decide how much they shrink and whether or not you like the effect. Saves a potential disaster with the whole lot!

Alternatively, hover a steam iron over them in a corner (of the fabric, not the room!) If you end up with bubbles and puckers then the fabric will shrink so you'll need to pre-wash or pre-dry clean.
Hope this helps.

[Seahorse]

[QUOTE=Moley;99587]Seahorse, have you enough fabirc and lining to cut ,say a 6 inch square of each, put them in anet washing bag or an old pillowcase and then chucke them in with the next load of washing? Then you'll be able to decide how much they shrink and whether or not you like the effect. Saves a potential disaster with the whole lot!
.
QUOTE]

Thats is a very good idea.
I shall do that in the future.I say in the future as I got impatient and about 3 hours ago bunged the load of material I bought in with the dark washing.
It is now draped over the ironing board ready for me to ignore for a few days coz I hate ironing.
Then again I know the length of each piece I can see if its shorter.

Ive made a decision with regards to straps.They will be of the same dress material,not ribbon as I was previously going to do, they will be 2" wide at the top of the shoulder rounding down to 1" wide when it reaches the dress.
Im sure thats not exciting for anyone else, just me.