All posts filed under: What I wear

Rodeo & Wrangle & Ramble in Style

Isn’t it wonderful when you get the excuse to make something that you’ve been hankering after for ages and ages? Fifteen years ago I inherited Grandma’s stash, and I’ve been sewing with it and enjoying it ever since. A few pieces of her stash I made up right away, because they were that special, and a few pieces were so, so special that I’ve been trying to decide what to do with for a decade and a half. This fabric was one of those: How cute is that? How utterly, absolutely, totally darling and adorable is that? And perfect for a Western challenge! I would have loved a full dress of it, but I only had 2.1 metres, it’s only 90cm wide, and there was a lot of age damage. I considered blouses like Simplicity 1868, but that didn’t seem to do the fabric justice. The perfect solution? Butterick 8044â€²s not-quite-a-circle skirt! (yes, I am so in love with that pattern, and if it weren’t for my True Love Story outfit I wouldn’t have considered …

The ‘True Love Story’ dress

Published by The Dreamstress

Yesterday I told you the story of Grandma’s $4.50 blue hat, and Butterick 8044, and how I had always wanted to make it up in blue wool. Sewing it up was a dream. I had to size the pattern up a bit because I don’t have a 30″ bust, but everything went together perfectly and fit beautifully. A made View A with short sleeves, because it looked like that was the version Grandma had made (though she might have made both bodices – there were no obvious alterations on the bodice pieces). The only alteration I made to the top was getting rid of the side button placket, as I could pull the bodice over my head without it. With the skirt, I finished the yoke by cutting a second set of yoke pieces and bag lining it, so all the raw edges will be finished on the inside. The pattern had it finished with only a waist stay, and I was afraid that wouldn’t lend enough stability to the yoke in my thin, draping …

The ‘Serendipity’ Underbust corset

Published by The Dreamstress

I love my underbust corset pattern, and I keep making it up. I also keep making up versions of it and not quite finishing them. For once though, this served me in good stead. Five Sew Weekly challenges ago I was sewing like mad, desperately trying to get everything made the four challenges I would miss while I was in Hawaii, where I wouldn’t much in the way of sewing accoutrements or internet access. Other than being frantically busy, I had one massive problem: Mena hadn’t put the Sew Weekly challenges past the 8th of Sept up before I left, and I would get back Friday the 14th Sept, with the next, unknown, challenge due on Sunday night. Not a lot of time to sew, especially since I would kinda need to spend time with Mr D too! So I took a deep breath, crossed my fingers, prayed, and tackled my UFO pile, hoping that I’d get something finished that would fit the challenge due on the 16th. After all, we’d had so many specific …