Sunday 22 May 2016

Is it a dress? Is it a Tent?





Merchant & Mills pattern


My mother was an amazing dressmaker and tailor.........me on the other hand never even sewed on a button until I inherited her sewing machine and thought it would be nice to learn how to use it.  I have had several attempts at learning dressmaking, once at a class, where the humiliation of having to be measured nearly saw me walking out the door.   How much??!!  That can't be right, the tape measure must be wrong....sob sob.  Anyway, I made a blouse which never saw the light of day.  A couple of years ago I made another attempt at a top which sort of fell apart.  Ever the optimist I am now trying to make a dress, I am already thinking I don't actually like it and would never wear it and I haven't even finished.  It looks like I accidentally stumbled into someone's tent, got caught up in it and stumbled out wearing the tent.  It may look good on a 5'10" skinny person but not on a 5'1" 'well rounded' shorty. (and getting more rounded by the day with all the stress eating)  I picked some cheap denim so I didn't waste too much money and now hate the fabric.  However by learning from the mistakes on this dress the next dress with nicer fabric will be better.  It said on the pattern that it was easy.....well I have already messed it up,  completely missing marks that told me where sleeves etc should line up, well how was I too know that was what they were, they didn't actually say.  It also said to iron interfacing around the neck.  I didn't realise there were so many different types and just picked up the first I saw, yes you've guessed it, the neck was as stiff as a board.  For an 'easy' pattern I feel the instructions could have been clearer for complete novices like me.  I lost heart with it so the dress got shoved into a drawer and has remained there for months.

Then along comes Sewing Bee, for those not familiar with the programme, a group of amateur dressmakers compete each week to win the coveted Sewing Bee title.  Each year I get all excited and yearn to be able to whip up a dress like them.  Each year I fail miserably.  I feel like the poor lad who was knocked out in the first round.  But I live in hope, one day I will make something I can actually wear.  I have retrieved the dress, unpicked the neck, luckily had enough material to cut out another and am now sweating and swearing over the sleeves.  Well at least it takes my mind off the buying a house saga......which is still ongoing.  I will never be able to achieve these amazing jeans made by Kristie but she kept trying and so will I.  Obviously the sewing gene was not passed onto me but with practice, practice, practice hopefully I will improve.





Update:  While the football was on, yes my lot are Man U. fans, I thought I would work on the dress and have finished it!  With a few alterations, cutting a huge amount off the length and sleeves and adding a little line of stitching to the neck and sleeves I think it is passable.  The seams inside are fraying like anything, I haven't got the hang on zigzagging close to the edge without the machine gobbling it up.  But I would certainly wear it at home, and maybe out with a sleeveless cardi to pull it in so it doesn't look so much like a tent.  I'm thinking of making a sleeveless one in a light cotton next, well I have to justify the cost of the pattern, I can mooch around the garden in it.

I'm hoping to finish off a few more projects before everything is packed away.  I have earmarked a little box room in the new house for sewing but will be so busy sorting, painting and getting the garden cleared it may take a while to get sewing again.  The saga of the move is continuing, we are now trying to find out the state of the septic tank, insure access to our bore hole which is in someone else's field and disconnect the electric supply to a GP building down the lane.  Such are the complications when you are buying part of a farm that has been divided up.  I'm still incredibly stressed but hopefully it will all be sorted soon.

Chickpea xx

24 comments:

  1. Good move to not watch the football, I was trying to finish my piece on the pitfalls of nature writing to avoid it.

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  2. love the pattern of the dress, well done for making it! Idon't think its that bad!

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  3. I think your dress is lovely. I have a couple of denim dresses that are quite similar and they are incredibly comfortable. I'm also hooked on the Sewing Bee - that's my Monday evenings sorted for a while. Good luck with the house move. xx

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  4. A simple design to start with is a great idea, it allows you to finish something and grow in confidence, A skirt is a simple design with out shaping, which a top would need. But buy fabric you like, it's hard to keep focus if you not sure about the finished article.

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  5. I had sewing lessons last summer which helped enormously, and practice helps too :o) It's such a good feeling to wear something that you've made yourself, and there are so many lovely fabrics out there too. Well done you :o) x

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  6. Bless you, I actually think the dress looks very pretty and certainly looks very comfortable to wear. Hope all goes well with your move and that all the issues are sorted out swiftly. Take care.

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  7. Denim dresses are the thing so you should get plenty of opportunity to wear it. A friend of mine sews and she says skirts are the easiest thing to make.

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  8. Good old sewing bee, it gets us all going doesn't it! Sleeves are a nightmare aren't they so a sleeveless version sounds a brilliant idea. :-)

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  9. Well done, I like the dress. I long for a sewing machine, maybe oneday.

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  10. Brilliant effort, looks great, I'm the same height and build as you, cuddly, that style is ideal suits anyone. Hope your house purchase will be completing soon and then you can start to relax. Take care. Love the blog

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  11. I like the dress look comfortable after a shower after a long day of working.
    I would cut the sleeves to 3/4 length.
    You have beautiful hair. I am very envious. I have very thin , fine hair and with the drugs
    I take it is getting thinner by the dy.
    le sigh !

    cheers, parsnip and thehamish

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  12. Well I think the dress looks fab. Wear it with pride ;)

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  13. Well I think the dress looks fab. Wear it with pride ;)

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  14. Well done, the dress looks good, but as someone else said, next time round buy a material that you really love, it gives you far more incentive.

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  15. Wow your hair is fab who cares about the dress with hair like that lol. However I think the dress looks great and I would feel very proud if I'd made it. I would love to learn to sew and like yours my mum was good at it when I was a kid not seen her sew for a long time though. I agree with buying material you love too.

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  16. I say well done you! A dress is a huge project to tackle, and you have done a great job on it. I may have sewn jeans, but I have yet to sew in sleeves like you have done with your dress. I have just sewn a couple of easy summer tanks, and you might be interested in trying them before you pack up your machine. One is the Wiksten Tank, and the other is the Willow Tank by Grainline Studios.

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  17. I just finished a Merchant and Mills Factory dress and it looks like a complete sack on me... I'll never wear it. Yours looks very glamorous by comparison!

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  18. Thanks all, you are all too kind, but I don't think I will be venturing out in it, makes me look 9 months pregnant with twins :)

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  19. I love the dress, it is the sort of dress that can be dressed up or down. In fact I have several very similar (shop bought!) one's in my wardrobe. Well done xxx

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  20. I think you look fab, and I love the style of the dress. I may even buy the pattern myself and lengthen the smock top version and add pockets. I haven't made myself anything to wear for years, but this could be just the thing, so thankyou for posting about it!

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    1. I am thinking of adding pockets, I like pockets in everything to carry phone etc.

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  21. I too think it looks amazing on you, I love it! Well done for making something for yourself I think it is the hardest thing to do, it is easy to alter things for other people but not for yourself!

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  22. I think you did a great job! You should be proud of your efforts.

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  23. Thats a really good post! Keep it up! :)

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I love reading your comments and will try to reply to all you lovely people xx Spam will be deleted so don't even bother!