Vogue 1693 Special Occasion Dress

 My Birthday Dress May 2023

I always make a new dress for my birthday,  this Vogue pattern really appealed to me. 

It looks complicated but honestly it's not. The fabric I used is from my own stash,  I have been waiting to find the perfect pattern and they are perfect for each other.

The fabric is a fairly heavy embroidered Indian cotton with a lace edging along one side. It is navy Blue with sequins 

"Broderie Anglaise" would be perfect 

I positioned the pattern pieces so that the hem and sleeves would end in the lace part and I adjusted the length of the skirt before cutting out. 

I only just had enough fabric so I was really happy that the fabric has a lace edging so I was able to utilise it in order to make ab interesting sleeves 

 The main body of the fabric is covered in sequins too.

For the lining I chose a lightweight cotton lining fabric. 

The lining actually extends right down to the hem, but I decided that I would just line the bodice and the top part of the skirt, leaving to frill to be more fluid and free.

I felt that the weight of the skirt needed some support otherwise I may have considered removing the skirt part of the  lining completely 

Hint

If you want a mini dress you could actually stop here and hem the dress as it is.  

Hint

There are many possibilities with this pattern. Another idea is to reduce the width of the upper skirt and lining , taking it in at the bottom to create a bell shape. Adding the frill to this will then produce a mermaid skirt.  This can further be adapted by lengthening the back upper skirt  This would make a stunning wedding gown especially if the upper fabric is a heavy lace fabric and the lining is satin.

The sleeves can also be adapted, mine are straight but you can make yours more bell shaped .

The pink lines  give an idea of what I mean.  I do like to reuse my patterns as much as possible and this one gives plenty of opportunity to put your own touches to the garment 

I felt that the front is a bit low for me so I joined the front pieces for three inches. It is still very low. 

You could put a piece of your fabric or a lace fabric behind the front instead to make it more modest.

I just made two carriers for the cording. I made them from lingerie elastic stitched to the inside of the dress. 

I love the way in which the sequins catch the light, and I love the swishy skirt 

An experienced beginner would easily be able to make this dress. The most important part is to get the fit right, there are separate pattern pieces for different bust sizes , so if you are not sure then please make a toile of the bodice in order to check the fit. 

The dress is very suitable for wheelchair users , it is a joy to wear for any celebration or an afternoon picnic in the park. 

Pattern is from Jaycotts and may be ordered via this link 

Vogue 1693

Thank you for reading my post 

Angela

Sewangelicthreads 

Butterick Sewing Pattern 6856 in linen Look cotton fabric

 



This Butterick top was made in this gorgeous cotton fabric from Minerva.com and can be purchased by clicking the link below highlighted in Blue 
Minerva Core Range Washed Vintage Linen Look Cotton Fabric  Minerva linen look cotton
I had intended to make this over  Easter but my lovely son "forgot" to tell me he was coming to stay. I was delighted of course and hastily converted my craft room into a bedroom. It was his birthday too.so it was a wonderful time 

Little Coco was overexcited, she is only a few weeks old and hadn't met Matthew before.

Anyway, back to sewing.
If you are a newbie then you may not want to go through all the prep but trust me on this, you need to do several things before putting sewing machine to fabric.
Firstly wash and press your fabric,I never skip this bit as fabrics can take you by surprise and shrink in the first wash.
While this is happening take your measurements and compare them to the measurements on the pattern envalope. I also check the finished size but this can involve a hunt as some pattern companies place them on the relevant tissue pieces, others put them somewhere on the envalope or the instructions. A cup of tea is welcome at this point.

Butterick Sewing Pattern 6856

Transfer your pattern markings onto your fabric and then iron on any interfacing.

It may take a couple of days to do all this prep but now sewing the garment can be carried out easily and quickly. One final point is to press each seam as you sew it. It makes the difference between a homemade garment and a Handmade, bespoke garment. It is far better to spend time before sewing to get everything done and will save time in having to make alterations or wondering which is the right side of the fabric.

Well, I shall get on with sewing it then I can wear it.

The pattern is fairly straightforward but in one or two places it left me to figure out which way round some of the bands were meant to be sewn. Studying the diagrams recommended.

I spent ages top stitching the entire garment but it took the blouse from the very casual look I wanted to something a whole lot smarter. So I spent an evening unpicking all the top stitching, maybe it was an unnecessary thing to do but I wanted to stay true to when and where I wanted to be able to wear it.

The altered sleeves are successful, one of the photos shows how I did it.

I shall wear this again and again, it's perfect.

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Simplicity 9270 loungewear set in a reversible squares and stripe fabric from Pound Fabrics

 Loungewear Set by Simplicity patterns,  fabric from Pound Fabrics 

I love nice loungewear and this is just perfect for evenings relaxing with a book or watching TV

The fabric is totally amazing and is very affordable 

This wonderful reversible fabric is from Pound Fabrics , it is 70% Cotton and available in three  colourways 

The link to purchase is Mini squares and striped fabric from Pound fabric

It is a double layered fabric , substantial but the high Cotton content makes it easy to wear.It is airy and soft next to the skin and needs minimal pressing .

I made size 12 and it took 3m of fabric 

It is reversible with small squares on one side and stripes on the other 

It is a stretch fabric and therfore you will need a brand new stretch needle in your sewing machine   

I  recommend using a stretch thread , this means that you  can use an ordinary straight stitch without risk of it snapping during wear 

The thread I use is 

mettler-seraflock-stretch-thread from Jaycotts.co.uk,  or there is 

Gutermann Maraflex from Pound Fabrics

 I also like to use my walking foot which feeds fabric through easily without stretching or distorting it. I find that once I have this foot on my machine it is a while before I remove it it makes sewing any fabric a total breeze 

In order to make best use of this wonderful fabric I wanted to incorporate both sides, the top is made using the squares as the right side with the collar and facing cut out with the stripes showing 

 

You will need stretch iron on interfacing to support the collar and front facings.  Please never  buy  cheap interfacing, it is horrid and will cheapen your garment.  These little touches make the difference between Home Made and Hand-Made . The latter is what we are aiming for 

I  chose I neutral coloured button and added an extra one as the pattern has just three. 

The trousers are stripe side out. 

Do you struggle with sorting the front from the back? I do, so I just stitch a bow or a flower or anything else I like onto the centre front . Easy! Of course you  could put a label inside at the back but I find them irritating 

The sewing pattern is suitable for  beginners upwards. There is a  choice between shorts and trousers and a long and short sleeve top. This versatile pattern will inspire you to make lots of garments. If you are a beginner I recommend starting with nightwear and loungewear as they tend to require very little fitting.  I believe that it is far more satisfying to make a simple garment well rather than to make a mess of a more complicated pattern. Learning to sew should  be a pleasurable experience so take your time.

Another tip. Sometimes jersey Fabrics can  be tricky when it comes to sewing buttonholes. I use small pieces of a machine embroidery stabiliser under each  buttonhole and it prevents the fabric  from misbehaving. Save scraps of tissue paper from  when you were cutting out for the same purpose 

Side vents in the top add to its comfort 

Lovely to wear when spending time in the sewing room too

Do you like this pattern and fabric combination?  Will you make it too?

I hope you have enjoyed this post

Angela

Sewangelicthreads 

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Sew House Seven Cosmos Sweater and skirt in Stretch Sweater Knit

 The Sew House Seven sweater and skirt 

A Minerva.com post 

I have a page on Minerva.com where you can find more of my posts. This is one such post so to read more on 

My posts on Minerva.com are on this link so do click on the text where you will find photos and fabric details etc

 

The pattern I used is this top and skirt combo from Sew House Seven details on my Minerva.com page 

The fabric is a glorious sweater knit,which is an absolute breeze to sew 

I took the hem up by about 8" in order to balance the loose fitting top 

The skirt needed taking in quite substantially 

I am very happy with the results so please don't forget to follow the link at the top of this post and see what else I have been making

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Vogue 8854 in dark green Velour Rib

 This is Vogue V8854 made in this absolutely butter soft cord. From Minerva.com 

This absolutely gorgeous velour rib knit is from Minerva.com,  available in many different colours.  Do please click through this link to view more details about this fabric  

Velour cord knit at Minerva.com   Velour cord strech knit fabric

Although it is an "easy" pattern if you are unsure then I suggest that you do a mock up of the front first, any fabric will be fine for this, especially a woven. This cord stretches and care needs to be taken with the front.

To prevent the fabric edges from curling up then I suggest iron on seam taper - it really helps.

There are one or two alterations I want to make, the sleeves need shortening by a couple of inches and as I won't wear the collar up I may as well remove the top popper

The pattern is very roomy, so compare your measurements with those on the pattern.

This is a sucess I feel 😍

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