Monday. 3pm. And I might as well face the fact that the work I should be doing (1910 outfit for up coming TV show) is just not going to get a look in today. It’s snowing!! Like the railroads here, a bit of weather and my day goes to hell. That’s my Monday excuse and I’m sticking to it. So a good day instead to catch up on blog bits and pieces and post a few little items that had been shunted aside and that I do feel a little guilty about not getting back to. So in no particular order-
1: I have redrawn my 30’s PJ pattern in Illustrator and now it looks all lovely and ‘professional’ and is clearer to use than the original hand-drawn and scanned one 🙂 The cover illustration and included Sewing Instructions got a bit of a makeover too. If you had down-loaded this pattern previously please do replace it with the newer one.
2: Remember the 3 skirts from September -my, how time flies! Well a very nice reader (as I’m sure you all are) contacted me a few weeks back to ask when was I actually getting back to the skirt drafting tutorials I had started as she really wanted to make herself this 50’s style one with the ‘bucket’ pockets. I re-checked the tutorial and all the info you need to draft a pencil skirt is there. And now today I’ve posted a pdf for the bucket-pocket pieces. It is a tiled pdf so you can either just use it just as a reference for how the pattern pieces are shaped or you can adapt the pieces to fit your own pencil skirt patterns, self-drafted or otherwise. As always just drop me a line if you need help.
3: A GIVE-AWAY 🙂 The second half of my Second Year Blogaversary celebration (the LBD being the other).
ONE copy of my Bloggin’ Blues dress pattern. It will be the complete pattern, hand copied onto pattern makers spot & cross pattern paper, posted to wherever the winner lives. Size is a UK12 (89-73-96cms/35-29-38ins) but will easily work on a figure either a bit smaller or a bit larger.
I gotta be honest now, this is not a “beginner” project… the bias draped sleeves take a certain amount of finessing (read hair pulling) to get them to hang nicely, the multi-rows of shirring take ages to do and the rouleaux loops down the front are, well, rouleaux loops and the hassle they always are. But it is a fab dress, dare I say so myself. I’m about to make another in a rayon floral print which will look very different. I’m still debating whether the sleeves, yoke and pockets should be in a plain fabric to contrast or to do the whole dress in the print… watch this space.
Annnnnyyway, if you haven’t been put off now by my saying what a fiddly dress it is to make and you would relish the chance to have a go yourself leave a comment saying so and next Sunday the 17th before I shut down for the night I will post an Entries Closed comment and randomly draw a winner to be announced a couple of days later. Until the Entries Closed comment is there the draw remains open.
So, short of explaining how to move darts around and split them as needed for that bow skirt I think I’m fairly caught up. With blog things at least. Everything else is another story…
I am in no way qualified or skilled enough to make this dress, so don’t enter me. Give it to someone who could actually use it. I just discovered your blog, and I have to say that these are the most beautiful clothes! I have never seen such gorgeous riffs on vintage clothing. Thank you so much for sharing these with me!!!
Wow, thank you very much Becky for your compliments!
I like your phrase “riffs on vintage clothing” and may adopt that sometimes when asked what kind of things I make. Ok, I won’t include you in this draw but hope you will enter others later on
Please enter me too. You’ve done a really great job on this dress and it looks fabulous on you. (I’m guessing that’s you in the Gallery). I think a challenge is good, to keep improving my skills, and this would be a step up for me.
And thanks for the skirt pocket, I’ll be using that up soon.
Thank you Wendy, yes that’s me 🙂
Hope the pocket pieces work well for you!
Congrats on your blogoversary! I love your blog and all the patterns you share, and I’d love to win a copy of this fab dress pattern! If I don’t win, I do hope there might be a copy available on your site someday. 🙂
Would love to make this (or die trying!) – Its a real beauty!
Beautifull dress 🙂
And there are sooo much beautifull on your page 🙂
Thanks for much inspirasjon 🙂
( sorry if my english is bad )
🙂
Thank you for commenting, your English is just fine!
I love your dress so much I just have to enter your competition! I can’t say I am an advanced seamstress but I am always looking for ways to improve my skills!
That’s the spirit! 🙂
oh, please enter me! I’d love to make that dress!
It’s a beautiful dress and I’d love to have a go at making it.
gorgeous dress of my dreams!!
Fiddly & worth it! I’m quite looking forward to seeing this fancy frock done up in print. Count me in for the drawing, too. 🙂
Love that dress. It would so be worth the challenge.
It is a beautiful dress. I would love to try making it.
I’d have to size it up, but I can manage that; love the style!
I think it’s a very straight forward pattern to size up.
The most amazing dress. I’d love the chance to stretch my skills and try it. It is just gorgeous,
I would love to win that dress pattern, so feminine
I love that dress and the chance to make one!
Oh, yes! Please enter me in the drawing, too!
And, remember, we released you from any guilt – past, present, or future!
Lol, yes but those loose ends keep me awake at night!
I love it when an intellectual challenge results in something gorgeous to wear! Me! Me! Me! Pleeeeaaase!
I gasped at how beautiful your dress was when you first posted it, it’s just the kind of vintage dress style I always swoon over, so yes please, I would LOVE to win a copy!
I love love that dress and the changes you made from the original. I would surely enjoy the opportunity to make it!