The happy birds dress! Sew Dolly Clackett

Hope you had a lovely Easter. I enjoyed some sewing.  Here is my latest finished project, may I present the happy birds dress. 

You may or not know Roisin's blog   Roisin is an incredibly talented, profilic and funny blogger who makes the most fantastic fun dresses.  You should visit her blog  She is getting married and Sarah at Rhinestones and telephones has run a competition to celebrate the wedding.  I thought I would make a dress in Roisin style, so a well fitted bodice (you'll have to take my word as I haven't got a photo of the fit yet) with some quirky fun fabric.  I used Christine Haynes Emery dress pattern, which I suppose you would describe as sixties (a la madmen perhaps) style.  The pattern is pretty straight forward.  Many of the reviews say the fit is perfect straight from the packet.  I cut a 12 bust grading to a 10 waist (although the waist is not so fitted and I could have gone for even snugger).  I made some small adjustments; a little off the shoulders and a sway back adjustment.

Believe it or not these are actually the first pockets I have made and pretty straightforward.

 
The skirt is gathered, and I forgot that you shouldn't gather to the end because it would get in the way of the zip, so I had to unpick the end and then trim a little of the skirt.  Worked out in the end.

The bodice is lined.

... and a neat edge to the invisible zip.

 

The zip went in well.  Although I struggle to know exactly where to begin the top of the zip, should it be a little lower so that it lies really flat, but you then need an hook and eye?  As you can see mine is a little crooked.

 



Except I was a little out at the waist.  I don't think it shows too much and I may well wear the dress with a belt.

I still like the dress, its comfortable and fun, what's not to like with clouds and birds (definitely not angry!)

The weather here has been lovely!  We had another visit to a national trust property Town End near Ambleside, which was an interesting cottage with parts from the 16th century.

... lots of carved furniture

... and we loved the stag pie (original recipe) , where the pastry was not intended to eat but as packaging to transport the pie around, broken into and the filling eaten.

A visit to my favourite cinema Fellinis in Ambleside, so civilized, really comfortable chairs and you are even allowed to take a pot of tea in on a tray!  We saw the Grand Budapest Hotel which we enjoyed, very quirky.

And some lovely woody walks filled with bluebells, wood anenomies, violets and primroses, bliss.  So a pretty good Easter though not enough chocolate, what did you get up to?