Tuesday 8 July 2014

Butterick 6018 and happy July



Things got pretty much out of kilter in June.  It is the worst month of the year for me, Dan and Gemma moved out and I am getting reused to living alone, my hard drive packed up etc. etc., so that's why the posts have been few and far between.  However, things are getting back to normal.  A new 50s style dress is finished; Butterick 6018.




This has a definite 50s feel with its high, fitted bodice and wide skirt made from 8 panels.


There is a sweetheart neckline which was a little challenging to make it sit nicely, but I just about managed.   You can imagine how difficult it was to turn all that thickness of material into a neat little point.

The pattern had facings, but I decided to do a full lining (love the mint colour!).
 


The fabric was incredibly cheap, enough for two dresses and it only cost £15, and because of this it was a bit rough, it is a type of crepe but with a high synthetic content, and it was difficult to cut and sew, shifting everywhere, weighs a ton, but I just love this colour, duck egg blue is my absolute favourite.  I think this pattern would make a lovely evening dress, perhaps in a black silk, so I do hope to make it again. maybe a little more fitted around the waist.

I am working on lots of other projects; another dress, a slip, another dress cut out,  two sweaters to block and sew up and a new cardi on the go.  Actually I don't think I like having so many on the go, I really prefer having one sewing and one knitting project on the go until they are finished.  Why so many then?  Its the result of lots of sew and knit-alongs which I wanted to join in and then have found tricky to keep up with!  In future I won't do more than one at once.

The best part of June was an enjoyable day at the Minerva meet-up.  Starting with some bucks fizz it was heaving.  It was odd seeing people whose blogs I follow and feeling a bit like a stalker as you stared and thought that's "Scruffy Badger!"


I did pluck up the nerve to actually speak to Karen of "Did you Make That"  who gave a great talk.  I'm wearing my Cambie dress which could do with some adjustments since I've lost a bit of weight.  The rather oddly placed circles on my chest are where people were voting for my dress!  Very flattering, it was definitely the bright pink flamingos.



My favourite dress of the day was this one, doesn't she look lovely, it's the Betty dress, which I rather fancy in some caramel polkadot fabric.


So I had a great day, and of course didn't manage to leave without spending rather a lot of money!  As you can see there is a definitely duck egg and teal thing going on here.

 

Other good bits have been a working lunch at Lakeside Hotel!  How lovely is this, and how lucky am I to live in such a beautiful part of the world?




Last night I went to the annual village dance and I had a great time; danced for ages and did not feel my age at all ... I was back in the 70s and I won the raffle, a bottle of Glenfiddich.  The band included some amazing facial hair and a great guest appearance by a very young drummer.




 
... today was glorious and what a gorgeous sight this old railway signal covered with roses was.


Finally I leave you with this very cute pic of my lovely cats, being very sweet with each other, that's certainly not always the case.

8 comments:

  1. This is such a lovely dress, and the duck egg blue colour is beautiful. The pattern looks beautiful, and looks like it could be used for a lot of different style dresses

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    1. Thanks so much Kaitlyn, yes I would like to make it in a heavy silk for going out.

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  2. I was working on this dress (the collared version) for Easter, but ended up putting it down out of frustration. I'm not a big fan of the length of the sleeves, and was struggling with the cuffs. I put a full lining in mine, too. Not sure if I'll be returning to it…it's hard to go back to a project after getting so frustrated at it!

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  3. That's a shame,it is really hard to carry on, would the sleeves be better shorter? Does the collar make it quite thick in parts? The collar is nice though.

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  4. Found your blog and wow it is wonderful.. your dress making skills are so good, those jackets you've made are amazing. All shown off by your slim figure.. I haven't sewn any clothes for a long, long time, I put on weight and so gave up, but recently a friend told me about a couple of sites with half price patterns so I have a skirt and an easy top pattern... now all I have to do is find some dress fabric.
    I loved that light weight variegated yarn which was aqua, blue and purply in colour and wondered what it was.. I can see that as a super crochet shawl.
    I have become a follower so I can pop back to see all your projects.
    Happy sewing
    Chris

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    1. Thanks Chris, so lovely to hear from you and I have just been lusting after your fantastic quilt, clothes should be no problem with that level of skill. I think the wool you mean is Louisa Hardings Amiltola which I enjoyed knitting with and which I be blogging about soon. Keep in touch.

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  5. I'm really sorry June is a hard month, and that things have been difficult. Transitions can be so stressful. I hope things are on a more even keel now and I'm really glad you had a good time at the Minerva meet up. Wow, those ladies were wearing some amazing dresses! Did anyone turn up in jeans?! Your dress is beautiful and I just love the duck egg colour.

    Also - I just wanted to say thank you for your comments on my blog. They always cheer me and make me smile, and make me feel grateful for blogging friendships and the support of like-minded people. x

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    1. Likewise Gillian, you blog brings me a lot of pleasure and prompts a lot of happy memories, which is a big deal for me. Thanks so much. Also I'm so impressed with how your blog has taken off, and hopefully it continue in its success. xx

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