Sometimes everything seems to come together with perfect timing.... Only to be washed away again on the incoming tide. It's been hot and sunny for weeks now, and Missy has gone nowhere without her rather pretty (shop-bought) hat. Until last week, when I came home to hear her say "Mummy, I lost my hat." I was only momentary sad, because the little sewing-addict inside...




A few weeks ago I had a vision of making a blouse that screamed 'Summer.' I was thinking of a 1970s, hippy chic Californian vibe that would brighten dull English skies. And I loved this fine cotton from Art Gallery Fabrics, designed by Pat Bravo from her Summer Love collection, and bought from Laughing House. It is certainly says 'summer!' I also wanted...





IF every girl needs a "I'm a princess" dress, then, so does Dolly! So, in what might have been a moment of sewing madness, I created a mini-Tinny! The mini Tinny is, of course, based on Straightgrain's versatile vintage dress pattern - See below for chance to win one! And Dolly had to have a circular skirt! So I found the biggest circle...
"I'm a princess!" declared missy as she swirled in this dress.
This is the well-documented power of the circular-skirt, as also recorded by the ever-inspiring An of Straightgrain, here.
And I was as excited as a 'circular-skirted-three-year-old' when An asked me to test her gorgeous new Tinny dress pattern. Especially as it was a lot of 'firsts' for me. First pattern testing, first blind zipper - and now first giveaway!
I loved Tinny's nostalgic look, but also the simplicity and versatility.
Would you like your skirt circular, pleated or gathered ? Notched or petal sleeves? Four different collars... A browse through Straight Grain's archive will reveal An's many and lovely versions...
That's a pattern with a lot of choice in one classic idea.
If you're already a follower, you can enter too, simply comment below, or on facebook, too!
Winner will be picked at random on Saturday July 13.
STOP PRESS - I'm extending deadline to the end of Wednesday July 17, midnight BST, to allow last minute visitors a chance to enter!
This is the well-documented power of the circular-skirt, as also recorded by the ever-inspiring An of Straightgrain, here.
And I was as excited as a 'circular-skirted-three-year-old' when An asked me to test her gorgeous new Tinny dress pattern. Especially as it was a lot of 'firsts' for me. First pattern testing, first blind zipper - and now first giveaway!
I loved Tinny's nostalgic look, but also the simplicity and versatility.
Would you like your skirt circular, pleated or gathered ? Notched or petal sleeves? Four different collars... A browse through Straight Grain's archive will reveal An's many and lovely versions...
That's a pattern with a lot of choice in one classic idea.
With An's sewing deadline to meet, I had to focus my ideas for the Tinny.
What I really wanted to do was create a dress that was perfect for spring, and find this exact fabric - as used by mum in 1970something for me...
What I really wanted to do was create a dress that was perfect for spring, and find this exact fabric - as used by mum in 1970something for me...
But sadly it was not to be. I had to meet An's pattern-testing deadline, and couldn't search for online fabric. I had to rely on my local fabric shop.
No bad thing - sometime less choice, and necessity, are forces for creativity. So this daisy print with a kind of psychadelic swirl would have to do. And it's certainly retro.
This was only the second digital pdf pattern I'd used (the first was Straight Grain's bubble dress pattern as used here. And watch this space for another version to come).
An's instructions and lots of photos made Tinny an easy project, particularly inserting the blind zipper, which I'd never done before. But, predictably, just as I raced to finish the dress to deadline, my sewing machine decided to jam up. It limped its way to the end of the Tinny dress - before being taken to Sewing Machine Hospital - but lots of details aren't as neat as I'd like, particularly my zip.
I added yellow piping to the waist, for extra vintageness, and (despite my piping-addiction) resisted adding it to the collar and cuffs. The clean lines of the petal-cuffed sleeves worked better and they seemed so appropriate for my daisy fabric.
This is size five - I always make things big - so the bodice looks a little boxy. But missy is growing fast!
What I love about digital patterns is that they can be used over and over again. This was easy to do - printed out on A4 paper. So next time I can find the print of my dreams - and make the notch collar!
What I love about digital patterns is that they can be used over and over again. This was easy to do - printed out on A4 paper. So next time I can find the print of my dreams - and make the notch collar!
And dear readers... you too can create vintage loveliness for little girls!
An's Tinny dress pattern, size 1 to 6, is available to buy here. But she's also kindly letting me give one away , to be emailed directly to one lucky winner as a pdf file.
To win the chance to experience the princess effect, simply;
- follow my as-it-seams blog on blogger, bloglovin or by email.
- Or 'like' and 'share' the as-it-seams facebook page.
- Then leave a comment below to let me know you're a follower, or if you prefer, email me or put a message on my facebook page to let me know you'd like to be in the draw!
- thanks!
Winner will be picked at random on Saturday July 13.
STOP PRESS - I'm extending deadline to the end of Wednesday July 17, midnight BST, to allow last minute visitors a chance to enter!