As it Seams: July 2015

Alice in Wonderland 150th birthday celebrations and giveaway. Chapter One, A Tea Party

By Victoria As-it-Seams - 04:46

18 Comments

A Bedford Dress! Plus discount and giveaway update

By Victoria As-it-Seams - 01:47

(STOP PRESS - The Big Paris Sew Social Giveaway is still up and running! Hop over here for the first step, to win a choice of pattern from LBG Studio, then cruise around to win 16 prizes!)

If you've ever photographed a little girl, especially my little girl, then you'll know that their favourite trick is to run away.

But hurrah! With the Bedford dress that's perfect!

Because it's the back that is the real 'wow' with this dress.

I was delighted when Erin of Brooklyn Pattern Company asked me to test her new pattern, the Bedford Dress. Mostly I was thrilled because her first dress pattern, the Franklin Dress is one of my all time favourites.

Like the Franklin Dress, Erin's new pattern, the Bedford is really beautifully designed, and deceptively simple. It looks like a classic idea, yet you can tell a there's a lot of skill and design eye, behind that simplicity.

But the Bedford is also very different from the Franklin. Whereas the Franklin was nostalgic and vintage little-girl-style, the Bedford is sharp, funky and playful. It's named after Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And I've actually been there! It's fun and funky area and is where I bought this vintage dress (which sparked a whole sewing adventure - see here)

And now my little girl has her own Bedford dress!

And I'll be honest, I wasn't sure if I would love the Bedford Dress as most of the dresses I sew are old-fashioned look.

But this dress has surprised me.

I mean - that back!

It is so elegant.

The straps are narrower than I expected, and somehow that slimness just contrasts with the loose A-line shape of the dress in a really pretty and dramatic way.

(Now a quick note about these photos . It was a hot day, Missy wasn't in the mood for photos. I did my best, by asking her to dance with this rainbow slinky spring thing, before she ran away. Since then, it has either not been sunny, or we have been away camping and busy. Honestly photographs is BY FAR the hardest part of this blogging thing...so the pix aren't brilliant. Please bear with me.... but I digress)

So the details: Erin's pattern comes with little drawings in the instructions, which I tend to prefer over photographs, they're much clearer. This is a straighforward sew, and Erin has a clever technique for making sure that armhole facing stays perfectly in place.

And this was my first ever exposed zip. I haven't got the top very neat - but that's my fault not Erin's.

The fabric? Well I must admit, I went really thrifty with this dress. This is a re-purposed sheet, possibly Ikea, I'm not sure. I liked its large lime green print. To me it had a bit of a surfer-vibe, which fitted the line of the Bedford dress. I finished the hem with pink bias trim. The Bedford has this lovely scooped detail, which I think the pink emphasizes.

This is a dress for playing in! For camping trips and digging sandcastles on the beach. I am so hopeful that we can find the time, and the sunny weather to spend more days full of play in the Bedford dress this summer.