Take One Dress 2014 - 12 stunning creations

Well, look at this beautiful gallery of creativity!

These are the Take One Dress 2014 creations, and it amazes me that so many beautiful things have been show-cased  on my little blog.

In case you've missed it, Take One Dress was the series running on As it Seams, where each month a different blogger sewed something based on an 'inspiration' dress posted by the previous month's guest.

It's been a lot of fun!

I've made two galleries, for the first and second half of 2014. 

First row

December 2013 The first inspiration, a vintage red dress which inspired me to sew this  Christmas dress for Missy and  pass on the same inspiration to...

January   ...Natalie, Nat and the Gang, who sewed this cute peacock blue Mara blouse, and passed on the inspiration with a dress from her own childhood to...

Second Row

February... Marta, Do Guincho, created a unique lace-zip dress, and then selected an iconic MadMen poster of Miss Holloway for...

March ....Jenya,  While She Was Sleeping, sewed these pinsharp pleats and cute collar, and picked a nautical number to pass to...

Third Row

April ...Suz, Sewpony, who created the most adorable bow-collar dress and picked this floral shift to pass to...

May...Trine, Groovy Baby and Mama who sewed simple, stylish florals and selected this contrast striped dress for...

First Row

June Heidi, Elegance and Elephants, who focused on the stripes for a wearable little dress, and picked a silvery party dress to pass to...

July, Sophie, Ma Vie en Scrap, who created an impeccable Hanami complete with bow and chose a graphic dress for...

 Second Row

August Renee, Nearest the Pin, who combined black and Nani Iro double gauze  and picked a delicate lavender dress for...

September, Tasha, Glitter +Wit, who combined a gold hat with a colour contrast collar and selected her own creation to pass to...

Third Row 

October, Laura, Behind the Hedgerow, who sewed a dress that was guaranteed to create smiles, and chose big bold prints for....

November, Olga, Kid Approved, who sewed the most beautiful big bold print there is for this dress and ...picked a stunning shirt collar dress for....

December, As it Seams.. Me!

So where is my 'Take One Dress' Creation?

Yes, I know it's now 2015, but this being my series I've cut myself a little slack. But it's coming very, very soon. This week in fact!

Wanna see?
Here's a sneaky preview..

Honestly I am slightly in love with which dress Olga inspired me to make. Can't wait to reveal all, and would love to know what you think of this series.

And the winner of "Best Dress 2014" is.....

So I was going to do a 'round-up' of 2014, but this week I'm off work at home with the children and the time is too precious to spend sitting fiddling with photos in front of the computer. Except I couldn't resist these two, because they remind me of summer days, and nights.

Instead I thought I'd pick my favourite from the year. And it turns out to be not one, but two dresses. Both have been absolute Sewing Hits. When either Missy or I wear our versions, random strangers stop me in the street to ask where they're from. I have never, ever felt so smug saying "I made it!" And Missy's has been a cross-season, wearable dress over T-shirts, and to party's or the park. Mine, on the other hand, is a bit of a 'statement'.

I sewed these two for a lovely series, You and Me hosted by  Jenya at While She Was Sleeping, and coincidentally, I don't think I've blogged about them over here yet. So I'm reproducing the un-edited post from the summer.

Hi, I'm Victoria, and I think perhaps I'm slightly insane...

This has to be one of the most bonkers sewing projects I've undertaken in a while, but forgive me, I just couldn't help it.

 

Yep, For Jenya's series,I've gone matchy matchy...and I'm really hoping that this is on the right side of the fine line that is 'wearable'.

When Jenya contacted me to take part in her You and Me series, I knew immediately what I would sew. I already had this  project in the pipeline.

Missy is such a funny companion. She’s full of personality, (almost) always happy, and is not very ‘girly’. She never asks for pink and would rather be a pirate than a princess.

Me on the other hand....

I live in dresses. Sometimes when I can’t sleep, I try and count the dresses  hanging in my wardrobe, (or tucked away under my bed...or in the attic cupboard...or...then I fall asleep.)

I wear dresses to work, to the park, gardening, walking in the woods  near our house.

Also Missy and I (and my son and Mr As it Seams) spend our summers outdoors, camping and being sociable. Mr As it Seams is a musician and we’re often at summer music festivals - where I love to dress up a bit.

And I’ve been thinking about my sewing addiction. It isn’t really about making clothes for Missy. What I really love is transforming wonderful fabric.

So how about if I used some of the fabric I love for me, as well as Missy?

Could I , almost four decades older than my little girl, wear some  Michael Miller print too?

When my brother flew back from New York he brought me an extra couple of yards of this Park Landscape print.. (Oh how jealous I am of my American friends where fabrics are half the price).

It looks so like the English gardens and countryside where I live.

I make no claims of originality with Missy’s dress. This is purely and simply copied from Straight Grain’s birthday Hanami  dress. I’ve done this pattern soooo many times, it was an easy sew. The only modification was some purple piping at the waist.

In contrast to Missy’s dress, mine was a massive headache...with Challenge # 1 - The Fit.

I haven’t sewn for myself since I was a teenager. Doing this I remembered why.

I  started modifying this ancient McCalls pattern. Big mistake.

 

I wanted to keep seaming on the bodice to a minimum to avoid messing with the print. But I also wanted a flared skirt. So I added a half circle skirt to this straight up and down shift pattern. I wish my Maths teachers could see their geometry  in action! I ignored the pattern instructions and sewed an invisible zip, Hanami style.

I also created a v-back neckline - in hindsight I wish I’d  cut this lower.

But I’m pleased with the invisible zip - especially Missy’s. Look the pattern matches across her back!

The fit on my dress was a nightmare - way too big.  I started fiddling with darts and lifted the shoulder seams. I forgot that this would make the arm holes smaller, and the result it puffed sleeves, which I didn’t intend!

After this post is published, I’m going to set to work with my seamripper on those sleeves.

Then there was Challenge # 2 - The Photo Shoot.

For this I had to rely on Mr As it Seams...And find a gap in our summer/camping/working schedule. And face his lack of camera skills and enthusiasm. 

Originally, I wanted to take pictures in a suitable setting, a park or meadow. Not Possible, for all the reasons above. And I suspect these dresses would 'disappear' in the English landscapes.

So it’s back to the old garage door. And when I edited the photos, there were none of Missy looking her  best AND me looking half decent. I decided to go with the ones I like of me - there are more than enough in the blogosphere of Missy already.

What do you think? Do I look like I’m wearing a curtain? Or is this the right side of funky!? I don't think we'll wear them together often, but Missy of course LOVED it. 

Her verdict...

“Mummy I can be Little Princess and you can be Big Princess!”

And for that alone, the seamripping was worth it.

Sewing Karma - a Louisa for another little girl, and for Africa

Do you ever sew the same dress more twice? I mean EXACTLY the same dress?

For me it never happens. There's just too many gorgeous fabrics and sewing patterns - and too little time.

And I NEVER sew for anyone else - my scrappy seams are for my eyes only.

But for this dress, and for a special reason, I made an exception.

But for the first time, ever I accepted 'a commission.'

Through the powers of the internet, a very old friend, who sadly I have not seen in real life for twenty years, contacted me to ask; "Would I sew a dress as a gift for another little girl."

I pondered and procrastinated and the months went past, before she asked me again, along with the tricky question; "What cost?"

This was the dress she chose - a Louisa by Compagnie M sewn exactly a year ago. Details here. (I can't believe how Missy has grown!). And it was a good choice, the Louisa is so practical and wearable, but also elegant and quirky.

Oh my! How on earth do I cost my sewing? I like to sew wonderful fabric, you could buy a dress cheaper in the supermarket than the price of the fabric. And if I started to cost out the hours spent online-fabric gazing and planning, and cutting and seam-ripping and... and...well this dress-thing is quite simply NOT cost-effective. Really thinking about this has made me look at ready-made clothing so differently. A dress for £15 in the supermarket? It's so cheap! The cost of the cotton! The design process! It's no wonder that whoever stitched it together in a factory in Bangladesh must be paid mere pennies. And it's the thought of this exploitation that makes me want to sew my own clothes.

But I digress. I told my  friend that price was impossible - I would sew her a dress if she covered the cost of the fabric and made a donation to medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, Doctors without Borders.

I have been so deeply moved by the Ebola crisis and the utter heroism of volunteers and local people and this seemed like the only thing I could do.

And my friend was equally happy with the plan.

So I sewed this dress for the fight against Ebola - and that was motivation and inspiration enough to replicate a dress.

It is exactly the same. Like my first 'Louisa dress' I modified it slightly, by adding a front panel with a pair of tucks. This was relatively straightforward although required a little maths to calculate those tucks. My original dress used a scrap of Nordika Whimsicol fabric by Jeni Baker. I spent literally hours scouring the internet trying to find another fat quarter of this fabric, but I think it has disappeared from every fabric shop in the globe now.

I had no idea what to replace it with - I mean, how do you follow that Whimsicol? 

Then I stumbled on the perfect replacement, Katarina Rocella's Floret Stains in Tealberry for her Indelible range for Art Gallery Fabrics. Simply stunning.

I was making this for a little girl who is just 3, so it is tight on Missy (who is four and a half). And the photos aren't our best. Just days before Missy had tripped running out of the school playground, and her lip is all puffed up. And the weather was gloomy - but I had to get snapping before putting it the post to its recipient. I made a real effort to sew this neatly. The hems are all trimmed with pink bias, and every seam is finished neatly.

This was one of Missy's most worn dresses, and I very much hope that another little girl is enjoying this fun Louisa dress. And also that in some very small way we have spread a little support to those battling Ebola. 

Have you ever sewn for someone else? Or for another cause? Or tried to 'cost out' your sewing? I'd love to hear your stories!

Confession! - Gorgeous fabric 'chopped' for an Elisalex dress

Do you ever feel guilty about cutting gorgeous fabric?

I do with this dress, because I stuffed up a little, and it is Nani Iro double guaze...

Well oops!

 

This dress is now partially in bits - awaiting a restitch

But if I wait till its fixed before  I blog, that will be...2016? . And these pictures are already looking incongruous taken in the lovely autumn sunshine that has now disappeared. So let's treat this as 'Work in Progress' ? OK?

The pattern is Elisalex from By Hand London. And it is so lovely. I was wary of that Tulip skirt. The pattern pieces look soooo wide right around the hips. But I think that this emphasises the  fitted waist, and then hides a multitude of sins. Um, if it fits correctly!

But it also created a big fitting headache - for me at least. According to the pattern chart I was a UK size 8 bust, size 12 waist. So I redrafted the bodice. With some success. But the lovely scoop back neckline gaped massively, and slipped off my shoulders (I have since learned a new fitting term 'shoulder slope'). If you make an Elisalex, make a decent muslin!

So I re-stitched the zip, taking in a couple of inches. The result is a zip that now pulls across my shoulders. And I'm embarrassed to publish this pic.  So please don't look too closely. It's now been unpicked again, waiting another re-fit. That poor Nani Iro, it can barely stand the constant seam-rippping.

Speaking of which, I can't tell you how fabulous this fabric is.

It's double-gauze and looks as if it's been scribbled all over with a pencil. It's from Miss Matatabi, of course.

[Addition, Dec 3] This fabric has made appearances before here at As it Seams.

I made this easy peasy blouse for Missy, after an evening of cursing at the fit of this Elisalex, and back in July  made a little fish for Rachel at Stitched Together. The fabric has a lovely white border stripe, but I thought that would be a bit too 'seaside' for this dress, so left it out - which added a cutting out challenge. But I managed it!

And now this dress is now back on my sewing shelves, it did have a London outing. I felt fabulous strolling by the Thames on a rare day out, to view Matisse (Matisse! Love love!) and sip a glass of wine uninterrupted by any child, and pretend to be grown-up!

The Elisalex dress, By Hand London

The Verdict.

A stylish pattern, which flatters the waist

Do...

Make a muslin and pay very close attention, especially to the shoulders. This needs to fit really well to look good, and to avoid annoying 'shoulder slip'

Don't...

Be daunted. This is actually an easy sew

Add pockets! I hid inseam pockets in that wonderful Tulip skirt, there's plenty of room.

How to 'sew' a Christmas card (or a dozen!) - with Tutorial

Is it possible to  'Sew' a Christmas card? 

Could I turn my compulsion to sew into something  apart from a dress?

And could that sewing compulsion be mass produced to make a decent batch of cards?

 

And it seems that I can! The latest experiment worked! This was a bit of a sewing revelation. I wanted to create something that didn't matter too much whether it was 'neat' or not. The lack of perfection, I hope, would add to the charm.

And in just a couple of hours I've created a decent batch! Enough to send to distant friends - and my blogging friends around the world! Hurray!

And it was very simple. A strip of velvet in the deepest burgundy, which sadly I've failed to photograph adequately. Then a piece of white cotton, an extra layer of sparkly organza, a nd a simple green triangle to finish them off. The biggest slog (and it wasn't too arduous,) was hand-sewing the star shaped sequins. Then I literally stitched the velvet sparkly 'wintery landscapes' on to the cards with my sewing machine. This was immensely satisfying, and so, so easy! For fuller details see the tutorial below.

My little 'photo shoot' turned out to be more complicated than stitching the cards!

I had an idea to create a snow scene - and used icing sugar. Which proved to be slightly crazy. Picture the scene - the cards, houses, white table cloth are precariously balanced on my stairs, because the stair window gets the morning sunlight. In one hand I am shaking icing sugar through a sieve, in the other I am trying to click the camera to 'capture the moment.' I'm kneeling on the stairs, my fingers are getting sticky and sugary, my beloved camera is at risk from icing sugar. And I'm thinking; "If anyone knocks on the door now, they're going to think I'm nuts."

And I failed to capture the 'sugar blizzard' on camera.
But I am fairly happy that I created a little sewing love to share with a lot of people!

Victoria

Tutorial

1. Stitch a strip of velvet to white cotton. (Or any fabric of your choice! Think winter!)

Top stitch sparkly organza along the seam. I deliberately kept the raw frayed edge. Looks a bit frosty! (Apologies for photo quality - all my sewing is done at night, in lighting that isn't great! And please don't mention the stem of a wine glass that has sneaked into this picture).

2. Cut the strip to a long rectangle.

3. Cut the rectangle into small oblongs. Use the size of your card as a guide. Cut Christmas tree triangles and pin.

4. Stitch the triangle trees in place with the machine. No need to be neat! These are tiny, it's a fiddle, Christmas cards aren't designed to last forever. Handstitch a couple of sequins.

5. Stitch each rectangle landscape directly to the front of your card, using your sewing machine. Sorry forgot to take a picture of this step. But honestly, it is as easy as it sounds.

6. Et Voila! Lots of cards, write a message of love, send it to a dear  friend, preferably someone who will say "Wow! Sewing!"