Oh Stitch, Please!

Oh Stitch, Please!

Monday 29 December 2014

You are my SUNSHINE :) - Saltspring goodness.

Today's post is all about the SALTSPRING. I know. This dress pattern was huge HIT amid the blogosphere last summer.... and that is when I purchased the pattern and looked on enviously at all the others popping up. It's also when I took the trip down to Joy's fabric in Geelong to meet up with three other gorgeous sewists! That would be Rachel from Boodog and me, Anna from Blogless Anna and Renay from the Long and Winding Bobbin - all three are blogging and sewing geniuses!



The Saltspring is a dress pattern with tie shoulders, elastic gathered waist and two lengths - I can not pass up a maxi, and despite eating a large amount of fabric, went with this option!




The fabric was a lovely light cotton, and easy to sew with, it is so bright it just screams SUMMER. I wore it to work this week, and one of my colleagues felt it was a SUNSHINE dress! 


Turning the shoulder straps through can be a bit fiddly, and I am not too happy with them dangling. For my next version I would definitely make some set in straps so as not to worry with the tying. The skirt is a flattering A-line shape with in-seam pockets, and I love having pockets in a dress! There is a lapped zipper in the back, which I found a bit tricky, with the two layers of fabric from the self lined bodice, and hence is a bit of a mess! The instructions were fantastic, and I'm sure my next zipper will be a little on the neater side...!!



The only other change I would make, besides the straps, for my next version, would be to add a few cm's to the hem. Prior to hemming, I popped the dress on, and it was sitting at allllmost the right length. I simply overlocked and turned once, to maintain as much length as possible. But this makes it the perfect dress to wear with a pair of haviana's!



What is on your sewing table this week? I am gearing up to tackle the finlayson sweater by thread theory in time for my Dad's birthday in January.

Merry Christmas xx

Tuesday 2 December 2014

Bloglovin'...


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A Trio of Emery's

When the Emery pattern was released, it was instant love. A fit and flare dress with a cute collar and bow option... We were made for each other.

The EMERY dress is by the wonderful Christine Haynes - which I picked up from Caitlyn at Indie Stitches... Caitlyn blogs over at indiestitchesblog and is definitiely worth a look just for the snaps of her gorgeous garden alone!

Anyway.. back to Emery. I liked it. So I made three. Well - two more recently, and one back in the depth of Melbourne winter.


The first version I made was the 3/4 length sleeve version, with the cute collar - view B



The chambray is a lovely and light and was a dream to sew with. It was a leftover purchase from my trip to Asia last November - it came from either Bali or Kuala Lumpar fabric districts... But I can't remember now!





I was trying to show you my cute pocket fabric! Tessuti scraps of a cotton Gabby dress made earlier in the year.

The following two Emery's were made together and finished this morning! I was quick to take the snaps post finishing, and forgot to remove the basting threads from my floral version!

On a side note... I am quickly discovering how awkward this blog photo business can be - I mean, what do I do with my hands!!



This little number is my 'day of the dead' Emery. And I love it! It is a quilting cotton sourced from Etsy - BUT, that print and the shape of the dress really didn't seem to mind. I also put my first ever lapped zipper in this little guy, thanks to Lladybirds technique she blogged during the OAL.


Taaa daaa!!! :)

The day of the dead emery is view A - with no bows or collars, the fabric is certainly loud enough! I didn't have quite enough fabric for the entire full skirt, which also meant any pattern matching wasn't going to happen.




And the final floral Emery - short sleeves, and a contrasting red cotton poplin collar. I have made the bow, but I am feeling it makes the outfit a little toooo kitsch... is that even a thing?

Again, this fabric is leftover from Asia last November, and it is the softest cotton which sewed beautifully. I think it is somewhere in the lawn family.






Fingers crossed this process of posing and photographing my me mades gets easier! in the meantime, hurrah for awkward photos!