Project: Frock by Friday { Notes }

{ Source: Grosgrain }

Oh boy, did I screw up the Shirtwaist Dress or what?

I finished constructing the main body of the garment at about 10.30 last night, I was determined to get going on my sewing projects if I was actually going to complete any of these pledges.

I had graded up from a 10 to a 12 at the waist area to incorporate my 12 year old school boy shape. I carefully measured everything and was really pleased with how I'd managed to figure it all out, etc, etc, etc.

Only, when I went to try it on last night, it hung off me. Literally. I shoulda known it wouldn't be that easy! It fit at the bust but everything else? Nope, nuh uh, not a hope in hell. Not really sure what to do about this. I'm considering giving up on this pattern (a freebie) and just getting a commercial pattern. But, really, would that make any difference?

To make up for it I am going shopping with my ex-neighbour, Anna (not AnnaP, a different Anna, confused yet?). We are going charity shop trolling and I intend to buy all the bedsheets I can find. And a cowboy hat. I could maybe start on the playsuit instead, Ali was interested to see what that will look like. So am I, I'm just afraid it'll look nothing like it's supposed to!

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Project: Frock by Friday

Well, I have epically failed at the Shirtwaist Dress due to my complete inability to follow instructions or wait for advice ... again.

Instead of cutting only one side of the front to insert the button placket I thought it would be a good idea to cut through both pieces (!). In retrospect I can see why that was a terrible idea but never having constructed a button placket I didn't know any better.

I also didn't buy enough fabric for the fuller skirt that I wanted to sew. Stupidly I thought that I could make my dress with the same amount of fabric as the slimmer, more fitted, version. I know, I know. All I can say in my defence is that I was obviously having a brain fart moment*. This meant that my belt was too short and only one piece thick (instead of two sewn together to make a nice seamed belt). It also meant I didn't have enough for the aforementioned button placket, not in one piece anyway. Luckily it's to be cut in half so I managed to find clever ways to get enough.

Pleating, again, is definitely not something I'm good at. I got the pleats on the back bodice done almost perfectly and must have let the pride go to my head because the marks for the pleat on either side of the front bodice had disappeared into the button placket. In an attempt to fix I (quite ingeniously if I do say so myself) made myself little pleats halfway along each side so that the edges of the front and the yoke matched. Then my genius failed me totally and I sewed them oh so visibly, with the fold at the front. Fail! Epic fail.

{ Source: Grosgrain }

It's also hit home how much I hate patterns that don't already have the seam allowance added, pleating in the right places when the edge isn't cut in the right place is a bitch and I find them hard enough as it is.

Epic fail, all in all. Sigh. A cup of tea I think, then back to the drawing board.

* I"m having one now over the proper British spelling of defense, defence, whatevah!

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Project: Frock by Friday

Saturday evening I washed and dyed some yellow polycotton that I'd bought only to realise, in my impatience to get sewing, that I should really have taken the time to ask for a sample as it was the wrong yellow. Unfortunately the photos documenting the different colours didn't come out but suffice to say that the bright yellow has become a more golden yellow and much more the colour I was actually after!

Yesterday I spent the day printing out the pattern and piecing it together. Then printing out the pattern of an A-Line Skirt from Burda in order to make a bigger skirt that was more full than fitted as advised by Kathleen of Grosgrain when I asked her how to make a dress with a fuller skirt. And then spent far too many hours attempting to piece it all together. Neither pattern had seam allowances so I'm still marking out the front piece (back already marked and cut) and will be finishing the cutting today. Hopefully my head will clear up a little later (damn summer cold!) and I'll actually get some sewing done too!

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Project: Frock by Friday

{ Source: Grosgrain }

Kathleen of Grosgrain is once again doing a Frock by Friday tutorial, this time for a shirtwaisted dress that has oh so many options it's too fabulous for words.

I didn't go any further than printing and taping the pattern together on the last Frock by Friday dress Kathleen did, as much as I liked the dress it wasn't something I'd wear and I decided that although I needed the practice I should perhaps stick to things I'd use. This, I'd wear and I'm looking forward to getting started on it today.

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Project: Frock By Friday

{ Source: Grosgrain }

Kathleen of Grosgrain is running a 'Frock by Friday' project where readers can download the pattern and instructions to the lovely Coffee Date dress (above) and sew the garment along with Kathleen's good self and everyone else reading.

After multiple emails from people saying how much they'd like to start sewing their own clothes, Kathleen decided to run the project to help people learn, give them confidence and she will be posting detailed instructions daily for people to follow. As projects to inspire confidence go, I think this is a fabulous idea, it's not vintage but it is pretty and you can never have too many pretty dresses!

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