Really can make all the difference.

I made another Trapeze dress back in March. Having made so many already I just assumed I would love it. The fabric was gorgeous, I’d used some previously for this top

The fabric feels wonderful against the skin, and is lovely to work with. And I was excited to make it up in a Trapeze dress.

So I was really bummed when I finished it, tried it on and was oh so underwhelmed. I did not like it. Couldn’t for the life of me work out why? At first  I thought it might be the sleeve length, I’d made short sleeves, but thought perhaps they could be shorter. So I shortened them by about 2cm. Hmmm was a little better, but still did’t want to wear it.

I left it in the wardrobe for a while.  Then thought I might be mistaken, tried it on again, fully prepared to wear it. But NO! It just looked plain and frumpy.

I put it back on Gertie so I could sit and look at it and decide what I might do, if anything. Contemplated shortening it into a top, or maybe just taking a few inches off to make into more of a tunic.

And then it hit me! I’d turn it up, but not cut anything off and make a sort of hem detail. Have done it once before by mistake, which I ended up loving, here…

I had nothing to lose, didn’t like the dress as it was. And if didn’t work I could unpick or cut it off anyway.

Happily it worked out perfectly and I now love it! Just this one small detail has made so much difference. I can’t believe it.

Unfortunately I was so uninspired by the original version that I didn’t take any pics for comparison, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

I’m so happy I was able to resolve this. I loved the fabric and was upset that I might have wasted it. And it also really affected my confidence. I kept looking at my lovely fabric stash and feeling so nervous about making anything, in case I didn’t like it. On the same day I did this alteration, I started on a new project. And thats for another post…

Bought some new jeans recently (one of the things I don’t make) and the style is a bit different from my usual skinny fit, Boyfriend style. Taken a while to jump on that band wagon. And the style of tops I’ve been wearing of late don’t go with them at all. So I’ve pulled out my old, Tilly and the Buttons ” Mathilde” blouses.

So happy to be loving them again!

I have many more too…

Got this gorgeous sweatshirt fabric from Minerva crafts, sat on it for a while as couldn’t decide what to make. Eventually ended up making another Trapeze tunic length top. I bought 3 metres of it, so still have enough to make something else.

Just a few pics, we all know what these tops look like by now!

The stars are glittery!

My sewing really has slowed down of late. I’ve got some beautiful fabrics in my stash, just crying out to be made up, but I just can’t seem to motivate myself at the moment. Think I might need to clear out my wardrobe, make room for new stuff…

I love this dress, yes its another Marshmallow, I don’t care. I love it! this time I used a gorgeous cotton block print fabric from Merchant and Mills. I was a little concerned when I first got it ( ordered online instead of going to shop) that it might be too corse/stiff for a dress, but the fabric has softened up with wear and wash and ironing. Also it was a dream to work with.

I decided also to do a proper facing this time, and not cut corners, where I usually do and simply fold the neckline over. I have learnt this doesn’t give a very neat finish. And I’ve also learnt its actually easier to just do it properly!

Pictures follow now!

Look at that neckline…

I felt really good wearing this. Husband says I look funky :0) And thats a good thing.

I’m not doing as much sewing at the moment as I have done in the past. Other things are a priority right now. Life gets in the way of the fun stuff! However when I do get a chance to sew, I grab it with both hands and enjoy. It really does help take my mind off the other stuff.

I shortened this dress a little…

From that length to this…

These are not very exciting and I don’t really like the cream patterned one, so I’m squishing them both into one post.

First up is the blue spotty one, I do like this.

Its a Marshmallow without the frill skirt bit.

And now for the cream one. I’ve come to realise I’m not very good with fussy patterns, or flowery ones. They make me feel frumpy!

I love the look of the pattern on this fabric, but its just not for me.

Its a bit like this one below. I love the top I love the fabric, but I just feel a bit frumpy when I wear it. I will continue to wear it though as the fabric wasn’t cheap, and I don’t want it going to waste!

So I suppose I’m learning what I do and don’t like…

Just realised I have a couple of things at least that I’ve not photographed and as a result have not yet blogged about, but to be fair I have been on holiday!

However I managed to save it. I was making another Marshmallow, using a 2cm seam allowance. And forgot that woven fabrics don’t tend to have as much give in them as the knitted fabrics. When I had completed the top half of the tunic, I tried it on. It fit okay and I was happy with it, but then I tried to take it off! And almost got stuck! after a good 5 minute struggle I eventually got it off. all seemed okay, except when I looked closer I noticed that I had put the centre back seam under considerable strain and it now looked a bit delicate. Like it could rip if I tried doing that again.

So I decided to unpick the centre back seam, and sew it again using a 1cm SA, i did this, tried it on and it was still a struggle to get it off, not quite as much as before, but more of a struggle than I wanted it to be.

So I then unpicked the sleeves and the side seams, and more or less started again. using a 1cm SA through out this time. Which made it quite tricky in places, for this was no ordinary fabric. Its a beautiful cotton poplin type fabric with embroidered flowers scattered about. And sometimes the embroidered bits would get a little stuck going through the sewing machine. And I would have to be very firm with it.

I had 2.5m of the stuff, and had already planned to make Marshmallow tunic and then a Marshmallow without the ruffle. I decided to make this first one the top without the ruffle bit.  Just in case I wasn’t happy with it.

I think it ended up quite good, I’m quite happy with it. And surprisingly you can’t really see where it was unpicked at all!

There will now be lots of pics so you can see how lovely this fabric is.

I tried to place my pattern pieces so that I wouldn’t have too much of the embroidered parts at points where the seams would join. Impossible to avoid all of them though.

I have already worn it, last week in the lovely warm weather. And it was very nice and comfortable to wear.

I’ve had this fabric in my stash, for a very long time. So I’m happy to have finally used it! And I’m not even going to apologise for making another Marshmallow.

This is a beautifully soft cotton from Merchant and Mills. Still available from them, also comes in other colours.

The last two I’ve made were sleeveless, and whilst I make no apologies anymore for my arms and I will wear sleeveless proudly. I still prefer a sleeve, so I’m very happy to have had enough fabric to make them.

This is going to be so lovely when the weather warms up!

So I’ve had this fabric in my stash box for a year or more now. Has taken me this long to decide what to do with it.

Once again I only had a metre, well tell a lie, I bought 1.5metres but the fabric is only 110cm wide, so I had to fold it in half horizontally instead of vertically. The stripes should run vertically, but as theres no stretch whatsoever in this crepe type fabric, it doesn’t matter which way the fabric goes, if that makes sense?

I am very happy with my umpteenth Marshmallow tunic, but can’t help feeling it looks better on Gertie than it does on me!

The white stripes are actually more of a cream than they look here, look very white in the pics.

Have to say I didn’t even pretend to try and pattern match the stripes. I can’t be doing with that kind of headache!

Its not a perfect make, but I’m happy.

I think it would have looked better with sleeves, but I really didn’t have enough fabric for that. So you do what you gotta do.

I’m off on holiday in May, so I’m hoping for the weather to be warm enough to wear it then.