Lace and Gingham Dress

This is a new make! Well I say new, I made it ages ago but it took me ages to get round to photographing it. Like my background? Santa's already started putting presents in our spare room so I've had to borrow little Knitwits wall to take these! Thomas the tank engine is super awesome by the way!

It's the princess seam bodice from the second Great British Sewing Bee book. Its used for two of the projects the shift dress and the full skirted dress. Anyway I had already traced the bodice for my shift dresses but I really liked the full skirted look. So I used that as my inspiration. But because I'm lazy I couldn't be bother to trace off the skirt pieces so I drafted a full circle skirt all by myself! LIKE A BOSS!

As I've said I was only using their image as inspiration so I left of the sleeves (well kind of sleeves more like sleeve cap things) and added a lace waistband. The lace waistband came about because I have a ready to wear dress that has a lace waist band and Mr Knitwit commented that he thought it was cute..... And he says I never listen to him! Oddly enough I didn't need to alter the bodice in any way to accommodate the waistband. I think its because the bodice is drafted to be quite high anyway [Much higher than how it looks on the model in the book]

The fabric was sent to me by a lovely lady who reads my blog. And I really love it! I don't really own too many check items but this dress is making want to expand my horizons! Even if it was a beast to try and match! 

Here's my self drafted skirt , well I say drafted I just measured myself and then cut into the fabric! The skirt is bias but the lace band and the chequered band art the bottom are cut on the grain. It was actually really easy to apply and because the bottom band is cut on grain and is straight it made hemming the skirt so easy! Even if there was bloody loads of it!

Lace application wise I just sewed it on and then top stitched the seam allowance towards the chequered fabric so you couldn't see it through the lace.

I feel pretty fabulous in it to be honest, I'm really pleased with how it turned out! I love the skirt and the lace and the kind of texas/wizard of oz feel it has! I'm also please that I didn't just play safe and make another Lilou. However I am wondering if I should alter my pattern pieces to make the neckline a bit lower. Not like full playboy low but maybe a little more cleavage? 

Here's the pattern matching, The side seam is like OMG! LOOK AT THAT ! But the boob seam is not quite as awesome, which makes me kind of sad but not so sad that I wont ever wear it again. Some of the across stripes match but the up ones are all over the place. I'm not sure if its me that's screwed up or if its just because its a princess seam?

All in all I'm calling this a resounding success! And I think I might have fallen in love with circle skirts! Which is huge! because I am such a gathered skirt kind of girl! But boy is the full circle flattering! It just skims! and I'm really please with the fit of the bodice as well.

I wonder if a half circle skirt does the same?

Much Love

Frankie

xxx