Butterick B6318 in Houndstooth!

Hey!!!! 

This make feels about a thousand years old now! Seriously I've worn it loads since I made it. 

The fabric is from the abakhans fill a bag sale and as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make this dress. Annoyingly their wasn't quite enough for the belt as well so I used some of the Burgundy triple crepe that I used for my other version. Both of the fabrics are of a similar weight so it works nicely. But I'm not 100% about the two colours, mainly because the ties are inserted into the seam so you can see them really clearly. 

I think the hounds tooth is some sort of drapey polyester type thing? It melts under a hot iron but luckily provided I hang it up straight out of the dryer it doesn't need ironing anyway. 

The pattern is butterick B6318 which is a vintage reproduction pattern. You can buy it online and I'm pretty sure it came free in love sewing magazine at one point but I actually got mine in a charity shop for 20p!!!!! 

Alteration wise I took an inch off the length of the bodice [because apparently I have a tiny torso] , took a wedge out of the centre front neckline to stop gaping and make the skirt panels the same size. 

For some bizarre reason the original pattern has the front skirt and the back skirt pieces at different sizes and then it has you line up the bodice side seam with a notch [or a circle something like that] which means the skirt and bodice side seams don't end up matching. 

Which makes me very very twitchy!!! 

I also extended the ties so that the bow would be much bigger and longer and I lined the bow in the same fabric. The original pattern just has you hem the edges but I much refer the ties lined because it makes for a cleaner finish. 

For the zip I just whacked in a standard one. I didn't even bother with doing a lapped one because I thought it was unlikely that the fabric would play nicely doing a lapped zip.

The only real issue I have with the dress is that the drop shoulder/kimono sleeves kick up a little bit where I hemmed them. Its not enough to stop me wearing it, but I will probably use bias binding next time I make the pattern up in the hopes that it doesn't happen again.

I've not got any pictures of the insides but its not lined, instead the neckline is finished with a facing and some top stitching. The waist seam is finished on the inside with bias binding. it makes it a bit bulky around the zip but its stopping the fraying and making things look a bit tidier. 

All in all I really like the dress. I love that its such a loud print on such a simple dress and that its so easy and comfortable to wear. 

It works especially well with my fleece tights and a big coat! Even in this weather!!!!!!!! Although saying that I am taking full advantage of the fact I've made my own jeans and keeping my legs really really toasty during this cold snap! 

I have some fabric to make another of these and I've promised my mum one as well to wear to Goodwood! 

In other news!!! 

Ummmmm I'm not sure I really have any other news? 

I've been enjoying wearing all the winter hats and scarves I knit last year. 

I was gutted that there wasn't more snow. I really wanted to have a snowball fight with little man! 

I'm hoping to get some more sewing done next week and I've got a pile of things ready to photograph for the blog! 

Much Love 

Frankie 

xxxx

Denim Shift Dress - butterick 3596

If I had to describe this make in one word it would be "Utilitarian". Which typically isn't my style, in fact at this moment in time I'm not 100% what my style is? I tend to change every day? Sometimes its punk, sometimes goth sometimes 1950's housewife. But apparently when I made this I was feeling utilitarian.

So I started with this butterick 3596 pattern that I got from a vintage far I went to with my mum and dad. My mum brought it for me for the princely sum of 50p. its a bust size 36inch which is my bust size! [Just realised that putting my bust measurement on the Internet might not be the smartest thing I've ever done as it may attract some weirdos to my blog..... Hey guys we talk about sewing here, your going to be disappointed] 

I like the pattern and I love the ladies on the front they just seem to ooze class! The pieces were already cut out [this is typical of vintage patterns as they only came in one size.] So one day when Rikki was suffering from a nasty migraine and Lil man was quite happily playing I decided to quickly cut it out ready to sew in the evening.  

I cut it out of some denim I had left over from making this skirt, its from the craft cotton company and is by far one of the best denims I have ever worked with. It washes beautifully and the colour doesn't run at all! 

I went for both the collar and sleeve version! How awesome is that collar? and how bloody twee! In fact the sheer tweeness of the collar is the reason I left the hem and sleeves un-hemmed, hopefully the raw edges will take one of the tweeness away and give it a more cool vibe? Lucky the denim doesn't fray much especially seen as I added a line of stitching around the hems so it couldn't fray past that part. 

The main dress is just two pattern pieces a front and a back. The front has bust darts and both the front and the back have 'french?' darts? basically they are really long darts that go from under bust to hip.

The collar is made up of two pieces the front and the back and sets in really well, the raw edges are all hidden away by a neck facing. 

I added back pockets to make it a bit more interesting [sorry you can;t really see them on this picture but feel free to zoom in on my bum]. 

And I used a big chunky metal zip to finish it off. I LOVE using metal zips they are by far the most reliable! Plus ya know shiny and stuff! 

Fit wise I feel like the whole dress is a bit off? I like the fit on the bust but I think the side seams may need to be taken in around the waist a bit? [thoughts please?] And I kind of the think the proportion of the sleeve is a bit off? I'm wondering if a inch or two off the sleeve might look a bit nicer and younger? 

I might try those alterations and see how it looks? I'm also toying with the idea of taking off the collar? Some people can really put off the peter pan collar look but I think being a bit more busty it just looks a bit silly? and maybe I might like the dress better without it? 

All in all I think this pattern has potential? I have some drapey viscose so I might make a collarless version and try it belted? I can't belt this version because the denim is too stiff. 

I did really enjoy working with a vintage pattern though!

Much Love

Frankie

xxx