Port Elizabeth and Lessons Learned

So, here it is! My version of Port Elizabeth, which is a free pattern by Sarah Magill, available to download from Burda.

This is a great pattern for beginners (i.e. me!) - very simple and quite wearable. I made it a couple of inches longer as it's a bit on the short side and I'll be wearing it tucked into high waisted trousers and skirts. I also didn't like how the sleeves stuck out so I gave them a little hand-stitched tuck to pull them in.

I am completely in love with this fabric, it's utterly fabulous.

After Port Elizabeth I had maybe a tiny bit over a metre left. I think I must have been a little high on sewing fumes as I then decided it would be fun to draft my own dress pattern.

Because, you know, that's easy, right?

Yes, I'm completely insane, but actually it wasn't too disastrous in the end.  And this dress certainly taught me some things. Oh yes.

Lessons learned:

• If you are making a dress with a side zip, it will need to pulled over your head. And your chest. And then your hips. This is not compatible with a sexy wiggle skirt. Sorry. Try again.
• You can try and insert scraps of fabric into the skirt seams to make it wider at the bottom. It will work. Sort of. In a bunchy sort of way.
• Hey! Zips aren't that hard! 
• I'm sure zip insertions were far more difficult during GCSE Textiles...
• Darts are cool.
• I hate the zig zag stitch. I hate raw edges on the inside. Everything else I ever make will have french seams.
• Well, ok, maybe mock french seams.
• Maybe deciding to draft my first dress using fabric that I only had a metre of wasn't one of my better ideas...
• Hey! It's a dress! I'm awesome!

• The next one will be better.

J

P.S. I know, the neckline isn't finished. I need to get some more bias binding but I just couldn't wait to share!