Dress muslin....episode four.

I've been continuing to fiddle around with my new (or not so new any more) pattern drafting ruler.

The one thing a good and conscientious seamstress must do after drafting one's own pattern apparently, is to make a muslin to check the fit.  With my usual 'what a load of codswallop' attitude, I skipped that part, deciding I was too clever to be wasting that much time.

Fail number one.

As mentioned in an earlier blog post, I miscalculated the fabric requirement for the first masterpiece.

On to attempt number two.  

This time I bought a doona cover from the op-shop to experiment with.  Goody gum drops - a dress for eight bucks!

Here we go.  Muslin success, sort of.  I used the doona lining to make the muslin and I'm holding it closed at the back, as I wasn't going to waste a good zipper on a muslin.  

Hmmmm.  Looks like  pretty good fit.  Very professional looking model too.

Dress number three.  This time with a redesigned boat neck, zipper and facings.  

It actually fitted (surprise surprise) but was a little bit 'gapey' around the front armhole.  I thought "Oh she'll be right...I'll just whip it in a bit at the side."  

Now it's too tight across the bust.  However I have no gape.  No gape but can't breathe.  Great.

Here I'm trying not to breathe, while smiling as though I don't have a care in the world.....and secretly wondering if I'll need my puffer after I extricate myself from this extraordinarily well fitting doona cover.

Between my last dress made out of curtain fabric and this one from a doona.....I'm beginning to feel like one of the von Trapps.

The Washi Dress

I've been neglecting my blog.  Naught naughty.  My family will be wondering what's happened to me.

Now that the heat of summer has toned down a bit I've been getting back into some sewing.  I wanted to try out the Washi dress, which everyone (yes everyone) in blogland has been talking about.

It normally takes me ages to choose fabric, but not this time.  I saw a bolt of fabric sitting on the cutting table at Spotlight......a soft cotton linen blend, cream with a light coffee coloured leaf design and it looked beautiful and cool. Good.  That'll do nicely thanks.

The Washi is an easy pattern with several rows of shirring across the back for comfort and fit.  No zipper - yay!

Cool and comfortable, perfect for at home.

The dress is all finished and hanging in my wardrobe awaiting it's maiden voyage, but I have since discovered while in Spotlight that I have used curtain fabric.  Sheesh - I'll probably look like a mobile lounge room.