Diary of a Chain Stitcher

Finally I got some photos of my third version of By Hand London's Anna Dress . I originally made this dress with the idea of wearing it to my birthday drinks a couple of months ago, and although I got it finished just in time it was a little rushed and I ended up wearing my first Anna  because I love it so much! For this version I wanted to go down a different route to the other two, which were both more casual day dresses in a viscose print and polyester crepe . This time I wanted to try out one of the other fabric suggestions on the pattern and go glamorous! I suppose this could count as my first foray into evening wear, although this dress is so simple to sew up I don't feel like it can! I used a silk crepe de chine which I got for a bargain price from Fabric Land on Goldhawk Road. I was really having a hard time choosing the fabric (should I go classic black, or emerald green?) but then this beauty made my mind up for me. The colour changes slightly in different lig...

I am WAY behind with blogging my completed makes. Well not really way behind with the blogging as I have got some posts written but I have been seriously lacking the opportunity of a time when both I and my ever so professional photographer are free when it's not raining or gloomy to get photos taken. Things are stacking up. I actually made this top right at the beginning of the heatwave towards the end of July. Another reason why this top in particular has taken so long to make it onto the blog is that I've been wearing it ALL the time so it's been in the wash during most photo taking opportunities; I can't say that that's a bad thing though, it must be my most regularly worn make to date! I'm usually the type of fabric shopper that looks for fabric for a particular pattern or project, usually with quite a good idea of what I am after. But on this occasion the fabric came first. I was browsing in Simply Fabrics in Brixton and this caught my eye, once I had...

I've spent the last two days on the first half of a course on tutu construction at Morley College, it's amazing! I've always wanted to know how to make a tutu, plus the course description looked like it would teach me a useful thing or two to help with my everyday dressmaking. I've learnt so much already even though most of what we've done so far has been to do with pattern drafting and design. These two weekends are all about how to construct a stretch bodice and the romantic tutu which is the longer style layered net or tulle skirt. There's other courses available in February and May next year teaching you the construction of the plate tutu and the boned bodice for dance. It's pretty likely that you'd find me there! We've made corset blocks and stretch knicker blocks to our measurements, which are basically bodice and knicker blocks with no ease whatsoever. I love that we're using our own measurements so I've now got blocks to use...