Diary of a Chain Stitcher

My first finished garment of 2019 is a really special one. This is my first take on the Fiona Sundress from Closet Case Patterns which was released back in the summer and for which I was the muse! I am kind of ashamed of how long it has taken me to get around to making this. I felt some self imposed pressure to make a really spectacular one and the hunt for the perfect fabric got a bit intense. In the end I decided to go with my gut choice for a plain and something I would get a lot of wear out of rather than a super 'frosting' version. There's nothing to stop me making multiple versions of course! I know this pattern is technically a sundress but a particularly busy period of work meant summer was drawing to a close by the time I got to fabric shopping. So I resolved to make a winter appropriate version which I could be layered with long sleeve tees and turtlenecks. I have been really taken with the velvet trend this season and came across the dress below in Monsoo...

Its Christmas week and appropriately enough I have this year's Christmas party dress to share with you! And making it was quite the adventure! I've been really enjoying all the velvet thats about this season and knew this was the route I wanted to go down this year. I'd also been drawn to the slightly nineties trend for strappy little slip dresses so decided to do two trends in one with a velvet slip dress! I feel like velvet is quite a statement in itself so pairing it with a simple style and silhouette makes it feel infinitely more wearable. Just as I was formulating this plan Fabrics for Sale got in touch to see if I'd be interested in trying out any of their fabrics in return for a review. I knew after making a devore scarf for my Nan earlier this year that they stock a particularly lovely selection of velvets so it seemed like my dress was meant to be! The devores (velvets which have some areas of the pile burnt out to create a pattern) are particularly lov...

I've got another little bit of unselfish sewing to share with you today and something I'm absolutely delighted with and I hope the recipient is too! I mentioned in last month's Indie Pattern Update that the ladies over at Fabrics for Sale had just launched bundles for making your own velvet scarf . They offered to send me one in return for my review and when I looked at the selection of fabrics on offer this gem of a velvet devoré leapt off the page at me screaming that it was perfect for my Nan. I was sold. Before I was offered a kit I already thought it was a great idea; it's a gorgeous luxurious gift to give someone either made up or in kit form, plus the variety of velvets there are to choose from are to die for! I'm a big fan of velvet (despite the tricky little thing it can be sew!) and have often pawed devoré's in fabric stores wishing I could think of a reason to use one. Working as a costume supervisor I've seen some absolutely stunning...

When I tested the newly released Kim Dress from By Hand London I had an unexplainable urge to sew up that wrap skirt in a silk velvet. Something about making up a winter version with those little pleats and the drape of the overlapping petals said luxurious rich coloured velvet to me! At the time I had half brushed it off as one of those crazy sewing ideas that I never get around to realising but then I got an invite from the BHL girls themselves to a London sewing blogger Christmas do and it seemed like fate telling me to make this dress. I'd never sewn velvet before so was still not 100% sold on the idea, as although the dress is quite straight forward to assemble there's a lot of seams going on for a first attempt with velvet. I decided to see if I could find any fairly inexpensive silk velvet on Goldhawk Road during the meet up when Lauren was in town. Lo and behold Unique Fabrics had silk velvet in a wide range of colours for £15/m which I thought to be pretty reas...