Top Five Sewing Hits 2015

I thought I would join in with Gillian from Crafting a Rainbow this year and share some of my top fives with you.   So first up is my top five sewing hits for 2015.

I haven't done as much sewing as I would have liked this year, as things have been pretty busy, as usual, but I did manage to make quite a few things.  I also went on a diet in September so this put my sewing on hold for a bit while I focused on that. I have now lost a stone in total, so feeling pretty pleased about that.

 I was also job hunting which can be time consuming, and the good news is that I start a new job on 4th January, eek...

So in no particular order, here are my top five sewing hits:

Strawberry New Look 6262

I have made this pattern three times now (once unblogged) and I was pleased how I perfected the fit of the bodice by making a muslin and then adjusting the pattern pieces accordingly.

It's a lovely fit and flare style dress, which I think is super flattering on all body shapes.  It is similar in style to the Emery dress, which I would like to try next.

Polka Dot Ultimate Shift Dress

I have worn this dress loads - it is so comfortable.  My only regret is that I didn't pre-wash the fabric as now it is more like a tunic than a dress as it shrunk considerably and is only decent when worn with leggings!

Everyday Skirt

Another skirt that has been worn loads. I have made two versions of this pattern, this one and one in denim (unblogged). It's easy to wear because of the elasticated waist at the back. I also love the inseam pockets!

Washi Dress

I fell in love with the Washi Dress after seeing so many cool versions on pinterest.  I wore this loads in the summer and think that a long sleeved version would be great for the winter. Check out this tutorial if you are thinking of making one!

A Sixties Simplicity 1609

I made this for a Christmas party. Although it's a fancy dress, I love this pattern and can see why they are so many versions of this dress around.  I can definitely see myself making this dress again, in a less loud fabric.

All in all some great patterns that I will definitely be revisiting in 2016.  If you liked reading about my top five hits, check out the other posts in this blog series over at Crafting a Rainbow.

Catherine x

A sixties Simplicity 1609

I went to a Christmas party on Saturday night. The theme was the 1960s, so I decided to sew my own costume!

I used Simplicity 1609 which is a reproduction of an original 1960s pattern. The pattern was free with Sew Magazine.

Misses' Jiffy 1960's Vintage Dress.

The dress is a classic A-line dress made from two main pattern pieces. The neck and arm holes have a combined facing and there is a centre back zip. There are 3 variations and I chose to make the plain version as the material I chose was very loud!  The front has a centre front seam, bust darts and flattering French darts. There are also back darts and neck darts. It can be made with a scalloped edge collar, a neck bow or plain round neck.

I cut a straight 14 based on my measurements and made no changes to the pattern. It's quite a fitted dress but surprisingly comfortable and flattering to wear. The only changes I would make next time would be possibly to remove an inch or so from the bodice length as there was some wrinkling there at both the front and back and fixing the slight back neck gape. I think this is an adjustment that I am going to have to remember to make as this is a recurrent problem. I have used this method from the By Hand London blog before and found it very successful.

Another thing to know about this dress is it is quite long. I cut three inches from the paper pattern and then removed another two inches from the finished dress as I wanted a more sixties feel! The finished dress is shorter than I'd normally wear but I think it was just right for my fancy dress.

I finished the look off with some thick whites tights and a headscarf. The headscarf is the Brigitte pattern from Tilly's book Love at First Stitch.

It was a great night out and I loved my dress. I will probably be making this dress again as it's a relatively simple make and super flattering.

I've also entered my dress in the end of year vintage pattern pledge competition. You can check the other entries out on Pinterest.

Catherine x