New Look 6145 - Simplicity star sewist challenge - A tale of two halves........

  After trying to photograph my entry for the Simplicity star sewist challenge I needed a sit down and a good strong cuppa!

  Why I hear you ask?

  Well let me explain.......

  I decided to go for the dress New Look 6145

  The dress itself is a simple shift dress with lots of collar and sleeve options. I say simple but I must admit I hadn't tackled double back darts, vents and the only other invisible zip I have ever inserted didn't go too well!!). However the construction was straight forward and the instructions excellent (as always with new look patterns).

  I decided to make the dress in denim as I have never sewn with denim before and for a while I had been wanting a loose fitting denim shift dress. I chose a lightweight 5oz dress denim from Merchant and Mills. I was a little worried as initially it was really stiff - even after pre-washing, but it seems to have loosened up a lot with handing and wearing.

  I wanted the fit to be loose but shaped a little (I get too self conscious in very fitted shift dresses and I need room to move around, especially in the shoulder area). 

    I decided to draft my own tulip sleeves, firstly as this was not something I had ever done before (tulip sleeves or drafting anything on my own!) I love tulip sleeves and also I felt they would give me more room for my 'muscular' arms as well as add some uniqueness. I hemmed them with a floral self made bias binding. As you can see from the photo I did have some issues setting in my self drafted sleeves.

I have topstitched the neckline, sleeves, hem and vent in purple - I love purple! 

    I feel something is missing if I don't have pockets and felt that side seam pockets would change the shape of the dress too much (and perhaps add to my hips!). I added lined patch pockets and placed them low down partially over the side seam.

  The inside bits are all nice and neat!

So I hear you ask why DID you need a large cup of tea and a sit down after taking photos?

  Well I love this dress, I took time and care over all of the construction and I added little details, it is made well, is comfortable and I love wearing it and I can see it becoming a versatile wardrobe staple but I struggled to capture the little details in photos and I think it just looks a little boring....

I even cajoled the little people into taking some photos whilst on a day out in Avebury but the cold and wind put a stop to any photo plans I had!

  I have really enjoyed the challenge and on a personal level I am really proud of what I have achieved (even if it is boring!!). So there you have it - my entry for the Simplicity star sewist challenge!

I can't wait to see what everyone else has done - there are so many possibilities and options! I am also looking forward to seeing all of the skirts and vintage tops (I took ages to decide which pattern to go for as they were all desirable!).

  Did you enter? Did you enjoy the challenge or find it stressful? The closing date is the 31st of May so there is still time to enter if you want to............

    Thanks for stopping by!

          Su xx