Hello you wonderful people,
I have been excited about this make and opportunity for so long I can hardly believe it’s finally here – the day that I can unveil my make for the amazing Big Vintage Sew-a-Long! Firstly, I am overwhelmed and honoured to be involved alongside all these incredible bloggers/seamstresses making beautiful vintage patterns up and secondly, I am over the moon to be doing this for the Eve Appeal who are championing women’s gynaecological cancers. I have to say it all feels meant to be when you are keeping yourself busy and distracted from having cancer by sewing up a pretty dress to help other people through it so I am very thankful for this project!
Anyway… the dress:
I dragged my wonderful husband out to our local forest at dusk with the camera to really show off this beautiful dress- fairytale style! I loved this shoot and pretty darn proud of my hubby (who should basically be a photographer!) I also added a rose crown by the lovely Deborah Fanning.
The Pattern
Choosing the pattern was a tricky one for this challenge as we all got to choose between 20 beautiful patterns from 30s-60s era and my shortlist was nothing like short! V2903 Called to me in it’s big skirted, princess seamed beauty and I’m so happy it did as it’s a stunning pattern and I learnt a lot making it!
Of course, being as indecisive as I am I had problems choosing which view to go with … A – short sleeved with smaller yoke or B – Long sleeved with a contrast yoke… Short sleeves seemed to fit a summer make much more so version A won that race!
The Fabric
WOW I love this stuff… I can’t tell you what it is or what it’s made of because I bought it in such a flurry of excitement in Walthamstow for FIVE POUNDS A METER and completely forgot to look or ask what fabric it actually is… all I need to know is I love it. The COLOUR is unbelievable – so rich, so different and yes they are grey roses that you see on there which to me makes it a little gothic in a very very nice way!! Am I the only one that is reminded of Beauty And The Beast?!
The Making
OK I’m not going to lie… there was a lot of head scratching and googling with this pattern – it is very tricky. Definitely the most complicated thing I have made yet… the sleeves attach to the yoke shoulders and then are tucked under and only sewn to the facing seam allowances… what now?!
I had to go my own way with bits of this… I added topstitching to the yoke so it stayed in place and ended up with a tuck in the sleeve to make it work.
I’m sorry but I didn’t pattern match as the dress already called for SEVEN METERS of fabric I wasn’t going to add more to my shopping list but luckily it’s come out sort of matched in a few places anyway! I love it when that happens!!
Unfortunately it’s all come out a bit big too – it’s definitely not meant to have this grungey feel instead of a 50s cinched in waist! I have some serious taking in to do before I next wear it- which I will because it’s a stunning dress that deserves a lot more than a lifetime of solitude in the wardrobe!!
I will leave you with some more pretty pictures – I really do love how they came out!
OK this one I was pretty freaked out about falling off the tree as we were quite high up! 😉
So that’s Vintage Sew-a-Long make and you really should see the ones before me – they are all amazing!
Still to come is…
Friday 2nd September: Rachel Pinheiro, House of Pinheiro
Friday 9th September: Elena Rose Brown, Randomly Happy
Friday 16th September: Wendy Gardiner, Butterick
Friday 23rd September: Winnie Longhurst, Scruffy Badger Time
Friday 30th September: Rachel Walker, The Foldline
So you are in for a treat!
A huge thankyou to to McCall Pattern Company for this brilliant Sew-along, and to The Foldline girls for getting me involved!
Why not join in yourself and make something vintage to help raise money for the Eve Appeal too – sewing for a good cause is about as perfect as making gets!
Find out more at www.vintagesewalong.co.uk
Oh and THE GIVEAWAY…
One of you lucky lot will get a free copy of the V2903 pattern so you can frolic in a forest like me too!
To win please just comment below with your email address and anything else you’d like to say and I will pick a winner at random.
Closing time for the giveaway is THURSDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER then I’ll announce the winner on Friday 10th Sept… GOOD LUCK ALL!
Have a lovely weekend all!
Sew much love,
I love everything about the dress!!! The colours are perfect!
bonnyboumans@hotmail.com
Your dress looks really beautiful. I really like the style of it. And I think you did a really good job of it.
Cannot believe you needed 7 meters of fabric for it. Waw!
Oh the the flowers crown looks cool as well with the dress. 🙂
Beautiful dress and beautiful lady, you are an inspiration to all.
tracyjbingham@btinternet.com
YOU WON!! Well done! I’ll be in touch in a jiffy!! Xox
Looks fabulous on you. I’ve got a forest near me but might be missing the skill set! Still, I’d give it a go.
You’re husband should be a photographer! They’re great!
I’d love to make this pattern, love a good v-neck line and a big skirt – particularly in a hot Australian summer!
Mind you, I doubt you’ll want to ship to Australia!
helencatriona@rocketmail.com
Just so beautiful! The fabric to pattern match is perfect and those pics! WOW – my husband takes the best pics of me too – something about having love in the mix 🙂
I love it! Your finished dress looks even nicer than the pattern!
I’d quite like to have a go at it ?
Lemieugre@hotmail.com
Charlotte x
Ooh,ooh, ooh! Great dress and great photos. The fabric choice is wonderful.
Oh it’s lovely, and I am so jealous of the fabric!
So beautiful! Well done on making such a lovely dress. The colours are gorgeous.
elizabeth.e.back@gmail.com
Impressive work! Looking gorgeous, as always 🙂 cristy.chory@gmail.com
Really lovely. That fabric is beautiful.
Wow, what lovely fabric! It’s a really pretty pattern and it looks great on you – I love the shape of it, both your grungy-fairytale version and the cinched-in illustration. (I’m going to be cheeky and enter the giveaway – my email is molheaton@gmail.com) Thanks for sharing with us!
This whole photoshoot is just magical!! love everything about it, you look like a fairy queen. SO so gorgeous
i would love the pattern meganvalero@hotmail.co.uk
I would not have expected a floral material to work with that style of dress but it SO does! You are so talented to have such an “eye” for visualising a 2D piece of material made up in a 3D garment. Not to mention keeping 7 ( 7!!?) meters of fabric under control. Hubby should be a photographer, and you should be a model!
Love it! Such beautiful fabric and pictures. Would love to enter the give away.
Such a great combination of fabric and pattern The dress looks so good on you and has both elegance plus individuality .Well done for tackling the challenge of this pattern and mass of fabric with skill and flair.!
Your dress is gorgeous. I love that fabric. And I agree that the forest makes a perfect backdrop for photographing your dress. carmen.marie.ross@gmail.com
I love how you’ve been able to turn a vintage pattern into a really wearable modern dress which perfectly suits your own style aesthetic. Beautiful
Wow! Gorgeous fabric and it suits the dress beautifully. You’re right that sewing is a wonderful distraction – I’m glad you found it when you need it the most. Keep sewing and inspiring us!
Wow what a lovely dress Gabby and I love that fabric, my son has just moved to Walthamstow, so I may send him on a hunt for it, did you get it from the market? I’d love to enter the comp so that I too can frolic in our nearby forest (wood really but whatever), it’ll certainly raise a few eyebrows at 8am when I’m walking the dog! (ericandsam@live.co.uk). Thanks for the giveaway.
Hello, Gabby. I think the fit of this dress is great — even if you had intended it to be a bit snugger. Then again I do have a soft spot for grunge 😉 Paired with the flower crown, the dress is just spectacular.
PS: I love your take on the Jeanius Refashioners challenge, too!
The dress looks beautiful Gabby. It’s just the sort of dress I love. The neck line is very flattering. I am always put off buying vintage patterns, as I have heard they do not have the best instructions and it sounds like you had a bit of trouble too, but as I get more confident with dressmakers I might give it a go if this is the result- well done x
The dress looks so much nicer in person than in the sketches on the pattern package. I’d love to win one. Can I message you my email if I win?