Simplicity Star Sewist Blogger Challenge – 1 blog, 2 challenges!

Evening all!

I like to cut it fine that’s for sure – the Simplicity Star Sewist Blogger Challenge sewing competition ends at midnight and I’ve been sewing frantically to pull off not one but two entries for it… maybe I should have stuck to one but I was drawn to both challenges and Simplicity kindly sent me both patterns for free so here are my two entries for the competition!

No.1 The Newcomer Category – Simplicity 2286 Skirt (Option F with a touch of C!)

Well firstly this is my first ever project that I didn’t use the seam ripper for – not once! That is huge for me… every project I have done so far has needed unpicking at some point – a lot of it – so that makes me very happy! 🙂

Anyway… This skirt was a joy to sew and has all my favourite things in it – spots, stripes, lace and monochrome – it’s fully my style and I’m delighted with the result. I got the fabric from a last minute dash to Goldhawk Road – the spots were an amazing £1.50 a metre from Shepherds Bush market and the stripes were only £2 in the shop right next door back on the street.

I knew from the moment I saw the pattern that I wanted to make a skirt to wear on stage – with a theatrical, layered puffy look so I cut out the size bigger (14) than my usual 12 of the pattern to add more gathering and make it puff out more and it worked well – this will definitely be worn at a gig – maybe with a cheeky tutu underneath for even more poof! 😉 On the picture on the pattern I liked both the lace on the edge of C and the double layered, gathered trim of F so I went with F but edged it with this great gathered lace I got at Delicate Stitches (which is becoming my new favourite shop – amazing haberdashery 5mins from my flat – what’s not to love?!) so I got the best of both worlds!

No.2 The Dressmaking Category – New Look 6145 Dress (Option A)

This dress was a little trickier and yes, the seam ripper had a starring role but I still enjoyed making it. I think my main problem was using the stretchiest fabric ever – the back did say ‘A,C also in double knits’ in suggested fabrics so I took that idea and ran with it! I also wanted to make something bright and colourful for summer and had this brilliantly, almost garish, fruit tree print stretchy knit from a car boot sale for £4 for 4m that was screaming to be a dress so the pattern and fabric met and fell in love! <3

The process of making this dress had a massive upgrade after I cut out the pattern as my wonderful fiance built me a cutting table under our loft bed – it’s an ingenious drop down table with folding legs and the perfect size for cutting – yaaay! Until that day I would be moving everything in the sitting room to get some floor space and have sore knees and back from crawling around the floor… now cutting is fun!  Yay!

So I made what I thought was my size, maybe forgetting that stretch fabrics… stretch! It was HUGE. I had a lot of fun taking in all the seams on my overlocker and each time putting it on and laughing at how big it still was on me. Eventually I got it to fit and it had luckily retained the shape and details that I adore about this pattern. I also put in a zip which wasn’t needed at all so that can now be recycled in my next dress!

I LOVE the sleeves here and this is the reason I chose option A. I have never tried pleating before so was excited to try it and after trial error (and that infamous unpicker) I love the effect – it shows off the drape of the fabric too.

I’m still waiting for my walking foot to arrive and wish I could have done the hems with one as, man this fabric moved, but luckily as it’s such a busy print – it’s not too noticable and this dress will get a lot of wear!

So there are my entries for #Simplicitybloggerchallenge I really enjoyed taking part and wish everyone that sewed their little hearts out for the competition the best of luck!

Are you taking part?! I’d love to see your entries!!

Love and luck,