Hooray!
My Port Paris dress was chosen as one of the Sunday winners on Kollabora.
Much happy hand clapping (followed by much jumping up and down in one spot!)
here’s the proof that I’m not totally delusional.
Hop on over to Kollabora and join this online community of makers.
Stupidly cheerful about this ;-)’
Sometimes a simple patternless project is just the ticket.
I’ve made three simple gathered skirts for my girls but decided to make Tilly’s Picnic Blanket Skirt – Tilly’s lovely skirt has a button-up front and I thought that was a cute finish.
Tilly’s Picnic Blanket Skirt – my Tea Party Skirt
My previous skirts have been a twist on Gertie’s Gathered Skirt for my little person – the Happy Twirling Whirling Skirt.I love these skirts. They are simple feminine and you can easily play with the length, the fullness and add fun little finishes.
I woke up yesterday and decided to make Tilly’s Picnic Blanket Skirt. After all I figured that I was blogging to met other stitchers online – however part of that is about doing projects and activities in the online community. So I have decided to participate in a few online sew-alongs. I know these will throw my own sewing plans into chaos – but a little chaos is good for the soul. And you never know just who you might meet! My biggest problem with sew-alongs is they are often originating in the Northern hemisphere – and that’s fine. But while everyone ‘up there’ is madly sewing summer dresses and skirts, our winter is descending and the sew-alongs just don’t match my wardrobe needs. Our winters are not particularly fierce but this year it is much wetter and colder than usual so it’s a real challenge.
I would love the Picnic Blanket skirt in Tilly’s large gingham check but decided to make do and use my ‘teapot’ fabric. When I came home with teapot fabric my family asked if it was going to be a tablecloth or an apron. I was horrified – no way it was too cute. Then the more I looked at it in the sewing room I could not decide what to do with it – pajama pants? Maybe it should be a tablecloth? It was just a bit OTT for a dress (but I was seriously tempted!).
So rather than a ‘Picnic Blanket Skirt’ I decided to make a ‘Tea Party Skirt’. In the spirit of ‘making-do’ when I found I did not have thread to match I decided to use up some pink thread instead so my placket stitching, buttonholes, top stitching and hemming is all in pink thread.My skirt is a little fuller than Tilly’s skirt as I decided to use the whole width of the fabric as it seemed a shame not to. So it’s not quite as mathematically precise as Tilly’s but the effect is the same.
The Finished Tea Party Skirt – can you tell I’m freezing to death?
The finished Tea Party Skirt – pockets! And my precious Limoges tea cup…
The finished Tea Party Skirt – back view. It’s ‘cutesy’ but I think I like this skirt!
You can’t tell (thanks to our stellar camera) but I have a pink singlet under the white wrap top, so it was a pink/white/blue tea party.
Things I did differently…
I used the full width of the fabric, taking into account the seam allowances when I cut the skirt fronts.
Hem trimming
Tilly’s instructions are excellent. She explains how to calculate the measurements to cut the fabric – and importantly she explains why. I think this is great as you can apply some of the calculations to other projects,
She has illustrated the steps with great clear photos and broken the construction process down into simple steps. I sat at the machine with the iPad (and then the iPhone once the girls took away the iPad) and never put a foot wrong.
If you are looking for a simple feminine skirt – Tilly and the Buttons Picnic Blanket Skirt is it.
Ta da! All done in about three hours!
Cup of tea anyone?
TOWN GREEN, PORT MACQUARIE 2444. This is our gorgeous Town Green located smack bang at the end of our main street. Yes it really is that beautiful.
I can’t help myself. I don’t want to post the following pictures but I feel I must.ELH (ever-lovin husband) is out at ‘boys’ night’.
I finish The Dress.
What to do? Bribe the small children to take photos of course. And not good ones at that!
Warning: Contained in this post are some extremely dodgy pictures of Simplicity 2444 aka PORT PARIS DRESS.
Why the name you might ask? Well the PORT part is inspired by my home town. I live in Port Macquarie, Australia and our postcode is 2444 – and this dress is made from the Simplicity 2444 pattern.Australians have a tendency to shorten everything. That’s why we say G’day instead of Good Day. So locals refer to Port Macquarie as ‘Port’. Of course there are lots of Port ‘somethings’ in Australia – but this is ‘our Port’.
We have gorgeous beaches, a beautiful river right in town and stacks of koalas – which I must tell you are very noisy when they are out cruising for a girlfriend, let’s say they advertise very vocally and wake up the neighbourhood in the middle of the night. We see koalas all the time. Yes really. All the time. We are lucky enough to get them in our front yard regularly. It’s funny I never stop being delighted when I see them. They are so cute! I came home one day to find this chap sitting in the middle of my driveway. He decided a tree was a better option when we pulled up.
Koala in the front yard. ‘Common as muck’ in Port but v.cute!
And I had it in my head that Simplicity 2444 was going to be my Port Macquarie dress. I wasn’t too sure about the pattern but could not helped buying it as it matched my postcode. Weird but true. I just could not figure out what fabric might work as ‘Port Macquarie’. Koalas are a bit twee as a wardrobe wear choice when you actually are Australian.
Then I was walking through Spotlight and a fabric caught my eye. I immediately thought of Simplicity 2444. It’s from the furnishing section and I suspect it’s cotton ‘duck’. It’s 100% cotton, thick and heavy (it’s going to be a nightmare to dry) but I like the impact it has on the skirt pleats. It would look great with a petticoat but I think it sits nicely all by itself.
My youngest daughter Giselle dreams of growing up, living in Paris and being called Gigi. Her bedroom is dedicated to the Eiffel Tower. Some people think its odd for a little girl but I think it’s marvellous – what an aspiration way to think at 7. So this dress is her bit of PARIS in PORT.
I’m not totally selfish. I’ve got her some fabric in a red colourway which I am going to make into a dress for her.
Sorry about the picture Gigi was in charge of the snapping procedures. I wanted her to take a few pictures with a jacket and a different belt option but this was as much as she could bear to do… and the only one in focus!
PORT PARIS DRESS – from one postcode to another…
I could not convince them to take any detail shots so I had to take the dress off and photograph it flat. Hopefully I will get a chance to take some more inspiring pictures this weekend!
Simplicity 2444 – bodice detail. Photographed flat as the kids are not master ‘snappers’…. yet….
Simplicity 2444 – bodice detail. The bodice darts were almost perfectly positioned (sheer luck)Personally I think any woman who has a little bit shaved off her hip is going to be eternally grateful!
Simplicity 2444 – Sleeve detail. Gigi loves the sleeves the most as they both say ‘Paris’ and feature three veyr glam and retro-dressed ladies!
I ummmed and ahhed about what size to cut. Measured the paper pattern etc which was great advice from Joanne on Stitch & Witter when she posted her gorgeous version of 2444. I decided to cut the 8 as my fabric was so heavy. I would love to make this again – but would make a 6 as I like my clothes to be quite fitted and this is a little loose and big around the shoulders. Tilly was wondering on this post whether this pattern would work in a heavier fabric and I think it does IMHO. It sits beautifully. ELH thinks it looks great (yes he is biased – I consider that a character strength not a flaw). I’m sure Tilly is going to whip up something sensational as she always does – can’t wait to see it when she does.
I actually thinking of making it all over again in the same fabric but spending more time on the interior finish and maybe even lining it as I think this dress is worth the trouble.
I’ve never been a big fan of full skirts on me. At all. It might be time to convert. I think this works because of the slightly wider neckline which helps balance out the fullness of the skirt, the fabulous generous skirt pleats (not gathers) and the four waist darts at the front. It’s just lovely. IMHO.
The main change I made to the pattern was to cut to front skirt piece on the fold. As the print was quite large I thought the seam would be too obvious and distract from the dress. So I cut it on the fold and simply make the middle pleats a tiny bit larger so they meet in the middle. I love it (and I have a little bee in my bonnet about seams up the front of skirts – I don’t know why, I just do!).
I was going to make a belt but I woke up the other day and decided a wide ribbon might be cute instead. I love ribbon belt/sashes, I have several work dresses that I wear with a grosgrain ribbon tied around my waist. I like the simplicity and softness of them, especially when they are black – a bit more grown-up than girlish. I also don’t have to worry about whether I’m going to have to make another stupid hole in a stupid belt to accommodate my stick insect waistline. Yes I could make belts but belt making options are thin on the ground in regional Australia. You do get sick of mail-ordering every other thing and learn to ‘make do’.
I’ve got to find some time to pick a decent WordPress blog theme that works in more browsers…
Oh and I’m going to join in the Sew Colette 2.0 and make up a respectable Hazel – and hopefully then a second decent Hazel which will be a little offbeat but it keeps popping into my head so I just get it out! I just want to make sure I get the fit right before I go to a load of trouble to make the offbeat one. I missed Sew Colette 1.o due to the Colette book arriving via canoe from USA.
I feel like I’ve been absent the last week. Sorry about that.
I have been busy and ‘sew busy’ at least.
This week I traced off two patterns, Lisette Passport Jacket and Simplicity 2444 (or My Postcode Dress). I could not decide which one to start first and then Joanne’s Stitch & Witter’s blog post popped up in Google Reader about her completed (and gorgeous) Simplicity 2444 The Portlandia and that set me off.
I’ve just got the hem to go and although I am dying to post a picture I think that would ruin the fun. Sorry folks.
Plus I would like to make a belt for this dress before I take a blog post picture for it.
My fabric choice was odd… but I like the overall effect (not that it looks like overalls mind you!). The print is quite big and the fabric is heavy. I like how the skirt is sitting and I think that is due to the weight of the fabric. And I thought I was a non-full skirt kinda girl, there you go!
My girls love it. I’ve never sure if that’s a good or a bad sign…
Here is a tiny sneak peek. Zipper is now done and I’ve whacked it on the dressform ‘Betty’ (so named because I ‘Draper/drape her’ – I know… groan, stupid joke).
Basting in the zipper to Simplicity 2444. Did not follow the pattern instructions for this!
I love those moments in life when you know just what to do.
It doesn’t always have to be sewing. It’s just that golden moment that happens some days when you stop ‘making do’, the stars align and everything seems so simple. It’s as if life is singing to you.
I love that sound.
I love those moments.
I had one years ago, a few months before a trip to London to see a lovely old friend who was having her first baby. If you are reading this mate, I’ve ‘borrowed’ this off your Flickr account. Wasn’t sure about sending everyone there given its packed with family photos.
I was excited for her. Wanted to take something special. Didn’t know what.
Then I saw a quilt pattern and it was perfect. The colors were too soft but I just loved it and I knew just what to do.
There was the odd moment, like spending about 2 hours in the local patchwork shop to find the right border fabrics. Purchasing something and then changing my mind to go through the process all over again. It was worth it. The patchwork shop owner bought the pattern to remake ‘my quilt’ I figure that’s a good sign.
I’ve always had a ‘thing’ for checks/plaids in patchwork and a huge amount of this quilt came from my beloved stash – it felt right!
I had another moment yesterday.
I think I found the perfect fabric for a Lisette Passport Jacket and Simplicity dress 2444
I’m determined to line the Passport jacket so I’m doing some research before I start, starting here at Tilly and the buttons
I wasn’t sure if I would make Simplicity 2444 but had a ‘thing’ for it as the pattern number is the same as my postcode. Hey! I never said I was normal.
I could not imagine it on me… Until yesterday…
I love those moments!
Watch this space.
Sew Busy Lizzy 