Getting Back into the Swing of Sewing
- kniteweup
- Aug 19, 2019
- 3 min read
Recently, I decided I would use up the extra fabric that had been lying dormant in my sewing stash for the last four (or so) years; the colours and patterns were adorable, and I wanted to use them somehow instead of just forgetting about them. I had long forgotten what projects I had intended to use them for -- or even if I had originally had a project in mind -- so I could pretty much pick any pattern I wanted, so long as it fit the amount of fabric I had.
As soon as I picked up my stash of this light blue polkadot fabric, I pictured a sweet little
wrap dress. I went back to a pattern I had made a few times back when I was in highschool; the instructions, as far as I could remember, were clear, and the dress ended up being really cute. So I took my measurements, double- and triple-checking the numbers, and then got to work. Everything was going smoothly until I tried on the near-complete bodice -- and found that I couldn't pull it up past my biceps. As it turns out, the pattern has zero ease built in, so the bodice back wasn't wide enough to fit my broad shoulders, despite the bust sizes matching. And, with not enough fabric scraps to cut out a new bodice, or even fix the one I had, I simply had to resign myself to hoping a friend might fit it and give it a loving home.
Despite the less-than-satisfactory end result of the wrap dress, I decided to forge ahead and create something special out of the beige almost-floral fabric I had picked out years before. This fabric had my name written all over it, and I couldn't leave it at the fabric shop, despite not knowing what I was going to do with it. And I'm so glad I picked it up, because four or five years later it became my Demeter Dress.
The Demeter Dress is an oversize, loose, classic babydoll-style dress designed by Anna Allen Clothing. I found it while scrolling through various Instagram hashtags, searching for the perfect gathered, boxy dress. What sold it to me? The pockets; deep, wide, side-seam pockets. Did I whisper, Gollum-like, my pocket-ses while I typed in my card info and bought the pattern? Maybe...
This was my first time printing and cutting a PDF pattern at home, and let me tell you, the endless time spent matching up page edges and smoothing out tape pieces definitely wore down my patience. But I love the versatility of a PDF pattern, and would totally prefer the printing, taping, and cutting to trying to trace out the different sizes on delicate paper. Besides, I was blasting music and taking frequent dance breaks, so it wasn't all too bad!
The pattern itself is beautifully made, and easy to alter; the only change I made was shortening the skirt length, but the clean lines would make it very easy to make other changes as well. The instructions are clear and are accompanied by very handy illustrations. I managed to whip up the dress in about a day, but I see myself making it even in half a day now that I know the pattern (and since I have already gotten all my mistakes out of the way with this one!). In fact, I've already got fabric prewashed and drying, nearly ready to be cut and pinned!
Getting back to sewing, and creating something as beautiful and comfortable as the Demeter Dress, really got my sewing mojo (or as other crafters call it, sewjo) back up and running; so don't be too surprised if you start seeing more posts here and on Instagram!
Opmerkingen