Dressmaking: green

I've been getting more and more into the sewing recently. Still not producing results very fast, but I'm starting to get a feel for patterns and structure and technique. And I'm rather enjoying it! I happen to have rather a big stash of random fabrics that have been waiting for YEARS to be sewn into pretty things, and I'm finally now beginning to delve into that stash.

However, the first vintage-y dress I made got its inspiration from a cheap fabric discovered in a shop, that suited the theme of a party I was going to. After what can only be described as a dress-making boot camp - a full week of slaving away to produce three identical dresses in very different sizes without proper patterns - this was the result:

That dress was definitely a challenge and a half! The wonky hem has since been fixed but the halter is still only pinned on, and I've managed to wear this dress twice since then ;) Perhaps one day I'll affix the halter, redo the seriously badly-inserted zipper and tie off various loose ends ;)

When I started the "green dress" project, my first inspiration was actually a petticoat - I really really wanted one of those super-full, super-fluffy 50s tulle petticoats. And I actually managed to order some really cheap tulle off the net (here) - all 40 yards of it - and found a pattern/tutorial - but what with the challenging dress project, we did not finish the petticoats in time to wear with the dresses.

I've since finished the petticoat and discovered that with my body shape (hips a-plenty) I really need a lower waistline for a big poofy skirt to look good. So as soon as I manage to make myself a dress or a skirt to wear with my lovely petticoat, I shall post pictures!

There was a lull in sewing after the "green dress" project - I needed to rest my nerves - but I've now finally got to work on making a pretty 40s-style dress out of some gorgeous red fabric in my stash that I've been eyeing up forever. I think it was actually originally a curtain, probably made in the 60s or 70s, so it's got this great retro texture that you don't see nowadays.

The positive side to starting off with a really challenging project is that I now feel like I can pretty much tackle anything, sewing-wise - but it really helps to have a pattern ;) I also learned a huge amount about how long it actually takes to make things! With the red dress I'm once again working mostly without patterns, making them up as I go along, so it's very much a two-steps-ahead-one-step-back type project. But I was prepared for that this time so it's not stressing me out. I'm quite close to finishing now and hope to share pictures soon, but for now I shall leave you with a little sneak preview :)