Keep On Your Dress

Continuing on with MeMadeMay .....

On Thursday I went along to the private view of the North Herts and Beds Embroiderers Guild, where I have a couple of pieces of work exhibited.

Incidentally, the exhibition looks really good, with a wide variety of work from some very talented stitchers, so if you are in the area I recommend you try to see it.  But then I guess I would say that.

Anyway, for the Private View I wore this (and that's not bare belly, heaven forbid, but the top had rolled up when I put my hands in my pockets in an attempt to look nonchalant.

A Me Made top, with a skirt that I bought years ago, but is still one of my favourites.  In fact, it got a bit washed out and faded so I re-dyed it black in the washing machine and it came out like new.

The top is the first one I made from Jalie pattern 2804 ....

It must have been from a link I saw on someone else's blog ages ago, as I'd never heard of the company before, but I'm really pleased with how it turned out, and I have since made another one.  Goodness know what I had originally bought stretchy orange fabric for - it must have been cheap - and I expected it to be a nightmare to sew as it's that slinky kind of stretch fabric (not cotton jersey) but it was fine.  I made it on the sewing machine, but I've since made a second one (in a more subtle dark purple) on the overlocker.  I've got three more cut out and ready to sew too.

Friday was knitting day at Baroosh, and I wore this

I have to say this is probably one of the oldest things in my self-stitched wardrobe.  Its a really simple shift dress, usually worn as a pinafore.  Not sure what the fabric is, but it's got a kind of suede-y feel to it.

Having got all of my patterns out, sorting through them, putting them back and rebuilding my sewing room, I've decided it must have been self drafted about 20 years ago when I was doing a bit of pattern cutting.  No idea what I did with the original pattern, so this week I've cut a pattern from it, and refitted it to change the neckline and the armholes a bit, and made a muslin which looks ok, even though it's made from yellow fabric intended for curtains.  I really must pull myself together.

On Saturday I was back at the exhibition in Letchworth to 'meet and greet the public' so I wore a dress I made a couple of months ago which I hadn't had the bottle to wear before - it's a bit bold

Why do I buy these loud fabrics, when I know that all I wear in real life is black and grey? 

I mentioned here that it was inspired by a Ted Baker dress, and I used New Look 6068

I made the version with the three quarter sleeves, and athough I liked the pattern, the sleeves were a bit too much and it was also a bit TOO tent-like, so I've since chopped the sleeves off and taken it in a bit on the sides.  I think my favourite bit is the Peter Pan collar, and I'm not sure how often this dress will be worn.  Although porobably more times than the 200 quid Ted Baker version would have been.

I think the most difficult bit of this MMM challenge is having to keep posing for photos, so although I've stuck to the whole wearing homemade thing, there have definitely been a few days without pictures.  You'll just have to take my word for it.

Keep On Your Dress - The Pigeon Detectives