Still dreaming of Spring

This is my second dreaming of Spring, chanelling Leona dress for a weekend in Melbourne that is coming up. I'm attending a Bat Mitzvah, so need outfits for the Synagogue and the party. Two dinner parties over the weekend to cover as well.

Now I know that I have plenty of things on the hanger that would suit, but I'm attracted to the idea of a totally self sewn weekend.

This dress is made from black Mela Purdie jersey from my stash and a vibrant jersey print bought at the Tessuti sale. I love how vibrant the print is without being over the top. The pattern is a combination of my self-drafted plain tee-shirt cut to midriff length and the skirt from my previous dress, narrowed to allow for less fabric width. I added black satin piping to the front, and faux pockets with self covered buttons using the orange colour from the print.

Next up I'm making a long black buttoned cardigan from a quilted Mela Purdie black jersey. I'm drafting the pattern from a store-bought long cardigan in a sheer fabric. I wear this to death in Spring/early Summer and have always wanted a heavier version for the cooler months.

If I have time I'll finish some silk trousers I started making last year and a tunic blouse to match for the party. If not, I'm sure there is something to wear in my overflowing closet.

Perhaps I should finish my Chanel jacket?!!

Dreaming of spring dress and Chanel progress

I am almost as passionate about
Simplicity 2614 as I am about this fabric bought at the Tessutis sale. It is such a versatile pattern. This dress is a modified version of the pattern including a self drafted flounce collar. To create the line for the dress I simply added the pattern piece for the skirt at the waistline mark on the blouse pattern. It works like a treat.

My dress is not copy but does pay homage to the Queen of the jersey frock, Australian designer Leona Edmiston. I made it to wear to a party in Melbourne - good thinking 99 - Melbourne is even colder than Sydney at the moment. It does look nice under my red wool overcoat!

I quite proud of what I achieved in terms of pattern matching. It took over an hour to lay out and cut. The picture below shows a centre front seam that is barely visible. I'm particularly grateful to the lovely assistant at Tessutis who persuaded me to buy more fabric than I originally intended. I needed every bit. Tessutis have a huge sale on so I came away with 6 metres of jersey and silk 30% off the original price.

I am still making slow progress on my Chanel style jacket. I've included a sneak preview shot of my first ever welt pocket which I'm trimming with a spidery black trim bought at the Dongdaemun fabric market in Korea. The black boucle self covered buttons have been rescued from a hideous pink and purple jacket found in the thrift shop. I've also completed quilting the back of the jacket. I'm seeing the jacket more as a hobby project to fit in around other projects that provide more instant gratification.