It was almost a year ago that I first came across Sophie from the well-read “Cirque-du-Bébé” blog. She had just posted her stunning pics of her Lady Skater dress, a pattern I’d been thinking about making. She’d used a gorgeous chocolate-brown knit from The Fabric Store. After emailing Sophie to ask if she minded my copying her, she graciously said “no problem!” I immediately called the shop in Melbourne, but they’d sold out, so I quickly tried the Brisbane shop, and ta-dah! they had some still in stock, and shipped it out to me. Since then, I met up with Sophie at The Craft Sessions last year, where I took two classes with her to get myself back into sewing again, after a couple decades of nothing. She’s just fabulous. Had a great time with her, and apart from making my first of several Wiksten Tank Tops, I learnt heaps about sewing with knits.
Now, I know I’d pledged to make a couple of other patterns this month for Me-Made-May’14, but I’ve had some time-drains these past couple of weeks, and everything I’d planned kinda went out the window. One little delicious interruption has been my new grandson, as you know, but then I’ve also been dealing with horrible stinging eye problems at night, and a bit of a cold too.
However, since there’s no pressure or failure allowed in MMM, I’m going to just move on, and get something done. I reckon this dress is just perfect. It’s a quick make, from what I’ve read around the traps, and my fabric is the perfect weight for this time of year. I can throw a cardi on if it’s a bit cooler, or leave it off for these insane over-20°C days we’re continuing to have here!
Oh, and by the way, I’m not saying I did, but I might have bought some Liberty fabric last night as I was pouring over the interwebs at all the different Lady Skater dresses. In particular, this one by Paunnet, and this one (minus the “hacked for nursing” bit of course!) by Lauren on Baste + Gather, and this one by Lauren on Lladybird. All short-sleeved makes of the pattern, and I’ve been loving the Kilburn Rose pattern in Liberty tana lawn for ages now, so when I saw it in Dufour Viscose Jersey, I thought I should get it, before it disappears of the face of the earth, like so many of my other favourites have done! (Lessons I’ve Learned #53: if you really love it, and want to avoid deep disappointment, grab it while it’s still available!)
I also added in a few other fabrics I have been wanting, but this time, instead of buying 20 million metres of each, as I usually do (you know, for “just in case the pattern I end up using needs more”), I checked out my patterns, and bought only as much as each one said. I’ve just watched a little free video called “Things to Bear in Mind When Choosing Fabric” on Susan Khalje‘s website, and I’m changing my ways! I mean, what am I going to do with all those bits of fabric I’m left with at the end of a project!
Here’s what I bought…
- Mabelle J – Tana Lawn – – Butterick B6026 shirt in the sleeveless version
- Kilburn Rose – Dufour Viscose Jersey – Lady Skater dress
- Jody B – Tana Lawn – Vogue Patterns V1323 top
- Jack and Charlie A – Tana Lawn – I want to do something a bit rad with this, not just a plain shirt. Thinking the Vogue Patterns V9004 top, and make the sleeves longer, but cuffless, just a fold-over with button closure.
- Mabelle A – Tana Lawn – Butterick B6026 shirt in the sleeveless version. I know, it’s the same as the first one in Mabelle, but I don’t mind having two shirts in the same pattern, do you do that sometimes? I’ll see though, might change my mind when I get to making it.
OK, back to finish sticky-taping the pattern!
