Guest post: Pattern review by Maria Theoharous AKA Velosewer

Maria is a long time customer and very talented sewer. You can follow her sewing adventures on her blog here. We look forward to sharing her future projects with you all.  

 Winter Street Dress

Pattern review's winter street dress is simple to make and very adaptable.

Pitt Trading graciously provided me with the fabrics and notions for this new work dress.

Pattern testing is fun as you get to see how the pattern designer quickly adjusts their pattern when we provide our feedback. And it's lovely to work with such creative people. This is very motivating to me.

Pitt Trading black tricot lining, elastic, brown ponti and a darker brown soft knit with matching thread 

Pattern description:

Winter street dress is an easy to sew knit dress with a waist seam and narrow pleated skirt. The narrow skirt with inverted box pleats has just the right amount of ease where you need it, resulting in a very comfortable and cute tulip shape.

The bodice is drafted for a "C" cup. There is a choice of elbow length flounce sleeves or a full length sleeve. You can even make it without sleeves. The skirt is designed to fall above the knee for a more trendy look but it is super easy to lengthen or shorten it.

This time I got the hem length right.

Pattern sizing:

XS-$XL I made the medium.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Yes it did, and there are some pretty variations to make. The hardest part is choosing the variation you want the most, I tried to stick to my plan as I sewed.

Were the instructions easy to follow? 

They were easy to follow. I included a tricot liningon the advice of Sylvia at Pitt Trading. I've been adding linings to ponti dresses since then so the dress keeps it's shape over time. It also helps the fabric to glide over you and not stick to you.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

This is a clever pattern that allows you to mix stable and soft knit fabrics.

The pleating on the skirt above the tummy eliminates fullness that gathers create. That's a win in my books. I've extended the pleats down the skirt for a flatter look.

The ruffle sleeve (Deepika's version) makes this a more feminine dress that I'll use for another version.

The scoop neckline isn't what I'd usually wear so I'll be creating different necklines on future versions.

Fabric used:

I've used a ponti knit for the bodice and sleeves. The dress skirt and bindings are a softer knit.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I did a roll shoulder adjustment. The sleeves were sized to full arm length but I tend to push my sleeves up during the day

Once I'd basted the side seams, I took the waist in a bit more and took more in at the centre back seam.

I added shape at the centre back seam, so it's not cut on the fold. This allowed me to shape it to follow my curves better.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes, I experimented with a soft cowl neckline in the softer knit and it was very pretty. So I would recommend this dress if you have knit fabrics in your stash and you need warmer dresses for cooler weather.

I'll also try a v-neck version. This is also a good basic knit dress for beginners to achieve a successful dress.

Viscose knits in store now!

Viscose knits have to be one of the most versatile fabrics. You can make anything from a casual t'shirt to an evening gown. A holiday dress to throw on after the beach or stylish wrap dress to add a bit of flair to your work wear wardrobe.

This gorgeous knit is available online now

http://pitttrading.com.au/collections/just-arrived

Perfect for a wrap dress! Make the sleeve full length and wear with knee high boots for a warm stylish winter look!

Online now!

http://pitttrading.com.au/collections/just-arrived

Happy sewing. Julia xx

New window display.... you like???

This window is a match made in heaven, Sylvia's vision and my execution. Mum said to me "it's great having a vision in your head and saying to someone, make it happen, and it turns out exactly as you wanted" That's how we roll.

People have had a lovely time picking through the treasures in our window. We left it open so you can walk in and have a closer look at all the vintage bits and pieces, and boy are there some Gems there!

This typewriter has been very popular..... $200

Vintage crystals

Ohhhh that gown.... sigh.

From the street

Why not pop down and take a look???

Julia x

What I wore

This dress is an oldie but a goodie.

I think it's the fabric that I like the most, it's a polyester de chine. Light enough to be cool to wear but not see through so no need for lining or a slip.

For me, this dress definitely needs a belt. That said, this style could suit lots of different figure types.

There are lots of options in these project runway patterns, which I really like. It makes them very versatile, enabling you to use them over and over again without appearing to have only one pattern in your repertoire.

I also like the way the fabric meterage is broken down on the back of the pattern envelope. 

Each element, for example, flared sleeve, short sleeve, mid length sleeve, long sleeve is stated as a separate meterage, allowing you to pick and choose from all the different options to create your desired design. 

I'm getting inspired to try the other options in this pattern now.....

Until next time, Happy sewing.

Julia xx 

Sutherland Rotary club vintage fair

Last weekend we packed up our wares and headed to Sutherland entertainment center for a vintage fair organized by the Rotary club of Sutherland. It was a really well organized day out with lots of stalls, home made sandwiches and cakes for lunch, a vintage car display and some great bands to hear. All in all a great day out put on by the club, all in the name of raising much needed funds.

Lots of vintage linens on display

These glasses are to die for! Peacock motif with a different colour on each glass... someone please buy them... it's killing me, they are just too gorgeous!

This biscuit barrel is another favorite! Again... someone buy her and put me out of my misery!

 It was a great day out. Be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page to see where we will be next.

Julia xx

Guest blogger Bobbin and baste

When Pitt Trading, a fabric and trim store in Sydney, put the call out for people to submit blog postings for their new website blog I jumped at the chance. I have long been a fan of Pitt Trading and often hunted them out when they appeared at craft and vintage fairs all over town. I also thought it was a good excuse to make a trek to Pitt Trading and see what they currently had on offer.

I spied a beautiful silver threaded wool fabric aptly called ‘Rockstar coating’ (You can buy it here  http://pitttrading.com.au/products/rock-star-coating ) and wanted it straight away. I saw it and thought it would look great in a skirt. To go with my silver skirt, I bought up some black silk to make a simple camisole. The skirt would be the star of the outfit so a simple black camisole would work nicely.

It’s coming into autumn/winter over here (well the weather doesn’t feel it but the shops sure do!) and I’ve noticed quite a few asymmetrical skirts trending. It’s not normally something I would wear, purely on the basis that the skirts are typically pretty short and I’m not one to be showy with my legs. However, I thought I could get away with the style with black tights in the colder months

I used Vogue 8928 as a base for the skirt. You should check out the skirt pattern online and ask yourself ‘who would wear a skirt to work with a split like that!?’ It baffles me. I ended up changing it quite a bit so the only resemblance to the pattern is really that it’s a skirt! I shorted the pattern by about 3 inches and instead of the suggested grosgrain ribbon waistband I used a proper interfacing from another pattern to give the skirt more stability. To give the skirt the asymmetrical front I cut out a muslin of the front pieces and played around with angles. I tried to make sure that there was decent coverage on both front pieces so as I walked I didn’t end up giving away too much! I also wanted the angles to start lower than the hem of the back so the skirt wasn’t getting any shorter at the front. It’s not too difficult to play around with it until you get the finish you want by using a muslin practise version.

The practise version was then used as the pattern piece for cutting out the proper fabric. My only word of advice in using this fabric is to overlock or finish off the seams wherever you can. It’s a loosely woven fabric so it does fray easily. I overlocked seams wherever I could as I went along to avoid further fraying. To help with ensuring a secure & stable invisible zipper down the back I put fusible interfacing along the edge of the back seams on both sides before sewing the zipper in too. I slip stitched the hem of the skirt to finish it off.

For the camisole I used the Colette Sorbetto pattern in a black silk. It’s a free pattern available to download from Colette’s website – so go grab it! I had it on the list to sew up for ages and I am very impressed with the outcome. I cut out a size 6 (Australian size 10) and didn’t have to alter it at all. Thankfully I had some black silk crepe binding that I had bought yonks ago which I used for the arm and neck finishes. The camisole would look great with contrasting binding. I will have to add that to the sewing to do list.

It was a nice change to my usual sewing to make items out of block colour with no patterns or florals. So very unlike me. Now onto the next outfit for Winter!

You can find Bobbin and baste here: http://www.bobbinandbaste.com./

And on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/bobbinandbaste