oooh I made a dress

Here is my new dress - made from Built by Wendy pattern for Simplicity (3964). Like most of the Built by Wendy patterns you can make a dreess or a top or a tunic and she gives you two sleeve options. This is a great pattern for using some smaller scraps of fabric, and a good Stash-bustin exercise. The yoke pieces are replicated onthe inside and I used up scraps of some Amy Butler fabric I made my Lovely S's ruffle top with.

Unusually for me I bought some "proper" fabric in a sewing shop to make this with money my mum sent me for my birthday. (It is Kaffe Fassett cotton for Rowan) For the yoke I used some embroidered table linen. I have been collecting these little embroidered cloths from charity shops for a while now, toying with the idea of how to use them and this pattern suggested a great way to use one. I couldn't quite get it to be totally symmetrical as you can see in the bottom picture - but I tried and tried when placing the pattern paper on it and I just couldn't get it - I like a bit of wonkiness. The yoke and insert is quite a jigsaw to put together - you make one for the outer garment and another for the facing.

The embroidered yoke/bib reminds me of the vintage linens my mum used to collect back before vintage stuff became fashionable. She has small handkerchief size cloths called "Modesty Panels" that she says women would pin inside the front of their dresses or blouses to cover up any cleavage on show. I am going to visit her next week and must try and have a hunt around for some of them to photograph (or to scrounge from her!) I did google "modesty panel" a while ago but didn't find any references to what she was talking about. Maybe they have a different name?

Anyway - the dress is super comfy to wear - I made a marching fabric belt as well so I don't have to wear it so billowy and loose. (I have a slight aversion to wearing things that make me look pregnant when I am not!) Dresses are my new clothing /sewing obsession - so easy to wear and a bit of a no-brainer in the mornings. However, I did take this dress in at the side seams by about an inch each side after I had put it together. as it was too much fabric for me. I also did use the sleeves in the pattern - they are kind of cap sleeves but they looked really silly on me so I took them off and left it as a sleeveless dress. I wore it yesterday with leggings as it was a bit chilly in the morning, and after a day's trial run, I decided I really want pockets on this dress so I am hoping to fix some today as I have just enough fabric scraps to make two pockets, I've just got to go to playgroup first .