Monday 26 January 2015

Bridal Shower Quilt

My little sister is getting married soon and I was in charge of her bridal shower on the weekend. As a special gift for her, I decided to create a sort of memory quilt for her to remember her friends by.
When I sent out the invitations, each guest received a quilt block to appliqué and decorate as they wished. When they were all returned, I was able to put them together to create a lovely quilt.
The ladies who participated created little works of art and together they complete a very pretty whole. I'm very happy with the final product and hope it gives joy and sweet memories for many years to come.

The finished quilt







Ready for the bridal shower! 

Monday 19 January 2015

Summer Shirt Dress- McCalls 6506

It's been so long since I had any nice new clothes, so I finally made my way to the fabric store after Christmas to take advantage of the sales. I came home with two lovely pieces of soft cotton voile and could hardly wait to get sewing.
I had seen a dress in Myer that I really liked, but couldn't justify buying. It was a button down dress with a collar and belt. Amazingly, I had an almost identical pattern sitting at home. McCalls 6506.

I've never been a fan of the 'shirt dress', but this one really took my fancy (except for the massive collar). I redrew the collar to be a bit more moderate and lengthened the waist, as I dislike dresses to sit above my waist. The other strange this about this pattern is that the darts are meant to be sewn on the outside and thus be visible. I can't really think why you would do that, so I put them in their proper place on the inside.

Other than those things, I made no alterations to this pattern. The fit is large-ish, but because there is a belt around the waist, the dress can be pulled in and out depending on the size of your waistline. For someone who contemplates having a second baby, this feature is very handy! The pattern also provides three cup sizes to help the darts sit right. Very handy for a small busted woman, and I'm sure for those who are more well endowed.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with this pattern and I'm sure I will make it again!