sewing liberation

Today I want to share 2 things with you all rolled into 1!

In July I promised that as part of my "getting personal" series I would post a pic of myself once a month, to try and get over my feelings about seeing myself captured by the camera.

Secondly I want to show you what I was working on a couple of weeks ago, and now have fallen in love!

So here goes.......

When I was working on the drawstring bags for my aunt's school, it got me thinking about how easy making a skirt could be. I just had to push myself over the fear barrier if truth be told. What if it was too small, short or I just looked plain silly in my sewn creations? These used to run through my mind all the time. At the same time I would look at beautiful garments and something inside me would say that I could make clothes if I just knew where to start.

For me it started with "sew what! skirts" a fantastic book for all novice sewers. This gave me so many ideas and how to make the simplest of skirts! The main thing for me is my body shape. I am an apple, yes, it has been confirmed by Gok and his "How to look good naked - and his style consultation".

 (You should give this a go, lots of great advice on what clothes suit what shapes.)

Anyway, because I have small shoulders, big boobs, a tummy and no hips, I am an apple. And apple shapes suit A-line skirts. I have always know this and when I looked through my wardrobe for a skirt to use as a template I realised that the skirts I didn't like/ wear were not a-lines. (I love a revelation!)

Then on to the fun bit.

I searched online for "retro fabrics" and found this amazing fabric shop Seamstar. It was love at first sight.

It didn't take long at all once the fabric arrived. Maybe 2 hours? I used one of my own skirts as a temple and drew round it twice, adding on an extra 2 inches all round for seams, hems and a bit of give.

I then cut out strips of the contrasting green cotton and attached them to the waist and the bottom.

(I made the waist band into an elastic casing so I had a comfy fit skirt.)

And here we have it, my first proper skirt. I spent yesterday going through my Boden catalogue singing, "well, I could make that, and that, and that..." then I had an idea.....

In Gok's consultation he reccommends styles for dresses for my shape and being an admirer of Kirsty Allsop and her beautiful frocks, I decided, "I can do that....." Buying dresses that fit me in all the right places has become a nightmare. Well, no longer..... I bought myself this!

My first ever dress pattern by Butterick (B5030)

Now I have slowed things down a bit so that I can buy some muslin to practice on and I'm saving my beans for fabric, (I have 3 that I have my eye on.)

In the mean time I am going to make another skirt, this one maybe 3" longer so that I can wear it with tights and boots. This time I think a heavier weight cotton would be best with maybe a autum/ winter colour pallet?

Listen to me!!!!!