Project Diary: Ball Dress, 13th June.

Plan for 13th June: make up body lining, and get it mostly attached to the outer fabric.

So the lining is all attached around the top, although I’ve not done much undersewing. My hand stitching is terrible, and it’s a bit bulky to try to do it by machine, so around the arms and neck I’ve just pressed it into place. That’s not very good, and I’ll know it’s wrong, but it’ll have to do. I’m just not dextrous enough to do it right, and I don’t want to risk it on this.

Still, it’s attached – all I need to do now is sew the bodice and midriff seams together, and it’ll be time to get onto the skirt. So soon, so soon. But yay. Longer to consider accessories. There is a possibility of a crocheted mask… watch this space.

Project Diary: Ball Dress, 12th June.

Plan for 12th June: do outer bodice.

Oooh, shiny.

Started late but still managed to do all I planned for this evening. We have bodice attached to midriff with bust gathering (risked it on the sewing machine – a good decision, I feel) and some straps tacked on up the top there.

As a side note, I have much more control over the machine now. I grew up using my mother’s beautiful hand-powered Singer, so using my beautiful electricity-powered Singer is weird, to say the least. I’m still basting everything by hand though – partly because I don’t want to risk running out of thread, and can’t be bothered to change the thread over every time I want to baste anything, but mostly because it just feels better to really handle the fabric when sewing it into place.

Next step is the bodice lining – reckon I can at least get that stitched together, if not sewn to the main fabric, in the next evening’s work.

Project Diary: Ball Dress, 11th June.

Plan for 11th June: Cut out all pieces, and fuse interfacing to midriff front and back. 

Ba-baaa! Haven’t I done well. Took less time than I thought, but I have some fairly impressive carpet burns on my knees. Will need to find a longer skirt for work tomorrow, or there may be some questions asked.

So. I decided to cut the fabric as though I were making the longer skirt on the basis that if I change my mind about the length, it’ll be far easier to shorten it. Cunning, no? I’ve held the front skirt piece up in front of me and my considered opinion is that it does drape, and shouldn’t end up sticking out like a tutu. I don’t know what effect the lining will have, but I can wait to find out. I have patience.

I was going to forge on ahead with the next step, but having taken a break for a duck egg and bacon omelette, and rewarded my supreme couturier skillz with a nice glass of wine, I think I will stop for the evening so I don’t burn out. Maybe some knitting… I really fancy some crochet but since I am still waiting for my pretty hooks to turn up from Angel Yarns *grumble grumble out of stock being ordered from suppliers but no estimated delivery time given so I’m sitting here feeling like an idiot cos I could just cancel my order and order some from somewhere else but I want the pretty red one grumble grumble* I shall happily continue with my tree jacket.

Project Diary: Ball dress, 10th-22nd June. Intro.

So. There is a works do in a few weeks. Black tie, masquerade, the whole shebang. I’ve decided I’m going to make a dress for it, as I have a handy pattern – this is she: 

I’m thinking of a halterneck with knee-length skirt. Now I know it’s black tie, which indicates a full-length skirt, but I don’t care. I’ve seen girls wear trousers to black tie events before, so they can kiss my arse and look at my ankles while they’re doing it.

With all this in mind, I went to the Fancy Silk Store and wandered aimlessly until this beauteous fabric caught my eye:

And thought it would be nice to pair it with some golden lining. Et voilà:

Does that look awesome or what?

Obviously, this is not quite the correct fabric for the pattern. Duh. This is me we’re talking about. So, in order to leave me enough time to buy myself a ready-made emergency dress, I’m aiming to have it done (at least to a point where only finishing needs to be done) by the Sunday before. That’s less than a fortnight. Shit.

Anyway, this evening I tried out my probably unsuitable interfacing and after a couple of false starts I’ve discovered that it fuses on my iron’s cotton setting with full steam, on two counts to 15. And doesn’t melt the real fabric. Hurrah!

It does peel off if you try, but I’d expect that because the fabric is pretty and shiny. It should hold its position at least until it’s sewn in. Should.

I’ve also been a good girl and done some sewing tests. Turns out my threads are exactly the right colour, my sewing machine grips both the fabrics like a demon, and we are therefore good to go. 

I am teh awesome sewer.

So gaze upon my awesomeness (and slightly dirty mirror) in wonder.

A lovely flowery number, somewhere between a sack and a maternity dress. Awesome!

P.S. No, parents, I don’t have anything to tell you. It’s just for descriptive purposes, ok?

P.P.S. Now the sewing machine only costs £42.50 per project! That’s only 4 times as much as the materials!