New Look 6340

Give me some wine, I've finally finished my dress - New Look 6340 in Japanese linen. 

I've been banging on about this dress and how much I love the fabric, but I've been so lazy about finishing it (hence my post 'the ten stumbling blocks of dressmaking'). This is the dress that actually had dust on it from sitting on the kitchen table so long. But this weekend I decided to get a grip and finish it.

The Japanese linen really is lovely - so easy to work with and hangs well. The pattern is straight forward too; not many pieces to cut thank goodness, and simple procedures written really well. There is a front and back facing to attach, but that was much easier then I'd anticipated. I'm a novice dressmaker, so if I can do it, anyone can. It's the first time I've done this and it turned out alright. There's also bias binding to put around the arm holes, but this is so easy, especially if you don't pin it first. Watch Liesl Gibson on YouTube explaining how to do this, and you'll have perfectly applied bias binding. I forgot to buy bias binding, so had to use some I had already. That's why it's bright pink, but no one will see it, will they. Stop looking at it. No stop it.

So, sounds simple doesn't it?

I, of course, had one difficulty. It wasn't a major problem, but a pain in the arse. When I was making the ties at the back, I forgot to attached a piece of string, which would make it easier to pull the tie the right way out. This meant that I spent an hour (yes, an HOUR) pulling out the ties with a bit of doweling I found in the kitchen cupboard. Imagine if I was a contestant on the Great British Sewing Bee. It would be a disaster. All the other contestant would have a finished garment... I'd have a sliver of half-finished tie back. No amount of flirting with whats-his-name would fix that (well done me for NOT entering).

While I was busy getting back ache and finishing the dress, my little girly and hubby made cupcakes. So now I can sit back in my beautiful dress and enjoy cupcakes and wine - perfect I think.

Procrastination... 

perseverance... 

...reward