I've been wanting to move my blog away from Blogspot for a while but could never be bothered to actually do it. This week was the tipping point though, and I've now fully migrated over to https://patsypoomakes.wordpress.com/ . The blogspot address will remain here but all new posts will only appear at https://patsypoomakes.wordpress.com/ . There are lots of reasons for the move but my biggest one is how hard Blogger has made it for people to subscribe to receive new posts via email. It's such a basic requirement but apparently, they think it's too much to offer. I'm basing this purely on how I myself prefer to consume this stuff. I can't be arsed with feed readers anymore and emails are easy and convenient. When I receive one, if I fancy reading it, I will click through to it and, if not, I'll just delete it. Another reason is the spat between Google (owners of Blogger) and Instagram/Facebook/Meta. I don't even know if this is still the case anymore ...
A couple of months ago I was contacted by Jen from Sew by the Sea in Margate. She asked if I was interested in working with one of her fabrics and then sharing a post about my experience. Not being one to say no to gorgeous fabric I agreed and off I went to their website to pick something.
I hadn't decided what I wanted to make yet and they have a great choice of fabrics, so it took me a while. When I saw this Pink Floral Ravishing Rayon by Dashwood Studio, I thought I would probably come back to it in the end. And I did. I'm a huge lover of coral. Unlike most people, I really like grey. And yellow is another favourite of mine. How could I not?
I went backwards and forwards on my pattern choice for a long time. This post is actually more delayed than I would've liked, due to summer holiday disruptions. However, that turned out to be a blessing because the pattern I ultimately went with was released while we were away.
Depending on your size, you might not even need to have functional buttonholes. Mine all are but I don't use them. The skirt stretches around me easily enough that I can slip it on and off without unbuttoning anything.
My slight criticism was that the channel ended up being a little too snug for my elastic. It was a bit fiddly to feed the elastic through but if I sew at a 1cm seam allowance instead of 1.5cm next time, it will be ok. I am planning on a second already because I love this one so much. I've already worn it a few times and I think this will become a new favourite.
This fabric was a joy to work with. It's 100% rayon (viscose) but it behaves so well. I have a few Dashwood Studio rayons and they're all lovely. I made this dress in one of them and it's one of my favourites. The quality is great and the colours are so vibrant. I love how they move but they're really nice to sew as well. Viscose can be a diva of a fabric when you're cutting and trying to keep things in position. But these Dashwood ones are a little more willing than most. 😄
Jen has a few of them in stock right now. I've been drooling over this one in particular for a while now. As it happens, I'm visiting the shop in person very soon so maybe I will grab some of it for a top.
It's worth bearing in mind that viscose can stretch out a lot. I left my skirt hanging for about 3 days before I hemmed it. Weirdly, it dropped a lot more on one side than the other but it often drops quite considerably all around, especially if your project has been cut on the bias or if it has a curved edge. On the worst sections I had to cut off about 3 or 4 inches of excess fabric to even things out.
I've been on a roll of success recently and I seem to have loved everything I made over the last few weeks. This one is no exception. I definitely have a winter version planned. All that's left to do is settle on a fabric.
I chose the newly-released Estuary Skirt by Sew Liberated. As you're tired of hearing me say this, I often overlook new releases and I tend to ignore things until I've seen them a few times. But the launch photos of this particular one are so striking that I had to pay attention. I made a mental note to have a look at it properly when we got home. Then I saw Mel's version and the rest is history.
The skirt is gathered and it has buttons on the front. The waistband is smooth on the front but the back is elasticated. Holy comfort, Batman!!! My version also features MAHOOSIVE patch pockets on the front and they have a super cool, slanted top edge which I love, but I appreciate this fabric isn't the best choice to show that off. You can kind of see what I mean on the photo below.
I made a size 8, based on my waist measurement but I would get away with a 6. This is my first Sew Liberated pattern and I am very pleased with my experience. The instructions were excellent and clear. The skirt came together so quickly. I was dreading sewing on top of the elastic on the back - I had never done that before. But that was so easy I was literally done in 5 minutes. The best bit? None of that twisty dance you have to do sometimes with elastic, when you take your clothes on and off. I HATE that in my Carrie trousers. I may actually go back and do this on that waistband, too.
My slight criticism was that the channel ended up being a little too snug for my elastic. It was a bit fiddly to feed the elastic through but if I sew at a 1cm seam allowance instead of 1.5cm next time, it will be ok. I am planning on a second already because I love this one so much. I've already worn it a few times and I think this will become a new favourite.
Jen has a few of them in stock right now. I've been drooling over this one in particular for a while now. As it happens, I'm visiting the shop in person very soon so maybe I will grab some of it for a top.
***DISCLOSURE: I was provided this fabric free of charge in exchange for a blog post. This has had no bearing on the opinions expressed above.***