Love Sewing Magazine/Simple Sew, Simple Black Skater Dress

Back in May I took part in sewing challenge Me Made May, where by each day I planned to wear an item I had made. Since then I have tried extra hard to make garments from patterns I know I will wear, out of fabric I know I will wear.
This skater dress is not the most exciting item I've ever made- but what I wanted to do was make an garment that was versatile for any occasion. And I think it was a rousing success! The mission when I woke up on Saturday morning was to make a dress suitable to wear on the farm, for a Silent Age gig that afternoon. I was up at 6:00, cut out by 8:30 and ready to leave the house at 4:00pm.

I used the same pattern pieces I had used for my Houndstooth skater dress but didn't fall in to the same traps as last time- I extended the facing pattern a little and was also bearing in mind that I was probably going to be using seam allowances larger than last time on the bodice side seams.

Once my front and back pieces were joined at the shoulders I pinned up the sides using a 2.5 cm seam allowance (1.5cm on the sleeves). After a try on I knew that the fit was much better already. I was using a thickish jersey fabric that I knew had a nice amount of stretch so wasn't too scared I was taking too much in.

This try-on step mid way through meant that when it got to the zip putting in stage I had much less to take in than I usually seem to. In fact- it looked like a normal seam allowance for once! After remembering my note to self from Crab Dress - 'Tack in zip next time!', I found that putting in the zip was a much much less stressful task than it usually is. The only part I found I really struggled with was sewing down the facing where it meets the zip. This always seems to be so lumpy! It took a few attempts but in the end I secured it with a few hand stitches and it now sits flat against my back.

Using jersey was fun and speedy as it meant I didn't need to zig-zag any edges (it that cheating?), this saved me loads of time and meant my dress was ready for showtime!

I am very happy with this dress. I set out for versatile and that's exactly what I achieved. It looks great with gold or silver jewellery, any colour cinch belt I can get my hands on, boots or flats. It survived a trip to the farm, a gig and a date- and that's all within 24 hours of being made!

Success!

x

Currently listening to: Fiend, Orgy
Location: Lynwood Gardens, Sheffield