Posts about dressmaking

Sewing FO: Gathered abstract-print skirt

5 September 2018

My latest sewing FO has been one of those rare projects where I had a spark of an idea in my head and it all came together without a real plan. I dreamt of  a… Read more

Choosing a new sewing machine

3 September 2018

You may remember that I was having problems with my sewing machine, with snapped needles, bad tension and jamming. To cut a long story short, went on a voyage of sewing machine discovery, and welcomed the Janome Atelier 3 into my home a a few weeks ago. Read more

Summer sewing part 2: The rub off

19 June 2018

On a high after the success of my last sewing project, I thought I’d try something more ambitious while being small enough to be achievable in my very limited sewing time. This top is a… Read more

Sewing FO: Summer top with front pleats

20 May 2018

Since making a wedding dress for my good friend Zöe back in 2010 (wow, that was a long time ago) I have done embarrassingly little sewing. This has nothing to do with the wedding dress… Read more

The Knitting & Stitching Show 2015: Fabric and sewing highlights

12 October 2015

The Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace is a quilter’s dream, but I can’t help but feel that contemporary dressmaking is a little under-represented. Never the less I did stumble upon some interesting fabric finds… Read more

From skirt block to garment

2 May 2011

I’m half way through making the first of many skirts from my own custom block. After drafting a block from my measurements, fitting and adjusting a toile, and copying the adjustments back onto paper, I… Read more

Pattern cutting: Skirt block worksheet

1 May 2011

Recently I hosted a pattern cutting workshop on drafting a basic skirt block from body measurements. The first time I did this was for the I made last summer. I found the hand-outs from the… Read more

Zoe's wedding dress: Materials and construction

14 September 2010

This is what went into the dress: Main fabric 3.5 m of heavy silk crepe in ‘natural’ It’s fair to say that I had probably chosen the main fabric in my head as soon as… Read more

Sewing with lace

7 September 2010

Seaming lace is just one of the new techniques I’ve had to pick up for Zoe’s wedding dress. The effect of the all-over lace is stunning, but sewing it is not high on my list… Read more

Pattern Cutting: Tools of the trade

24 August 2010

There were a lot of things I’d always wondered about the practical task of pattern cutting: How do you draw a smooth armhole curve? How do you make a straight hem? How do you add… Read more

Drafting a basic block

26 July 2010

With the detailed set of measurements I took in day one of Custom Pattern Cutting and Fitting, day two was spent drafting a bodice block from those measurements. The block is a representation of the… Read more