June 2021 Sew Diary

My sewing has been slowed down remarkably this month due, at least in part to work and voluntary commitments. While I’ve had 14 or 15 makes to show for my efforts over the last couple of months, I’ve less finished garments this month. Nevertheless, it has been incredibly satisfying. Another reason I have slowed down my production levels is because I have stopped to look at my sewing journey. My friend Lisa (@bobo_bun) is a dressmaking teacher and we’ve been chatting lately between tips about where I want to take my sewing and she has summed up where I am in the best possible way; that I’ve been enjoying the first flourishes of excitement, sewing for the fun of it but now that I have mastered all the basics, I’m looking to really focus and perfect my sewing. After all, I began sewing not only to make clothes I loved the look of but also clothes that felt good, too.

So, this month, the process slowed down, and it was more about learning than it was about making. I even made a dress for a friend which helped me focus more specifically on fit – objectivity really helps!

Sewing for others is an entirely new playing field, which I’ve written about in a previous blog post. I had only previously sewed a couple of t-shirts and button up shirts for Simon.

As little as it may well be, here are my makes for this month.

The Swirl Dress from Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses

There is not much I need to say about these dresses as I have already written a review which you can read here. I am sure I will revisit this pattern in the future.

Butterick B6556

I absolutely love this pattern – it was one of the first commercial patterns I ever bought when I started sewing last year and I don’t know why it took me so long to make up. I did work a lot at fitting this bodice (although, when I make it again, and I will), I might do minor FBA – I could use a half inch of ease. There is a full review of the pattern here. I have recently made another variation of this dress which you’ll read about as a feature blog with one of my favourite fabric stores very soon.

Deer and Doe Réglisse

This was the first pattern I made when lockdown commenced last year. Until then, all I had made was the New Look 6301 and the dresses from Tilly Walnes’ book, Love At First Stitch. I had so little dressmaking experience; I was only getting acquainted with my machine and had no real fitting expertise.When giving a choice of patterns to a friend to choose a style from, I was delighted that she chose this; it was a really nostalgic choice.

Before I made up a dress for Kara (between toiles and adjustments), I looked out my old traced pattern pieces from last year (offering a prayer to the sewing gods that it would still fit) and ran myself off a version using this beautiful Dashwood cotton that was gifted from Minerva in exchange for a blog post which you can read here. I wanted the reassurance as well that comes with the familiarity of sewing up a garment.

I knew exactly the type of fabric Kara was looking for so after a brief search, we found the perfect fabric on the Jenny Stitches website – this beautiful blueberry ditsy print.

After making my own version, I remembered how wonderfully perfect and breezy this pattern is for summer so I ran off another as I need more summer dresses now that the hotter weather is here.

With the #sewyourstarsignchallenge kicking off on Thursday, I got a head start and made use of this pretty Rose and Hubble constellation fabric I had in my stash.

It doesn’t look like a lot but, actually, it’s 7 new garments (even though one isn’t mine) so it’s not exactly an unproductive month.

I only have a couple of things planned for next month but they are going to be toiled and tested… fingers crossed it’s worth the effort.

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