March Dress - Kitschy Koo Lady Skater Dress goes to Tea

Well the plan had been for a frock a month, but February's frock didn't happen.  However I did get one made for March.

This dress is the Lady Skater Dress by Kitschy Koo.  I had plans to make this dress as part of my frock-fest so when it happened that this pattern was one of the ones included in the "Best of" patterns contest it seemed to be the right time to make it.

I also had an invitation to attend the Brisbane Social Sewist's High Tea and it seemed right to have a new frock for it.  I didn't get any photos at the High Tea (bad blogger!) but we had some time before it started so we went to New Farm Park in Brisbane and got these photos.

I would have liked a narrow gold or aqua belt to wear with this but this gold circles belt is the best option I could find.  It is cute though!

The dress has a little twirl factor going on...

but I may be getting to old to twirl as I got quite giddy...

I have reviewed this dress in detail on Pattern Review so all the details about the sewing of it can be found in the review - here.

And for those of you who can vote, I encourage you to check out all the entries - here.

Ciao kittens... more contest sewing up next.

January Frock - Ottobre 2/2013 Fancy Flowers Dress

One of my goals for the year is a frock a month and so far I have one out of one as I present to you my January Frock.  It is from Ottobre 2/2013 pattern no. 7 Fancy flowers.  

They recommend lightweight viscose but I used a silk crepe de chine called New Orleans I had bought from Tessuti Fabrics a while back.  I had planned to make pants but since starting on this quest for a frock a month, this fabric started suggesting cool summer dress more and more.

I made my size according to bust size and the only alterations I made was to lengthen it by about 1cm  and trim a little excess fabric from the front of the armhole.

I was very happy with my front placket.  I had tried to place the pattern on the fabric so light colours were at the top and dark toward the bottom, but the placement of the pattern around the placket was pure serendipity.  It looks a bit like lace around the placket, don't you think?

This pattern has nice pattern details apart from the front placket.  A yoke, gathering falling from the yoke, shaped hemline, collar with stand and elastic gathering at the back waistband. 

Back view

I made the inner yoke piece from some white cotton-silk I had bought from The Fabric Collection a while back.  (A good thing to have in the stash.)  I did that so there would be no shadow of the print showing through the fabric.

I did the same for the armhole binding.

The trial wearing of the dress went well. 

A road trip to Brisbane with a sewing pal to see Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion at GOMA.   It coped beautifully with a warm Brisbane day and I really enjoyed the day out...

and the shopping on the way home...

Floral cotton for a blouse / stretch cotton for a shift dress / Rayon jersey for a wrap dress.

Ciao  kittens...