Halloween LBD - A Ghoulish Georgia dress

Happy Halloween! and hello on my most favourite of all the holidays. I absolutely love how year on year the UK seems to get more and more into Halloween and we are seeing so much more participation. We have a long way to go to complete with the likes of the US but I like the way this is heading. I'm even happier to be bringing you a halloween themed post.

I have been a bit slack this year and haven't managed to make the kids costumes, mostly because he wanted to be batman, and sadly I had to work on the day we could have gone to a toddler party. I also haven't managed to get out anywhere in fancy dress myself because, well, its a Wednesday BOO! 

By Georgia, She's an Animal!

Happy Friday! This weekend will mostly be spent looking at new kitchens which is both very exciting and very dull both at the same time. However it is the first time I have ever had to design my own kitchen so I must enjoy the process as much as possible Yay!

This week I am proud to present my second version of the Georgia dress in this gorgeous leopard print cotton poplin... Rawr! Topically Animal by Def Leopard is playing as I type this and because you are bound to want to know, the ears are from the fabulous Crown and Glory.

Project Details:

Pattern: Georgia, By Hand London 

Fabric: Leopard print poplin, bought locally from My Fabric Place

Size: 6-10-14 with a 3" FBA

Other adjustments: shortened and  widened the straps

I am very happy with this dress, it's so easy to wear, the fit around the body is lovely and the straps are much better on this version meaning I can actually wear a bra (can I just say that my bra, pants and socks are also all leopard print under this outfit! Meow!). I did have some fitting issues, I don't think it needed to be drafted out to a 14, I think a 12 would have sufficed. In addition to this, because I shortened the straps the waist sections came up a bit high so I had to do a bit of adjusting in the seams there. Nothing too complicated though. 

The only issue with this version is my chest just will not fit in there and so if really needs to be worn with a cardi, though I am carrying some extra pounds, so hopefully that won't always be an issue. I think this is again down to the straps being a little too short, I think I need some sort of happy medium between the two versions. 

The thing I like very best about this dress though is the inside, its shocking pink! I almost wish this was the outside its spectacular. I wanted to line the dress because I know that poplin has a tendency to stick to tights and so I wanted it to be a bit easier to wear. Lining the dress was very simple, essentially you just make the dress twice and joint them at the top of the bodice... simples!

This time I also needed the zip so check out my invisible zipper insertion, I am really happy with this. I realise its not perfect (its not invisible for a start) but looky it goes all the way to the top and everything. 

I am thinking about the possibility of adding a trim to the outside, just under the bust, to break up the print a bit as it is quiet overpowering. I am thinking of some kind of thick lace trimming but can't yet decide if this should be black or shocking pink to match the inside. I think I am worried that if I add the pink it might start looking like nightwear instead. Do you have any thoughts?

Finally, on a complete side note, I was outside happily snapping these pictures for the blog and little to my knowledge the cheeky Mr Fox was inside doing his very best to photobomb me! Well, he gets what he deserves and so here he is acting like a banana for all your amusement.

By Georgia! She's Got It

I am in LOVE with this dress pattern, look at it, its HOT! Truly this really is everything I look for in a dress, sleek, sexy, fitted and a little bit provocative. I am not sure when I might wear it though, its not exactly daytime attire!

Lets start with my utter amazement at the fit. I have never, NEVER been able to buy a dress from the shop that has fitted bust cups where by busts actually fit in the cups. I usually end up with an indecent cleavage, or with the bust line sitting half way up, neither of which are great. But this, look at it, they lovelies fit in them perfectly (well, i still might be a but top busty but I can cope!). This in itself has sold the pattern to me.

I am not going to lie to you though, I have had a love/hate relationship with the construction of this dress the whole way a long. Have you ever made an item of clothing and got so frustrated that even if you finish it you can't bear to look at it because of all the stress it caused? This nearly turned in to one of those, but to no fault of the pattern. I snipped a hole in the middle of the fabric trimming my seam allowance which resulted in my having to unpick, re-cut and re-sew a whole section. I also managed to melt the zip a bit when ironing it. So although I decided to put in a zip to make putting it on easier, it ended up horribly misshapen. I then had to unpick all of that, and just sew up the side seam, thank god for a stretchy fabric. It was so sad as well because my invisible zipper insertion was spot on! In addition to all of that this fabric just will not iron. But despite all of that once I got to the finishing up I am really pleased with how this turned out.

Pattern alterations: Only really the FBA, I had to take in the seams a bit at the stomach but this can be done after sewing so there is no need to re-cut the pattern pieces. Also, if I made this again I would shorten, and widen the straps a bit so I can wear it more easily with a bra underneath.

Two things really helped me out with this pattern as well. I took a handy tip from this weeks Great British Sewing Bee and under stitched the lining on the cups because of the fact the fabric wouldn't iron. It really has made the lining stay more on the inside so thank you GBSB! Also, the pattern uses the same technique adding the bodice to the body as the sweetheart neckline for Ava so I was well away there!


In conclusion I LOVE the pattern, however on this occasion I think I can say I am not 100% happy with the fabric choice. I am still not sure of its occasion, and it just doesn't feel very flattering to me, showing of the lumps and bumps in the wrong places. However I already have a leopard poplin version cut (complete with lining) and I am absolutely in love with Lladybirds blue and black lace version (like so obsessed with this version I have viewed the blog post like 6 times already!) so I will be making my own quiet similar to this.

I can't wait to see everyone else s versions of this dress now. Have you made one, are you planning a version of Georgia of your own? I would love to hear about it.

Following a Sew Along

Most of you will know that I have been following the By Hand London Georgia sew a long the last couple of weeks. It has been having its ups and downs but the end is in sight so I am quiet happy with that.

 

Picture stolen from By Hand London

I thought it would be a good idea to look at why you might consider following a sew along, I mean you get all the instructions in the pattern packet don't you? Of course you do but following a sew along can give you heaps more hints and tips. As a bit of a newbie I found these invaluable and used every single blog post. There were great tips in there for example FBAs which I would have spent hours researching without this. 

So what did I personally get out of this:

Pattern drafting - how to alter the pattern to fit a non standard body size (that's nearly all of us right)

FBA (there was an SBA) as well

Detailed construction images for all variations

Invisible zipper instruction (more on this in a future post!) 

Good fabric suggestions

And finally, but probably best, seeing all the variations other people come up with.. This really is the most exciting bit! 

I also really liked how this timed in real life, I managed to follow along without feeling like I was getting massively behind. 

So if you are thinking of following one, or are a new sewer, I would thoroughly recommend. Most independent pattern companies do them, and you can go back to previous sew a longs even if they are finished and still benefit from all that expert insight. and don't forget, even if you are a seasoned sewer you still might learn something, if not that then you can at least enjoy the inspiration.

Here are some links to past sew a longs from some of the independent pattern companies

By Hand London

Colette

Megan Neilsen

Sewaholic
Grainline Studios

And I am sure you can find some others just by checking google

Have you found/ used any sew a longs that you can recommend? I am eager to give another one a go so would welcome any recommendations.

Sewing for your Style Pt II plus Georgia Sewalong

Following on from the post I did a couple of weeks about about sewing for your style I wrote up a list of the types of things which I generally look for when buying clothes on the highstreet. I think it will be useful to have this when thinking about picking up fabric for future makes, as I am more likely to make something which I would actually consider buying.

My style list goes as follows:

Colours:

• Blacks
• Greys
• Browns
• Pinks
• Reds
• Turqouise
• Black & White
• Cream

Patterns:

• Leopard
• Zebra
• Stripes
• Hearts
• Stars
• Polka Dot
• Tartan
• Chevrons

Fabrics:

• Jersey
• Velvet
• Lace
• Tulle
• Stretch
• Cotton
• Denim

 I have also decided to join in the upcoming sewalong for the Georgie dress by By Hand London which is starting on Monday so I have my pattern and am raring to go.

 

I am thinking/hoping that that lips fabric might be perfect for this dress. It has some stretch which will be great for the fitted pattern, but also has an awesome bold print to add a little bit of personal character! Plus, I have seen quiet a few items on the highstreet lately in lips print, so check me out, bang on trend!