Want to make the Great British Sewing Bee 50s wrap dress - hints and tips !

Firstly this was indeed a fun dress to make - and having made it yes I think I could happily run another up in a couple of hours.....and I intend to do so maybe with some design tweaks too!

As I am a fairly rubinesque size 16 and no longer in the first flush of youth , small waisted/big skirt designs are not always the MOST flattering look for me but the wrap/high waist design did seem to do me a few favours - OH seemed to approve anyway! 

I'm not going to do a step by step guide - you'll need the pattern for that - Butterick B4790 - BUT I am going to pass on what I hope will be some useful advice which might help you end up with a dress you'll be happy with .

1. This design comes up SMALL on the waist in my opinion. Measure your waist and use that to determine the size you need against the ACTUAL pattern piece - do not be surprised if you go up a couple of  sizes from your size in a modern garment. This is quite often the case in vintage patterns - even reissued ones. Unhelpfully the pattern has NO info' relating size to body measurements on the back of the packet! SO be careful f you can get into modern, often stretch'y size 16 jeans you ain't necessarily gonna get into a size 16 version of this dress !!

2. Choose a fabric with some body to it - by that I mean stiffness. A floppy fabric will not give you that nice 'sticky out ' 50s shape to the skirt or show that bodice shape as well. I used a heavier weight cotton - ( a rather nice find in a charity shop - grey plaid on on side, red on the other). I think this would be a knock out in raw/curtain weight silk / silk mix as well.

3. You might think you can put a net petticoat under that skirt - sorry nope - the under skirt/front is a closer fit than you might realise . HOWEVER I think it entirely possible to alter the pattern to have the underskirt as a fuller/lace/netted petticoat. I might have a go at this sometime!

4. Bias binding point 1 - 9 metres should be enough if you follow pattern exactly. I however wanted bias binding on overskirt hem and I didn't bother bias binding sides and hem ( where I used lace instead) of the underskirt. For this modification to the pattern I used 10.5 metres.

5. Bias binding point 2 - I would suggest using a fabric/bias binding combination where your fabric is stiffer/has more body that your bias binding. If you use a softer/thinner fabric with a coarser bias binding I think you could risk a twist in those front edges - which you want to keep nice and straight !

6. Bust darts ! I made this up , tried it on and bust darts tips were at least an inch higher that where they should be. OK - this MAY be just me LOL ! BUT remember this pattern was styled to 1950s undergarments and they tended to haul your 'ladies' up quite high and make 'em pointy . So unless you do the FULL vintage look with period appropriate bra/corsetry you may have to adjust the bust dart slightly .

I hope these tips help you out - I would certainly make this again and I look forward to wearing it when the weather gets just a bit warmer!

( BTW - The red comes over the shoulder more on my dress as I tweaked it to have some red showing on the front shoulder - If you follow the pattern exactly and use two contracting fabrics you won't get the same effect as on my dress )

EDIT:My estimated size info' on waist measurements. Max waist size, assuming front edges should meet and allowing 1 inch for narrow hem on back seam.

Size 22 - 35 inches
Size 20 - 33 inches
Size 18 - 31 inches
Size 16 - 29 inches

I have based this on actual pattern measurement from my size 16 -22  pattern . 

New in 2014 - new shop, new sewing machine, new products!

Hi all , lots of new stuff in the pipeline...

Slowly putting together a new shop to feature new products ... bringing together my arty skills and my sewing.

A NEW DIRECTION! 
Witty Dawn - Over Christmas I worked on a new logo and other design ideas - it may be a while b4 you see the products however ! I wanted a name and logo that was more specific to me - and so it's  a play on my name Dawn Witt and a character modelling one of my fav vintage hats . I'd like to hear what you think! My Etsy shop has moved to this name and I have a new - as yet unstocked shop on Folksy

AudreysCat - still going strong and with a good Christmas behind me :)  This shop also enabled me to be featured both in House Beautiful and in my local paper so it's NOT disappearing! but over time will be more specifically focused on vintage cushions/ bags and offering a wide range of custom options. AudreysCat will mainly be on Folksy - it's original home from  May 2010! - it's is a Folksy featured shop, with over 300 sales now. You'll probably  be see my AudreysCat artwork being developed  in my WittyDawn shop too!( sorry for the copywrite statement all over it but it has already been used without my permission once! ( ref:  http://audreyscat.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/copying )

AND SOME NEW KIT TOO....
As part of this new venture I felt I need a sewing machine to match my ambitions - some of the preceeds from my beloved AudreysCat shop have been set aside to buy a new sewing machine! so I'm setting aside some time to play with this and to develop my ideas. I'm not getting rid of my old, basic Brother machine though - just semi retired for now, but it's been brilliant ! However this is my new toy...

AND A NEW PLACE TO PLAY ? ...
My growing business means I have taken over the house rather TOO much. Plans area are afoot to move into a garden studio ... hopefully....

GIVEAWAY Summer is over! .. so have some bunting to cheer yourself up!

At the moment ( start of Sept ) the weather is still fab BUT that'll be changing now summer is gone ( sob sob ...) however to keep you going through the winter months I am giving away some bunting !

The details are on my facebook page AudreysCat  so head on over for a chance to win  a 3m 9 flag length of bunting made from these fabrics . Winner will be chosen on Sept 30th 2013.

Yes ... still wearing 'curtains' ....

  Well not STRICTLY true! ... however a few year ago I bought 19 m of this lush gold/silver/brown leaves on black silk dupion. I think I paid about £160 on ebay ? It was intended for some full length curtains for our bedroom ...

Which  , yes ,  I did indeed make.. but since then I've been making clothes with it too! you can see the curtains and the 1st dress ( vintage vogue pattern) I made with it here ....

I've recently pulled this roll of fabric out again, and I have a couple of formal dinners coming up. So I've made a full length dress , teaming this fabric with some fabric my OH bought back from India for me. This was from an adapted '60s vintage pattern. I have also made a full length - almost circlar - lined black skirt. This last item is perhaps my favorite - fabulously 'swishy' and glamourous !

I think so far I've made that £160 outlay work pretty hard !

What's next ? I think I have enough left for a 50s swing coat ... watch this space ... ( but you may have a long wait .. i've been doing A LOT of sewing recently! )

WOW! featured in House Beautiful

So those lovely people at House Beautiful contacted me regarding how I use vintage fabric in my home and they have kindly featured our house in their Sept issue ( out 1st August p64 ) . Enjoy :)

( the house stayed this tidy for a couple of days ... but then the piles of vintage fabric slowly invaded again !  )

.. and another thrifty vintage fabric project....

So when I get vintage fabric it is frequently in the form of curtains. I unpick the seams, wash , dry ( outside preferable WHEN we get sunshine.... remember sunshine....?!? ) and I iron the lovely fabric.

HOWEVER one is always left with foldmarks where the hem was - so you can have quite long strips of fabric to use up in some way - because NO WAY will you throw away even the smallest scrap . This is what I've been using the hem remenants of some of my favorite fabrics for :

1. Spend ages selecting your remenants - and BOY I have a lot ....

2. Sew them together like a big fabric jigsaw, pressing out seams ( I also sew flat) and adding co-ordinating trim as you go . You then need to cut the front patchwork fabric to match your cushion size.  I like to make my cushion covers a fairly tight fit so for a 50cm by 60cm cushion I will work with a 53cm by 63cm piece giving a 1.5 cm seam allowance. I cut my backing fabric ( usually plain white/cream lining cotton ) for the patchwork piece a bit larger as I can trim it later

3. I tend to like piping on my cushions  - you can make piping or buy it . If you want to make it this is a good tutorial http://sewfearless.com/2011/12/13/taking-the-leap-into-handmade-piping/ .  Sew on piping as per the link, making sure the  piping stitch line matches the cushion size - ie. about 1.5 cm in from edge of patchwork piece.  

4. I then tend to use an envelope closure for the back of the cushion. You can follow the stitch line from piping as a guide.Here's another useful link http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_4762220_sew-envelope-back-pillow-covers.html . Sometimes I use a zip closure but in a boy'ish household there's a chance of cushion/pillow fight tomfoolery and a zip in the face isn't much fun...

5. Trim the excess fabric from seams - I like to zig zag the raw edge. Turn inside out, iron and  stand back and admire ... :)

"The cobbler's children go unshod "

Are you familiar with the phrase "The cobbler's children go unshod" ? It means that the cobbler spends so much time looking afer his customers' needs that he has no time for his children's.

Now my kids DO have shoes .... but I spend so much time create goodies for my customers my own projects get sidelined. My cushions were looking particularly scruffy - not good for someone who has SO much lovely vintage fabric! 

So my cushions are getting updated - these 'new' vintage  ones are for the family/dining room - where the colour theme in accents of orange and blue. I still have more to do for the front/music room ! I've also  got some fabric framing projects to do and some skirts to make for myself ... so... I'd better get busy!

PS - My shops are shut over half term whilst I play with the kids and play "catch up" with my projects :)  Back to work on Mon 3rd June.


Dawn x

Owl 'tastic ...!

Starting to list my owls in my Folksy shop - kinda cute and I'm slightly obsessed with making them now. A great way to feature some of my vintage fabrics I think - I hope you agree ?!?

Check out my website

Like what  I make but haven't yet seen something in your ideal vintage fabric ? 

Love to see more of my vintage fabrics ? 

Well...  head on over to my my Web Site Audrey's Cat Vintage

What's It All About?

This shop is all about custom making YOUR item from MY vintage fabric.
1.Select the item you'd like - cushion, bag, animal ...
2. Select the fabric you'd like  - prices vary according to age/condition/rarity

Here's some examples :

I'm adding fabric options most days through out Feb - there are 40 already and many more to put on!

Love to hear what you think and which fabric you like best - I even have a few for sale ... although it PAINS me to let them go I am now middle aged enough to need reading/sewing glasses and need the £££'s  ... sigh...

Bank Holiday ! local Horti Show, some family successes!

We had a good day at our local Horticultural show in spite of terrible weather. As a family we put in lots of entries and came away with a bunch of 1sts/2nd/3rds etc !

This joint entry of 3 items of craft by Mum and myself came 1st.


Son won 1st with this super loaf of bread.



I got Firsts in for a Watercolor, a sketch and for this collage


( please don't be too impressed - some categories don't have many entries - however the standard is really high and it's super to see how much talent is bursting out in our area!)