Trying out a new dress style

Well its been a crazy week and a half working on a commission and a dress from New Look pattern K6723 which came with one of the SEW magazine editions. 

I will update you on the commission once I has all been approved, we are awaiting on licencing details before it can be published.   But in the mean time I've got a wedding coming up in a few weeks and due to my illness I can no longer get into the dress I have.  So I decided to do a trial run of the dress. I chose to go with style C and when ahead and cut out the pattern pieces I needed.

After rummaging through my fabric box and pinning the pattern to one lot of fabric and realised I didn't have quite enough. So I hunted again. I finally settled on some baby pink cotton fabric. 

Once I'd laid out, pinned and cut out the required pattern pieces of the pink fabric I then cut out the required fusible interfacing and lining.  Working through the pattern instructions I completed the bodice and it's lining and attached them together. 

Following this the sleeves were next on the instructions.  Now I'd added an extra panel into the bodice to allow for my bust measurements but decided not to add an extra in the arm and just had the sleeve less gathered.

Following inserting the sleeves it was time to work on the dress skirt and attach. 

So this is currently where I am with the dress.  It fits but I will do a few tweaks to the pattern before completing the final dress. I will add an extra fabric in the sleeve arms cuff and reduce the back neck line when adding in the zip and finally I think I will reduce the amount of fabric to the skirt as too much gathering of the fabric. 

I'm glad I did this trial run to check the style suits me and the make amendments to the pattern. You can get an old sheet and use it as a practice run,  I used fabric which I picked up in a charity shop so otherwise I would have found an old sheet or cheep fabric. 

Another tip with pattern piece, once cut the correct size use fusible interfacing on the pattern pieces to strength them so they can be reused with reduced damage.  I picked this tip up in a talk about patterns and fitting essential foundation, last year at the NEC at 'The Stitching and Sewing and Hobbycrafts Show' made by Gill Arnold.

I have still to complete the hem but have been preparing my list for this year's trip to the NEC starting tomorrow, by going through all my crafting supplies to see what I need to buy while I'm there.  I will try and check in during my trip if I have wifi or if not on my return to show you what I purchase.

Back soon.