I did it!! Welcome to my very first dress.
After receiving some donations and pledges today I’ve surpassed my $150-before-I-show-you-the-dress fundraising goal, hooray!
Making my own dress was one of the goals I set myself at the beginning of the year, and I’m so happy that Frocktober has given me the additional motivation to actually get it done.
I cut out the pattern and some of the fabric last weekend, but yesterday was the main sewing day – where I finished cutting out the fabric, and put it all together… while being kept calm by the lovely songs of Joanna Newsom.
As I mentioned last week, the fabric I used was actually an old set of single-bed sheets that I picked up at an op-shop ages ago – I just couldn’t pass them up when I saw the pattern, and I figured they’d be perfect for me to ‘practice’ on when I made my first dress. I was right!
I discovered that interfacing is nowhere near as scary to use as some of the stuff I’d read online said it would be.
I discovered that darts are tricky little buggers to get right!
I discovered that rushing things helps no-one – especially when you sew the side-seams of your wrap skirt the wrong way out and have to unpick both of them – gah!
I’m super-dooper in love with this dress, and wore it all day. I adore the fabric colour and pattern – who would have thought there would be such pretty sheets sitting in an op-shop, ready to be transformed into a lovely new dress?
I’m now dying to do a round of the op-shops and find some more sheet sets that I can turn into dresses!
Overall – since it was my first ever dress – I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. For the next one I’ll make sure to take in the sleeves a little more – and the sides, too – to make it fit even better (you can see there’s a bit of smooshy looseness around the waist/side area).
If I discount the cost of the pattern (since I’m SURE I’ll make many more dresses with it) and the cost of my time, then this dress cost just a couple of bucks in material. And I got to up-cycle, to boot! Not bad, eh?
Details
I sewed this dress using the Colette Crepe pattern – I *highly* recommend this pattern for any beginner sewers – it was so clear, and so easy to follow, and it comes with a whole little instruction book that takes you through the process step-by-step. I have two other patterns from them – a skirt and a top – and I can’t wait to try them out now!
I’m wearing Epheriell jewellery in these photos – the Mercury Earrings and Long-Style Raindrops Necklace.
***
My Frocktober Pledge
I have a couple of pledges for Frocktober – which is an annual event to raise money for Ovarian Cancer Research:
- Each day I will don a vintage or handmade dress, take a photo, and blog about it here on Epheriell Designs. Considering I’m travelling to Melbourne and Canberra to attend the Problogger Training Day AND attending one of my bestie’s weddings, it’s going to be a frocktabulous month, and I might even be able to drag some other ladies into the fray!
I am going to sew my very first dress!!! {DONE!}Yes, I am very, very excited about this – and terrified, too! I have the perfect pattern, the perfect fabric – and it’s one of my goals for 2011. This is just the kick in the skirt that I need to get it done!- At the end of the month I’m going to auction off one of my vintage dress collection, and all the money raised will go into my pledge fund!
Want to know what Frocktober is all about?
***
Want more Epheriell-y goodness? Subscribe to Epheriell Designs! Also, you can follow me on  Twitter!
Love it! Just like in the Sound of Music….only sheets instead of curtains. 🙂
The pattern is gorgeous – anything without zips is a winner in my book! I’m off to check it out.
Ohh, yes! I should be on the look-out for old curtains, too.. 😉
It is beautiful Jess. Well done for your first dress. Now you have inspired me to make one for myself
xx Cass
Hooray! Make sure you share it with me 🙂
Wonderful, inspiring work! Thanks for sharing, Jess. You look gorgeous in it.
Thanks Sal *blushes*
Oh well done on your first dress, its really lovely, particularly the back. Nice choice of bed sheet fabric too!
Holy crap Jess you r awesome. You have inspired me to try and make a dress. Well done
Excellent!! Make sure to come back and show me when it’s finished!
Love it, Jess! You’ve done a GREAT job! It’s a super flattering style on you too! Well done!! xo
Thanks sweetie! It is a flattering cut, isn’t it? Such a good choice for ladies who are bottom-heavy like me ;D
This is fab Jess! I don’t even own a sewing machine but I’ve been following your progress and am very inspired xo
Thank you so much, Bec!!
hey thats a lovely dress. is the pattern still available?
x
As far as I know it is, Leoni! Just follow the link in the post to the Colette pattern store 🙂
Wow! Your dress looks so great, I love the pattern you chose. Very inspiring, I even clicked over to the Colette store and started dreaming about sewing my own dress…maybe, maybe…
You can do it, Em!!! xxx And thank you, thank you 😉
It looks fantastic, or shall I say FROCKTASTIC, Jess 😉
Well done!!!
YES! Frocktastic it is 😀 xx
What a great job Jess! You should indeed be very proud. Quite something to wear an outfit you have made yourself isn’t it?
I think you did an awesome job. I really like it.
PD
Oh wow Jess. Great effort on the dress especially for a first go! I just sewed my first dress too, but from a vintage pencil dress pattern. Woah, what a marathon. Because I’m petite I have had to take in the square neckline even more by adding additional darts and taking in existing ones. It’s been a challenge as a dress is a lot more complex than any other clothing I’ve sewn before, but I too am really happy with how it’s turned out – including the dead straight zip in the back!
How fabulous! Have you got photos anywhere, I’d love to see it 🙂