On this lovely Melbourne day, we headed along to join our fellow makers at the Sew Melbourne Garden Party. Hosted at the Stapley Pavilion in Kings Domain, the Sew Melbourne Garden Party is the perfect sew-cial day out. The event is organised by Libby and Abby and is a wonderful event.
Outfits
Erin in Vogue V1994 in denim from Darn Cheap Fabrics, Eliza in Peppermint Jumpsuit in berry fabric from East Coast Fabrics, Lauren in McCalls 8098 & McCalls 8161 in Inky Grove Cotton Sateen from Minerva and Kate in McCalls 8036 in cotton from Minerva
Name Badges
We took this opportunity to have a crafternoon together before the event to create our own name badges, how fun!
The Inky Grove print on Cotton Sateen is a Minerva exclusive print that is fabulous and we loved the rich blue tone mix with the white background. The quality and weight of the cotton sateen is lovely, more a light to medium weight of the fabric. It gathers beautifully and at 142cm wide it has lots of options for cutting large pattern shapes to make the most of the print.
Pattern: McCall’s 8161 McCall’s 8098
We started with the pants as the hero we used, view B McCall’s 8098 a full-length pair of pants with a very comfortable elastic waist. For the top we wanted a classic shape and used McCall’s 8161 our go-to for this occasion.
Ah jumpsuits! The joy of pants but less drama to choose what to pair it with. This lovely maroon crepe was the answer we were looking for when it came to Vogue Jumpsuit V647
Fabric: Burgundy Stretch Woven Suiting Fabric from Minerva
We were excited when this burgundy floral in Stretch Woven Suiting Fabric arrived from Minerva as we knew we had finally found the fabric for this jumpsuit!
This stretch-woven suiting feels more like a crepe with its drape and medium weight. The lovely white floral motif has a burgundy backing. It is 95% polyester and 5% spandex and is a great width at 145cm.
Pattern: Vogue Jumpsuit V1647
We have had this pattern sitting ready to be made for some time and this fabric was the perfect weight! This Vogue jumpsuit has a V feature bodice with wide leg pants.
We have used the pants part of this pattern before attaching it to another bodice for Lauren’s Cup Day outfit in 2022, see that make here.
We enjoy exploring new things in sewing so when Case from Sew Unsteady invited us to try out her first pattern Junk in the Trunk we loved the idea of exploring bag making.
Pattern: Sew Unsteady Junk in the Trunk Bag
This bag is designed with a side band and flat front that has an adjustable strap and can be worn around the waist, across the body or over the shoulder making it extremely versatile. There are two views included in the pattern with the strap attaching at different points to create a vertical or horizontal shape.
Fabric: Jungle Garden Multipurpose Cotton
We used an offcut of lightweight cotton we had and interfaced to give it some more support. This pattern could use a heavier woven fabric and even a leather so there are so many options to make it your own. A perfect scrap buster too!
This Jungle Garden Cotton was in the upholstery section in Spotlight. The fastenings we used white cotton tape and found the fabulous yellow clip at Super Cheap Fabrics in Fitzroy.
The last dress of summer 🌞 Okay… maybe it won’t be the last summer dress if Melbourne keeps up this hot weather! Our favourite thing about this dress is the cute back skirt ruffle. This pattern is simply to make, comfy to wear, and lets this super fun floral print shine 😍
Fabric: Emma Floral Cotton Linen from Drapers Fabrics
We picked up this lovely Summer fabric as a remnant at Drapers Fabrics in Fitzroy. The print is called Emma and is a lightweight linen with a cream background and vibrant multicoloured floral print. Made up of 20% Linen and 80% Cotton it was 145cm wide and made in Korea
Pattern: Vogue v9237
Vogue 9237 is a Very Easy Vogue Dress pattern with a loose-fitting pullover style that has a round neck with a button and loop closing at the back neck. The main feature is the back ruffle panel create a playful design element.
Finished Make
Photo Credits
Photographer: James Christie Media Pattern: Vogue 9237 provided by Sewdirect Australia Fabric: Emma Floral Cotton Linen purchased from Drapers Fabrics
Have you tried shirring? This might be the time! Gracie Steel has just released the Shirley Shirred dress that features a shirred bodice and a gathered skirt. We joined the testing team to explore this new pattern.
Pattern: Shirley Shirred by Gracie Steel
The pattern includes a range of options a fully shirred bodice, milkmaid style (not shirring across the bust) and a combination of skirt designs with a dropped waist, v yoke with a regular seam or exposed ruffle. We created the fully shirred v front bodice with v yoke skirt.
Fabric: Ellie Whittaker Leafy Sea in Pink
The pattern called for opaque light/medium-weight wovens with good drape such as linen, cotton, viscose, silk. We wanted to create a fun Summer dress so chose this Ellie Whittaker Leafy Sea Cotton Poplin in pink.
Finished Make
We would highly recommend including the option of including a channel for the elastic around the waist. As you are combining two varying pieces of material, a gathered skirt and a shirred bodice there is nothing that pulls the material into the body, both have movement and a tendency to stretch.
How do you decide what to pack when travelling? Lauren was travelling in Europe in January and February in cold weather so took on the challenge to create a wardrobe centred around one piece. What would that piece? A coat made the most sense, you need it every day in the cold weather, it is also the bulkiest item to pack and heaviest to transport. So a jacket it was!
Fabric: Magenta Coating from Super Cheap Fabrics
We spotted this magenta coating on sale at Super Cheap Fabrics and we were talking about statement coats after the coats we created when we went to New York and the magenta was just too good to pass up!
Pattern: Burda 6736
The Burda Coat pattern is a loose-fitting jacket with set-in sleeves and over sized wrap. It features two buttons and patch pockets.
Originally unlined I wanted to add a lining to it to make it easier to get on and off over thick dresses and tops. I copied the outside pattern pieces and attached the facing on top of the lining so it could be treated as one. The only downfall of this was I forgot to include a pleat at the center back and the lining was under stress and has pulled at the side seams. It is now on the fix pile to add an extra panel to resolve this.
Construction
Inserting a set of shoulder pads and sleeve head fillers to give shoulder shape to the coatChecking the fit with the shoulder padInside before liningReady for lining
Finished Make of Burda 6736
Photo Credits
Pattern: Burda 6736 Fabric: Magenta Coating from Super Cheap Fabrics Buttons: Tessuti Fabrics
Summertime calls for fun playful dresses! We enjoyed the chance to be part of the testing team for the Petite Dressmaker’s new release the Mirabel Dress.
Mirabel Pattern Details
The Mirabel dress is a cute, asymmetrical babydoll style. Perfect for a beginner or intermediate maker it has a square neckline at the front and back with no need for a zipper as you can pull it over your head.
The main design feature is the slanted waistline and two slanted tiers. To showcase these design lines there is an optional ruffle feature.
This PDF pattern includes 12 size options in the layered PDF files with A/B and C/D cup options along with high options of Petite (5’2”) and Standard (5’7”).
You can find your copy on The Petite Dressmaker’s website here or in the babydoll bundle here.
Fabric: Ellie Whittaker Golden Gaytime Cotton
This pattern called for a Light/Medium weight woven fabric such as cotton, quilting cotton, linen/cotton blends or broderie anglaise. Given how playful the design lines were with the asymmetrical feature we wanted a fabric that would match this character. We went into our stash to pull out the Ellie Whittaker Golden Gaytime Cotton we had been waiting to use for a fun project.
To showcase the design lines we included matching piping between the tiers instead of the ruffle.
Finished Mirabel Dress Make
This is a fun Summer dress that is easy to stitch. You can create your own details by showcasing the design lines like we did with the tiers by adding a ruffle or piping. Have fun with the designs! The Petite Dressmaker has provided very detailed instructions to help you construct your own playful make. We can’t wait to see your version of this pattern!
Photo Credits
Photographer: James Christie Media Pattern: Mirabel dress by Petite Dress Maker available here Fabric: Ellie Whittaker Golden Gaytime Cotton Print
We got to create this dress from beautiful fabric from Melco Fabrics!
Melco Fabrics, founded in 2021 by Melanie Coultas, is on a mission to produce high-quality, ethical, and sustainable fabrics in Australia. The company has evolved from its humble beginnings to become a leader in the textiles industry, emphasizing a commitment to ethical and sustainable manufacturing practices. All knit fabrics are proudly milled in Australia and carry the Australian Made certification, reflecting their dedication to authenticity.
The company prioritizes sustainability by minimizing waste, conserving water, and using eco-friendly dyes and chemicals. Ethical Clothing Australia audits their manufacturing process, ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions. Melco Fabrics also stands out for its in-house printing of art design fabrics using a pigment printer, providing quality control and reducing environmental impact. The company’s unwavering commitment to sustainability, ethics, and quality positions them as a reliable choice for those seeking responsibly produced Australian fabrics. Find out more about Melco Fabrics here.
When this wonderful company invited us to create something from their fabric we leapt at the chance.
Fabric: Dahlia Days – Rachel Parker
Rachel Parker is a print designer based in Northamptonshire countryside and created this lovely Dahlia Days design available on the Melco website here.
We chose this print in the navy colour way on a cotton sateen fabric.
This cotton sateen is on the lighter side (only 95 gsm) but holds its structure and was so EASY to work sew. The fabric is printed on demand by Melco Fabrics in their NSW studio.
Pattern: Vogue 9201 and Butterick 5951
For the pattern, we chose Vogue 9201 with short sleeves and a collar. We swapped the pleated skirt swapped for the a-line skirt of Butterick 5951 and added in-seam pockets.
To showcase the design lines of the bodice we included red piping around the front bodice placket.
Ah Paris! A fashion capital and a wealth of wonderful fabric stores!
In many of the stores in Montmartre near Sacré-Cœur the fabrics are already cut into length of 3m meters and folded on tables. They are sorted into fibre types with silks, cottons and wools grouped together. Each piece of fabric has a tag attached that lists the fibre composition, the width, meterage and the price.
Here are just a few we have frequented to help you explore and see the full map below
Coupons Saint Pierre (Les Coupons de Saint Pierre)
This fabric store has all precut lengths of 3 meters with an amazing selection of silks. This is the kind of store to let the fabric all to you, explore the piles, pick the pieces you like, and circle back around because the fabrics on top will have changed thanks to the other fabric lovers exploring as well!
Oh wow, there are 5 levels of fabric at Marché Saint-Pierre! The store which was established in 1920 has a wide range of materials, some precut lengths and the rest available by the meter.
Closer to the centre of the city Ultramod is a place for haberdashery, trim, buttons and millinery supplies. It is not possible to shop online at this treasure trove so in-person is a must!
The store is split over two locations and each has its own goodies one for haberdashery and millinery in that other.
