Tessuti patterns Sadie slip dress

This pattern has been on my to-do list for so many years it's embarrassing. 
I've had time to basically internalise details from other people's makes from 10 years ago when they were blogging!  I also had time to lose the instructions.  Oops.  Luckily I was able to get a copy of the instructions from a sewing friend. 

I made the smallest size and I did add the darts, but the dress is pretty loose and I don't think the darts have affected it much. 

After planning many theoretical versions of this I went with the safest method - a leftover scrap of viscose.  It's black with cute starships on it.  Not the easiest to work with, it's a bit shifty, but has good texture and weight.  This was the leftover piece after making a skirt so I just made the dress as long as the fabric allowed.  I knew that full length would be too long for me. I also knew that I would hate the facings, but I did them anyway.  I was not able to actually cut straight enough pieces to do anything like rouleaux straps, or straps I could pull a safety pin through, so I just folded a long strip in 4 and sewed it down.  I don't think this is as nice, as straps go, and was a bit low effort on my part.  Optimally I should have interfaced some of the fabric and then cut straps from it.  But I wasn't trying too hard. 

 

 

This was an easy sew.  I did my best to tack the facings down anywhere I could, I also cut the facing a bit smaller, and they still peek out somewhat.  I do still hate them.  The front of the dress is also very low cut and only hides lower cut bras.  I'm holding out on whether I will wear this dress this summer, because my dream version was two layers of yellow silk (so no facings needed) but aside from that particular vision I don't think this has a very interesting shape or any other reason I would particularly reach for it.  I would prefer a slip dress that just has bias binding from the start.  In fact I'm not sure why I don't just stick with the Orchard slip dress which fit great and was very simple, as well as being a free pattern!  I do want something bias cut though, so I might try the Gibbons by Elbe textiles next.  

 

I love this fabric so kind of sad I don't really like the dress!  But it comes from The Fabric Shop in Otara so I might actually try to get more.   

Hey June Handmade: Seaforth Pants review

I planned to make these last November, when I actually really needed them for a work trip.  I bought the fabric...and made a Demeter dress instead (and fell down a Demeter rabbit hole, have not yet escaped.)  I was really curious about the pockets on these, and whether these are more epically rad than all the other elastic waist pants...

I finally made them a priority on a trip to Dunedin, which was quite neat as it gave me a chance to try out the Stitch Kitchen.  It is a sewing and crafting repository of supplies, and you can rent time at a sewing machine.  They have a fabulously equipped studio with things like cutting tables (not the kitchen floor, for once.)  I made these over 3 days in 2-3 hour chunks.  They were easy and fun to make.  

I made size 4 which matches my measurements (27-37) exactly. I didn't shorten or adjust them at all. 

The fabric is a kind of rayon which I've bought before, it's from The Fabric Shop in Otara in Auckland.  It's easy to work with, drapey, and pretty much opaque.  

The instructions were fine, I had no disagreements with anything and followed them pretty much exactly.  The fabric was easy to work with.  Pants like this are quite satisfying to see come together and there were no major surprises.  I haven't stitched down through the elastic, but I probably should as it's already trying to twist in the casing, especially at the ankles.  

 Initially I thought the butt was kind of flat but I think it looks fine and works with this drapey style.

Sadly despite the great fit of these, they are totally unseasonable in the middle of winter.  It's too cold for these so they are waiting in the closet for warmer times.  I am inspired to make more, I had thought a pair in some coating fabric would be oddly amazing, and I do have a habit of trying to make pants out of coating so it's likely to happen plus then I can wear them right away and try out the zipper pockets.  I'm not sure about the zipper pockets actually, they are secure and cute as a design feature, but maybe kind of annoying?  Need to wear them more and see what I think.