Herringboned

Frocks and Frou Frou Frocks and Frou FrouFrocks and Frou Frou Frocks and Frou FrouDress: DIY from Colette Hawthorn pattern

Belt: Princess Highway

Shoes: Hush Puppies

I had so much success with my first Colette Patterns Hawthorn Dress that I decided to give the pattern a second go with sleeves for the cooler months.

The Hawthorn was the first time I’d sewn a collar, and with the clear instructions provided it went off (more or less) without a hitch, so I was looking forward to having a whirl at making my own shirt cuffs. In the interest of warmth I picked a wool blend fabric in a charcoal grey herringbone – it was a much heavier fabric than the cotton I made the first dress in… and that was my first mistake. (It also frayed like the devil, and was a total pain-in-the-ass to sew with.)

So, the heavier fabric meant that the collar didn’t sit as neatly as my previous attempt, and no amount of pressing could get it to lie flat. Between the collar, the facing, the interfacing, and the main body of the dress there’s a lot of layers of fabric, so in retrospect it wasn’t entirely surprising I was getting collar pop. It might soften over time, but in the meanwhile I’ve just been coaxing the collar flat by pinning it with a brooch!

Frocks and Frou FrouThe heaviness of the fabric also meant that I ran into trouble making the cuffs, which – just so you know – are a total nuisance to sew. If I ever say I’m going to sew something with cuffs again slap me, ok?

As usual for Colette Patterns, the arms were hilariously too baggy, and I had to tweak both sleeves and cuffs dramatically before I was satisfied. Well, satisfied-ish.

Frocks and Frou FrouThey’re a bit wobbly and warped, but they’ll do, and they look better shoved halfway up to my elbows (though it does result in billowing sleeves).

The fabric was a nightmare, fraying if I even looked at it sideways, which meant I lost patience with perfecting the fit long before it, well, fit. So it’s a bit boxier and lumpier, and the waist isn’t quite straight (which is fine, I need to belt it anyway) but it’s comfortable and warm, and while it might not be the first winter dress I reach for in the morning it’s definitely wearable in public.

Take Me to Your Reader

Frocks and Frou Frou Frocks and Frou Frou Frocks and Frou Frou Frocks and Frou FrouDress: DIY Colette Patterns Myrtle

Cardigan: Princess Highway

Shoes: Naturaliser

 A huge week followed by a busy weekend, and I’m already hanging out for the upcoming long weekend!

Earlier last week the bookshop that I work for won a really big and exciting award. I feel enormously privileged to work with such an amazing team (and it doesn’t hurt that I am totally loving my job). The response from the local community has been just wonderfully heartwarming, and it just is making me feel all warm and fuzzy about books, bookstores, and the general future of the book industry.

Books are pretty nice though. I mean, I’ve spent twenty years in the industry and I still make grabby hands whenever I see anything book-or-reading related. Hence the dress!

A couple of months ago Spoonflower was having a sale on their modern jersey and I bought a few yards of cat fabric, which I used for my black cat dress, and also a few yards of this book fabric. Because BOOKS.

Frocks and Frou FrouI used the fabric to make (yet another) Myrtle dress, as the soft jersey fabric works really well with the draped cowl neckline.

It was unseasonably warm in Melbourne today, but it’s still autumn so I added a little cropped cardigan from Princess Highway. I was a bit concerned that the combination of boobs + draped neckline + cardigan would just = too much going on on top, but I think it works OK.