I just had day 1 of my sewing holiday and in total I probably did sew for 8 hours. I have a feeling today will be less, as being at home I am doing things such as house work. Booo!
It was my birthday Sunday and I got a few sewing goodies. Such as my new sewing machine, a voucher for the local fabric shop, a new sewing book and my auntie has apparently found a vintage pattern she is sending me from Germany! Once I have it, I will share it with you! I am so excited!
First on my sewing table for this holiday was the pastille dress. I have been itching to make this for ages. I chose a lovely linen, cotton blend fabric for it.
While making the dress I maybe invented some of my own ways of transferring makings from the pattern to the fabric:
1. Darts – Rochelle At Lucky Lucille does this too! Her post is about the Hazel dress sewalong and shows some great tips on how to use notches and mark darts. By simply cutting the dart open at one side of the pattern she creates a very accurate and easy way to mark your fabric.
Just cut open on one side and then mark using a ruler
2. Transferring the markings for the pleats – I simply unpinned the pattern piece up to the markings, allowing me to lift it up at the marking line. I then folded this over the ruler and marked the first line. Then the lines were about an inch apart so I just marked with the ruler.
Fold pattern over ruler at the marking to transfer to the fabric - that’s crackle nail varnish, not chipped 
Now from previous dress making I have realised how much I value pockets. SO this dress needed to have pockets!!! I just used the pocket shape from the macaron pattern and inserted it at the side seams.
3. Pockets – I finished the edges of all four pocket pieces and decided to place them 3 inches down from the top of the skirt and marked it. Next I pinned each piece to the skirt side seams with right sides together (I did this wrong first and it did not create a nice finish …) and stitch the to be opening to the skirt side seam. Try to do this inside the seam allowance. Once all the pocket pieces are attached to the skirt pieces you pin the right sides together aligning the side seams and pockets.
To stitch together start from the top of the skirt side seam, sew down the side seam and then around the pocket edge and finally down the rest of the side seam to the bottom. I reinforced the corners as in the instructions for the macaron dress.
What also helps to reduce bulking is to press the pockets to the front of the skirt.
This is probably the most I have ever written! Phew! To finish here the final Pastille! 
Oh yeah one more thing, I so battled with the various facings taking them on and off and not understanding them. I got it in the end but was fed up when I attached the neckline facing wrong. However I decided to make this a feature and put some of my vintage buttons on it and I love it! Searching the internet others have done a similar thing too!
I like this shape on you. I’ve got this dress on my list but never quite get around to it. The fitting issues scare me. I think I’m too short and bony – oh to have some curves!! Lucky you!
I transfer my dart and lines as per your method No.2, it’s neat, tidy and I don’t have to cut my traced pattern pieces. Yes I’m a bit ‘precious’!
Doh!! HAPPY HAPPY birthday!
aww thank you!
I never make a big deal about my birthday, hence the running away on a camping trip. 
I love that dart marking tip. Really clever – I’ll definitely use it.
Many Happy Returns!
thank you!
Rochelle has a more in depth explanation I think. I thought I was just being lazy and now I feel clever 
Cute dress!! I’m glad other people use that dart method too. Makes me feel less lazy and more intuitive lol
thats exactly what I thought when I saw others use this as a great tip!
ooh, that turned out nice! And thanks for the dart trick, that’s a really good idea. As opposed to using tracing paper and a tracing wheel and then getting the tracing paper residue over everything.
And Happy Belated Birthday!
Thank you! I have never found affordable tracing paper hence I had to come up with something else.
Great dress! Really suits you. And inspires me to get beyond the sewing-buttons-back-on stage of sewing and learn to make something just as good!
Belated happy birthday!
Aw thank you! I haven’t been sewing long, so u know you can do it.
the main thing I had to learn was patience. 
Wow, you kicked this dress hardcore!! I love it, it looks fabulous on you!! This was the first dress I ever made so mine is pretty grim looking LOL – this makes me want to make it again! ^_^
Happy Birthday also! Yay for August birthdays – mine’s at the end of the month!
Aw thank you! I have been wanting to make this for ages and if I compare it with my first dresses it is definitely good I waited a wile to make it, as I feel confident in it and in how it is made. Some things I have made I worry that they will rip or unravel in the streets so I carry an emergency sewing kit! haha!
Yay! It is Dexter’s birthday on the 23rd too!
That’s a darn good idea! Everyone should carry a travel sewing kit! RTW is way worse for popped buttons and seams than hand made
That is true!
From one of my first makes, I had a zipper break at the back, well more the seam below it and had to walk around with my jumper tied round my hips! SO fashionable.
But next time I can just whip out the sewing kit and fix it.
Oh wow! That dart tip has transformed my life!!!
yay!
I am glad it helped someone!
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This is adorable! I have this book/pattern in my stash too and have yet to make it. I l am also thinking about using a linen blend so wanted to know if it wrinkled much when you wear it?
Your dress turned out really great!
Mine was a linen and stretch cotton blend and it did wrinkle in the skirt a lot. But using black material helped to mask it a bit.
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