Friday 24 February 2012

Dress Making

Today we ventured down into Sussex to visit some friends near Forest Row. There's a lovely toy shop there called Bramble Corner so I popped in there and bought Gilby a little donkey to go in his wooden stable that he had for his birthday. I also bought some cream dishcloth cotton from the craft shop. I crocheted these cloths for Christmas gifts but think I may knit some this time


We then stopped in Westerham, haven't been there for a few years and parked right next to this lovely little shop. They haven't been open long and although they are advertised online I couldn't find a website. It was certainly worth a visit, not very big inside but had lots of lovely fabric and wools. I came away with a knitting book of hat patterns and two metres of lovely fine denim. 

 I had ordered a pattern from .http://merchantandmills.com/ for a dress. I have never been successful in making clothes for myself but saw this website some time back and decided to try again. Their patterns are made of thin card, ready cut out and rolled up in a cardboard tube. You lay out the pieces on the fabric, weigh them down with something like food cans and draw around the card with tailors chalk before cutting out. I will give it a try, hopefully it will work and I will use the pattern again and again...making it worth the £20 I spent on it.
This is the dress, the pattern comes with short sleeves which I will add to the dress. When we arrived home the pattern was waiting on the doorstep, that's tomorrow planned out then!






3 comments:

Mrs Flying Blind... said...

Ooh some of my favourite places, Westerham and Hay-on-Wye!! Have fun sewing up the dress x

Annabelle said...

Lovely area. The dress pattern sounds interesting - not seen them like this - sounds foolproof! xx

Abby and Stephanie said...

Your dishcloths are pretty. Crocheted/knitted one are the best. They'll make great gifts. I love the simplicity of the dress -- wishing you luck with your dressmaking.