I think it’s fair to say that I have taken the idea of ‘slow sewing’ to a whole new level. I am not entirely sure this is a bad thing, I think that churning out make after make is, I suppose, probably as bad as fast fashion. So the idea of slowing down and really choosing my projects with care is probably a good thing overall. Problem is, it doesn’t quite satisfy the maker in me. Food for thought.
The Pattern:
So, onto my latest make, a great pattern by Merchant & Mills, the Ellis & Hattie Dress. I bought my pattern from Stitch 56, it’s thrilling to have a paper pattern, I rarely treat myself.
It was the neckline, darts and sleeves of the Ellis version that really won me over. But I did hesitate initially, the skirt part, it’s just not me. I am not keen on a gathered skirt, it just adds volume where I don’t need it. So, I decided to hack up a perfectly good pattern and make it my own.
The toile:
I decided to extend the bodice of the Ellis and make it into an slightly A-line dress with inseam pockets. I also wanted to add in an exposed zip which meant I needed to alter the back by adding a yoke. Starting point was this toile.
A couple of issues emerged. Firstly, the shoulder seams were way too big. I notice on the original shots from Merchant & Mills that they don’t sit right on the shoulder of the model. They were way too big for me though, so I decided to remove a couple of centimetres.
I have altered the shoulder seam before on a previous make. I had to add width to the shoulders on my Frankie dress, here’s how I did that. But for this dress I needed to reduce the shoulder seam so I reversed the process. I drew a diagonal line from the shoulder seam to the arm hole and then slit the pattern (leaving a few millimetres to allow for the pivot). I then reduced the seam by 2cm and then trued it up. If you try this at home, remember to do this to the front and back!
I also felt that the neckline was too high so I reduced it, again by a couple of centimetres.
I decided to add some length to the sleeves. I just wanted them a tad longer to cover my elbow. Finally, I changed the back yoke, mainly to accomodate an awesome zip that I wanted to fit here. I lengthened the yoke accordingly.
The fabric:
I bought this fabric at FabWorks on my recent visit to the UK in June last year. Yep, it’s been sitting in my cupboard staring at me for a whole year. It’s a fantastic fabric. A heavy and slubby cotton in a dark inky blue. The fabric works either side, but I preferred the darker option. I would love to say that I remember the fabric specs, I always think I will and then never do.
The result:
This all sounds easy and quick, and yes, to someone concentrating on it for a stretch of time it is. But, I tackled this piecemeal, in mini pockets of time. The ultimate slow sew. After a few weeks of tinkering away, I made it and I really couldn’t be happier with the result (even if my forced smile below suggests otherwise).
I am super pleased with the fit. The top of this dress is perfect and I think it suits my shape. The darts give it a lovely shape. The only issue is that the fabric is so textured that the darts vanish a bit. I really liked the top stitched darts on the Merchants & Mills version, I did consider this but chickened out at the last minute.
The back of this dress turned out much better than I expected. My initial plan was to reverse the back yoke and have the white side of the fabric exposed. But, when I was sent this zip by Who Says Sew it just had to be part of the dress, it worked so well. The original pattern calls for a button closure so I had to work out the addition of the zip. It wasn’t too difficult but what I did fail to do (think piecemeal sewing and not concentrating) was consider how to finish the top of the exposed zip.
In the end I had to remove some teeth, I used a little tutorial from Makery to help me with this. I then unpicked the facing and sandwiched the zipper tape between the facing and the dress. It was super fiddly and but I managed to get a (fairly) clean finish with the machine and some nifty hand stitching.
I can see another Ellis in my future, it’s really a lovely pattern. The instructions are clear and well executed. I am looking forward to hacking up the Hattie version in the summer. Watch this space.
There is only one gripe I have with this make, this time it’s down to me, not the pattern. I added the inseam pockets far too low down the dress. When my fingers hit the bottom of the pockets, my arms are almost straight. I also feel that the pockets are adding volume just where I don’t need it. At this point, the pockets are still in, but I am sorely tempted to remove them just to slim the silhouette down a fraction.
What do you think? With or without pockets?
x
