Tulips in June

Monday 15 June 2015


Hey Guys,

Getting pictures of this dress has been a pain in the bum! I made it to wear to the House of Pinheiro hen party (but didn't get any pictures), then I wore it to see some Burlesque, and got some pretty poor pictures on the street. Finally I intended to wear it to the Rockabilly Rave this weekend, and seen as my hair finally submitted I had a couple of minutes to take a few snaps!


Speaking of hair, this was my first attempt at a foam roller wet set (I attempted a pin curl set once before), which I decided to attempt at 12am the night before. Clever. My hair scared the crap out of me when I took out the rollers, but I got somewhere in the end! To be honest, I was glad it ended up being dry enough to work with. 


The bodice is the Betty bodice from Sew Over it. I made a small adjustment this time, and took a wedge out of the centre front, which has helped a lot. I used the all-in-one facing again, which I love, but I didn't find their method of sewing the shoulders very easy last time so I used the method of pulling the back through the shoulder to turn it the right way out.


For the skirt I replicated the pleating of my favourite pink vintage dress. It took almost the full width of the fabric front and back. I just really like how it sits, and how the fullness feels, without being as difficult to wrangle as a circle skirt. As soon as I put it on I was delighted! It felt so comfortable and I was twirling around the living room. ironically the belt from that dress is a perfect match. It's about a 7mm knife pleat, which unfortunately hasn't worked at all with the next fabric I tried it with, which has way too much body.


The fabric is of course from the Hemmingway collection. I, of course, bought it in my John Lewis Post-Christmas binge. You know, to differentiate from my New York binge, my Paris binge, my Cloth House binge.....

I also have it in the yellow & white and pink & green colourways, which is nice! What to do with those? I need to make a few nice simple Summer dresses (you know, for when the weather gets warm, if that ever happens).


I must add, that this fabric was amazing to sew with. It never creased during the sewing of it, at all - and I definitely wasn't being careful!. I can't fault it!

One thing you have to keep an eye on, however, is the concentration of flowers. They are pretty random, but they do have more concentrated areas. The first time I pleated the skirt, they ended up being even more densely populated right beneath the waist seam. It looked ridiculous and I had to trim off the top inch or so and re-attach to the bodice. Careful now!


I pinked all the seams, but beware! Take care with pinking shears, as they can be as dangerous to your garments as an overlocker is. I managed to catch the back bodice in my shears and with one fell 'snip' I had two baby holes. Fantastic.


It was sort of a 'well that was bound to happen' moment. I tried to back it, and satin stitch it initially, but it was too much for the fabric and was art of destroying the holes even further. So I found the exact section on a scrap piece of fabric, cut a bigger hole and patched it from behind, stitching along all the black lines I could.



I also applied fray check and to be honest it's hardly noticeable. The darkness in the picture above was before the fray-check had dried. It's just our little secret now. Now I treat pinking shears with the respect they deserve!

So what's been your worst dressmaking error?
Ever cut a hole in an almost finished dress?

Emmie x



15 comments :

  1. i love this dress and it made me buy this pattern! gorgeous! (and your hair looks awesome!)

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  2. I love this dress and you look fabulous in it. Sometimes my heart sinks when I read about a vintage dress, etc., because I don't think it's in my reach to make it. I adore that fabric and I'm thrilled that it isn't vintage (and it really does looks so)! Wear it forever!

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  3. Such a lovely dress! And you've made a great job with concealing the holes!

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  4. You look lovely. Skirt goes so well with the pattern. I accidentally cut a hole in the sleeve of my wedding dress. Managed to patch it okay, but it was scary at the time

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  5. Lovely dress and I have some Hemingway fabric waiting so glad to hear its good fabric. I serger a hole in the full skirted dress I was making for my sons wedding, so it became a little less full skirted.

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  6. that fabric... that dress.... it all looks stunning. good recovery on the pinking accident........

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  7. I cut a hole into a top to wear to a friend's wedding the night before. It was the last seam as well... i pulled it together and bought a scarf the next day, but i think my tantrum was quite something. The poor boyfriend. I now treat my thread snipper on the sewing machine with much more respect ;-)

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  8. You look fan in this dress! And great job on the hole patching. To be honest, I'm not always that good at repairing holes. I may just leave them and hope no one notices. I know, I am a bad sewer.

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  9. Sassy dress and beautiful hair. Jo x

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  10. I've cut too many holes! Grading seams for a French seam is usually where I muck it up.
    But your dress! It's gorgeous! As is your hair; your IG pic before you brushed it out was brilliant, but the finished style is so beautiful!

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  11. Your dress is gorgeous! I love the pleated skirt. I also have some Hemmingway fabric, but haven't decided what to make with it yet. What a great fix on the scissor hole! I once caught a dress lining in the blade of my overlocker. I was able to patch it, but thank goodness it wasn't the outside of the dress!

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  12. Hi Emmie. I've just read all your blog. In the post where your mum takes you to your local woollen mills is that in Tipperary? And if it is where is it please? It looks amazing. I am in Kilkenny every so often and Tipp is not a million miles away. You hair style and colour is fab. I plan to be a red head some day. Really enjoyed reading your blog. Selina.

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    1. Hi Selina, it's Hanly's woollen mill - http://www.tipperary.com/im_visiting/john_hanly_woolen_mills - let me know if you ever get there!

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  13. I have cut a hole on my sew over ultimate knit dress and managed to save it too.

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  14. You are so attractive in this green dress, and your hair makes you even more beautiful. Love it!

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I really adore reading your comments :)

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