Pin/Tuck

Would you believe it, I actually finished that Ottobre pintuck dress I was blogging about during Me Made May!

I’d originally planned to sew it in a mint green polka dot cotton. But then I chanced upon a piece of gorgeous, flowy chambray that turned out to be 100% tencel.

The pintucks in the front make the dress. They look lovely but sewing 11 of these was quite annoying, not to mention sloooowww. It was only after I’d sewn the dress that I saw the finale of The Great British Sewing Bee where they used a pintuck foot. Cheating! There’s an invisible zip in the back. I used my new invisible zipper presser foot and fell in love. It was so easy! The back piece of the dress was made of four separate pieces. If I were to make this project again, I would simplify the back and cut the hem and back yoke pieces as one. I also got to use another new presser foot: the rolled-hem foot. The sleeves have elastic and a rolled hem at the cuff. Next time I’m going to do a rolled hem on the dress hem as well. There was only a limited amount of fabric available so I had to cut the bias tape for the neckband in three pieces. The waist ties were easier – the were cut on the grain.

• On Textillia: Chambray Pintuck Dress

• Pattern: #1 Simple-yet-elegant pintuck dress from Ottobre Design Woman 5/2008

• Size: 36

• Fabric: 100% tencel chambray, about 1.3 m

• Other materials: 40 cm invisible zipper, 5 mm elastic tape

I’m already planning to make another one – or two – of these dresses! The original mint green is still very much a contender, and I’ve bought this lovely black viscose. With polka dots, of course.

#sewing #Ottobre #dress #pintuck #zipper #tencel #chambray #MeMadeMay