Summer Hoody Dress, matching hair band, and oodles of undies

 I decided to do what I have been threatening for a while now, and make some undies. I have already made a few items in all of the underwear patterns I used - Noelle which is a free bra from Madalynne and Acasia which is free knickers from Megan Neilson. I also made the Rebecca Page bikini top and a self drafted vest top/bralet to use as underwear as well. They are very stash busting in that they are all made from small bits left over from various projects and its amazing how much space the bits take up especially when you have really not got any space. 

At the same time as doing this - well most of the last couple of weeks!I made this dress.

I had this lovely stretch velvet printed in a tie dye star scape pattern which I love very much but have really struggled to make into anything I will wear. Its one of those OOOH SHINY SHINY things you buy!

 The fabric would be perfect for a festival but I want something I will wear a bit more often because it was not a cheap fabric. Of course this will still very much work as a festival dress if ever I go to one again. In the end I like those sweatshirt dresses that are all over the High street so aimed for something like that. I say something like that because this is definitely a bit festivally regardless!

I am still confident I will wear it as a summer dress though. So I cut out a my dress which is actually a top and skirt pattern but I pinned the pattern pieces together. Its Burda Young 7148. But the hood on this top pattern is weird. I chucked out my last hoody I made from this because it never hung right and was not comfortable, so this time I used the hood piece from the Burda hoody I made last which is 103, 01/2017. I like the way the front of the hood wraps over.

I used the top pocket for this not the skirt pocket ( because the pattern has two different pockets. One for the top and one for the skirt). Also because I ran out of fabric I had to add a CF seam to the pocket and the pattern does not match. I am happy with it though because at least it did get a pocket.

To position the pocket I went by the top markings not those for the skirt despite that really I made a very long top. Once together I tried on and it was quite long. I am after a summer mini dress so I shortened the dress by about 4 inches and used those bits to make the sleeve bands and my hair band. I actually preferred it without the sleeve bands but will remember that for the next one. I think if I remove them now I could end up with too-short sleeves so they are best left I reckon. It seemed a good idea at the time!

Then I made the hair band. This is a Rebecca Page pattern. Its actually a very nice pattern despite you would think it easy to make your own hair band without a pattern. I have made probably hundreds of hair bands since I started sewing at age 8, but none ever fit properly. This really does fit well and looks neat and RTW and its my second one. I made the first one around Christmas time. 

Well I had some small bits left over so decided to make Acasia knickers and a Noelle top so I can be totally coordinated when I wear the dress and I think this could be a way forward for me because I love the idea of everything matching.

Besides its stash busting, because you will never have any extra bits left if they get used to make matching knickers and bras, It just seems brilliant to me.

 Of course except for the cotton gusset these could be swimwear really. I did not bother to line this Noelle. Most I have made with a power mesh lining but I thought this did not need one being lycra velvet. Its turned out a little looser than the others though.

 

Then having started on my road to matching undies I decided to use my voodoo dolly scraps to make this top from the RP bikini pattern I made last summer, which of course will work with the Voodoo dolly dress and my voodoo dolly knickers!

Like most of these I lined this with Blue powermesh. this fabric is quite thin so better with a lining.

Then I made a green velvet thong a few months ago, so thought a green Noelle to match would be good.

I did not line this one and again its slightly large on me. Surprising how much difference to the sizing a layer of powermesh can make!

These are the matching thong with the new Noelle:

These two camo tops are a Noelle and a self drafted vest top made from scraps from my camo leggings. The Noelle has straps made from fold over elastic in the same bright green as the lace. I folded the elastic and sewed it so its double and used in place of regular bra strap elastic. I am not sure how well this will work yet, but thought I should try it. The other has regular bra strap elastic.

The rest are just knickers and Noelles for everyday life. 

Well I cannot quite (yet) get it all to match. 😁

Tho these do all have dresses made in the same fabric

From the top: Blue knickers for the blue dress

 

Middle knickers match the Black patterned dress

 

And the bottom ones match the Green goth dress

The front's quite plain but the back is different!

 So I can be matching with all of these. No matching bras though and no fabric left over to make any.

 

I have actually made one more Noelle in blue mesh which is 2 layers of power mesh ( above) and one in patterned mesh, but I have yet to get the bra strap elastic and I need white to complete the look, so thats going to have to wait until I feel some undies inspiration coming on again.

So I am set for summer at least as far as my undies are concerned and I have a nice new summer dress. 

Wow its been a busy week!

Bracken