Grey Flapper dress

I actually tried to add short sleeves to this and it did not work. So this is another idea that has not quite worked out. I suppose I am becomming more adventurous which in the end has to mean not everything works!

Never the less it is a nice short slip dress and I expect to wear it loads. Maybe with a Tshirt under and tights because we have tickets for the theatre in December. I think this would work as a going out dress. Assuming it does not get too cold. Its simple but not average.  

Though maybe not shown to its best when I walk the dog in walking boots! Still it was a nice day and this was practical at that time. 

Its made using a pattern I have owned for ages and its the first time using it. I made ( almost if you ignore the straps) view A and this is an Arrivestry pattern. I have always been a big fan of Arrivestry designs.

The dress is a very lightweight stretch woven fabric that almost looks like lightweight suiting but it would be too light weight for most suit trousers I think. Maybe shirts though? I have quite a lot more of it so will have to decide what to do with the rest of it. I used to wear a lot of grey when I was younger but it kind of disapeared from my wardrobe so maybe its time it came back in again.

I did not use the straps that came with the pattern partly because I am lazy and it meant getting the pattern back out of a storage box to cut them out and also because I had intended to add elastic type sleeves and this looked weird so I unpicked them and had to think again and in the end went with the original dress design not what I had in my head.

I have since worked out how to make it work - I reckon I just need tubes sewn at the under arms with elastic at the neck edge but I worked that out after I had finished fixing this. 

The straps I used in the end are just long strips with lace sewn on and then wide elastic to gather them so its a very easy fitting dress this one! The elastic is sewn into place as the straps get sewn onto the dress. It gives a pretty bulky "big" lace strap that kind of looks crunchy being crochet cotton lace but whatever. Its a different look. 

Well I suppose I have also used another stashed pattern which is really good and at least managed NOT to sew another TNT pattern up. I really need to try to be adventurous in what I decide to sew but this does take effort. Its so easy to just keep remaking the old favourites, and yes they are favourites, so to some extent I do like doing that, but its also good to have variety and try new things. I think many people do the same with this. Its safe. You know the pattern so know how to make it work. Its easier to ignore the new stuff and go with safe because after all all sewing is a risk. You might ruin the fabric that, even when cheap, costs quite a bit more than most of us can afford to lose. 

I really need to carry on working though my hundreds of patterns now because it is making life more interesting. Although turning out stuff to blog about is far more difficult. I have to remind myself that I started to blog to become part of the sewing community. To connect. Not to blog. The sewing is better when its shared with like minded people who interact with you and you with them. 

I do not sew to blog. I blog because I sew!

Have a wonderful adventurous weekend.

Bracken