Cotton skull print dress for Halloween

  

The perfect Halloween dress?

To be honest although its nearly Halloween I made this just because I fancied it and intend to wear it all year round. 

Its a really basic dress with the bodice based on the free pattern from Angela Kane that I used last year to make a top. I never bothered with the facings though,  and cut the back on the fold to eliminate the back fastenng, and added a gathered skirt which is just two rectangles.

The neck is overlocked and hemmed. It works and is very easy, but also fast and it feels like I achieved something despite its a very simple design. And yes its less professional than the facings would have been but I was acually recreating a dress I bought in the early to mid-eighties although the skulls on that were bleached into plain black cotton. You rarely found skull prints in those days.

Despite its cotton, so possibly more suited to summer, I can see me wearing this through winter and Christmas because its big enough to get layers under it.

The weather is getting much more chilly and winter is coming. We found a rare patch of sun for these photos. Mostly its feeling cold and damp. Autumn is well and truly arrived. You can feel it in the air even when the sun is out so this dress will I think make a good winter layer. 

Anyway I really like how this dress turned out. I only had 2m of fabric too which came from some random Ebay seller a couple of years ago. I don't think this cost much though, which is why I bought it. I think the muted colours will work well for Autumn and Winter.

I am, I must admit, veering towards the more simple designs right now rather than the more fitted clothing I tended to wear at the start of the year. I suppose with the colder weather I want more loose comfy clothing that I can lounge round in and wear in layers. 

Mind you I feel very tempted by some stretch velvet I was eyeing up the other day. This year, I have been trying to use what fabric I have stashed though, or at least to reduce what I have by a serious and noticable amount. 

Christmas is not far off now though and its been very much a year of using what I already have and not buying new fabric. Time for a buying spree maybe? 

I feel I deserve it now because I have successfully got rid of (well made clothing from so actually I still own it all!) lots of bits of fabric and some went back years. And when you sew all the time and obsessively, what else can you ask for for Christmas but more fabric, sewing thread, stitch rippers etc etc.

And I will be wearing this dress on Halloween this year.

Take care and thanks for dropping by,

Happy Halloween

Bracken

#MMMay16, Sunday 22nd May, My green scarf dress

I am not sure this mesh dress really counts as upcycling. I made it from two halloween scarves from the Pound Shop but I did buy them with the idea to do this with them so it is not really upcycling. More a new fabric source.

 Everything is overlocked - seams and hems.


You can see the skulls better in the next few photos.

It has overlocked side seams with exposed seams but I did the sleeve seams with the overlocking inside to make the distinction that the outer side seams are MEANT to be outside as a feature of the design. 

 Unfortunately the fabric is very delicate so I may only get a few wearings before it goes in lots of ladders but it is a fun dress for a sunny weekend and I really like the bright green with the skulls.

Still it only cost me £2.00 so if I get to wear it ten times that is a bargain really!

Its made very similarly to this: 7: Dark navy top with a step by step tutorial guide to making
except I did the sleeve seams on the inside this time.

Thanks for visiting

Bracken