Kathy’s Flatter Me Frock!

Hi everyone, it’s Kathy here and my first blog post as part of the Sewisfaction Blogger Team is going to be the Flatter Me Frock from Australian independent pattern company Sew to Grow.

When choosing a pattern for this blog post, and the fabric to work with, I had an idea that I wanted to make a dress that I could wear on a forthcoming trip to Australia. I have a very big birthday coming up towards the end of August, and as I am a twin I naturally want to share that day with him. Problem is – he lives the other side of the world in Queensland, Australia, where he emigrated to six years ago. After saving up since he left, this year seemed a perfect opportunity to travel over to see him and I knew that for my Sewisfaction project I wanted to choose a dress with Australian significance that I could take with me and wear on my trip.

I thought my fabric choice would be difficult. The fabric choice at Sewisfaction is beautiful, however I was drawn towards this Butterfly Rainforest Cotton Linen and I quickly decided this was the one. How perfect for a trip to the tropics!

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the adorable Sewisfaction packaging ..

Fabric at Sewisfaction is sold by the half metre, which allows you to purchase exactly what you need. Brilliant! There is also a ‘swatch’ service which allows you to order a sample of fabric for you to examine at home.

This is the first time I have sewn anything by Sew to Grow, so I was careful to run up a quick toile before I started. I’m glad that I did as it gave me the opportunity to make any adjustments when I made it for real! As usual, I had to shorten the skirt length, in this case by 14cm!  (I’m 5’2”). I also sized down to a small, as the medium I had made felt too roomy.

It is worth mentioning that the pattern on this fabric is directional, so take this into consideration when cutting out – we don’t want any upside down butterflies now do we?

There are some sweet touches in the construction of this pattern. The side seams of the bodice call for French seams. This is adorable as I like my garments to look pretty on the inside as well as the outside. The neckline does not have a facing and is finished by using bias tape which I think makes for a super neat finish.

I did ‘scratch my head’ a little when it came to sleeve placement as the pattern markings were unclear as to which was the front and back of each sleeve. After a quick email off to Sew To Grow, I was  assured that there is no left or right sleeve, so it didn’t matter which was which. These cute cap sleeves are quite flared and I might sew them a little tighter next time I make it.

The main feature of the dress is the contrasting bias trim around the edge of the wrap skirt. It’s so cute, I love it!  The skirt is gathered before attaching it to the bodice and then elastic thread is used in addition. This is the first time that I have used elastic thread, and I think I may need a little more practise with this..

Of course the bias extends all the way around the back too!

Also, pockets – my favourite! These are nice and deep, and whilst I have made them with the same fabric as the main dress, you could use a contrasting fabric to make a feature of these.

One final little feature of the dress is a sweet little inverted pleat at the centre back neckline. I was concerned that this might give me a round back/shoulders, but it really doesn’t and is a cute little addition.

I am so pleased with how the dress turned out. It’s really cute and ‘right up my street’. I can definitely see more Flatter Me dresses in my sewing future, and there is no shortage of suitable fabrics here at Sewisfaction!

I am really flattered to be a part of the Sewisfaction Blogger Team, and have enjoyed the first three posts from Amanda, Samantha and Suzie. Stay tuned for more inspiring posts to come from Lesley and Maddie. Can’t wait!

Thank you for reading, I look forward to meeting you here again soon, and happy sewing!

Kathy x