Unexpectedly I fell in love with a dress on the Sew Different stand at The Stitch Festival, and as I said in my previous post about the show, I would have happily bought the made up version if that had been an option. I loved everything about it - the main fabric, the contrasting frill and the shape, but I wasn’t convinced I could actually make it and spent a fair while looking at the pattern and the dress more closely.

Dresses on display on the SewDifferently stand at The Stitch Festival

And talking myself into it. I know I can sew, and I know I can follow patterns. However, mostly I don’t sew clothes, or follow patterns that closely, but it hit me hard and so I’m going to give it a go. As it was the material that was also part of the draw, I was keen to find out where that was from. Speaking to the people on the stand I learnt it was from Lady McElroy Fabrics, who were also at the show.

Guess where I headed next.

I showed the Lady McElroy people my picture and they knew the fabric, what was less easy was finding it on their stall, even for them they had that many fabrics. They even offered to check their van, but with people with bolts of fabric in their hands behind me, I decided to wait and order online. The doubts were creeping in again, but I left with the fabric name and a discount code, so it wasn’t all bad.

As I was browsing patterns I also saw this sundress pattern, and I thought perhaps a sundress might be easier to start with. I think sundresses are also pretty timeless, and this one looked pretty versatile too. I remembered the yellow fabric I’d bought at the Knitting & Stitching Show back in 2021 where I had the opposite conundrum - falling in love with the fabric, and not knowing what I’d make. I couldn’t remember how much I’d bought though…

The Fleetwood Frock pattern by Sew Different

Later on I dug the fabric out from where it had been safely stored and rough measured the quantity, and as I half expected it’s unlikely that I have enough - but won’t the cute birds look great for this design?

LEFT: THE UNWORN DRESS
RIGHT: THE PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH FABRIC

The cogs were whirring and I remembered the dress I bought for my brother’s original date Covid-delayed wedding. I bought it in the sale because I loved the fabric, the fit needed some work, but as it turned out I never wore it as when the wedding took place last year I saw another dress that worked just as well with the hat I’d bought back in March 2020. The dress has hung in my wardrobe since, and I still love that fabric.

I wondered what it would look like alongside the bird fabric, and if it could work. I think it can - the colours are more similar than it looks in the photo, they are a similar fabric type and have a similar weave. They are clearly different styles, but that’s part of what appeals to me. If you’re going to make your own then you really don’t have to stick to convention do you, and I’m pretty certain there won’t be another one the same!

Of course, what looked like it would be a simpler make just got more complicated as the dress needs to be unpicked first (once I’m really sure it will work) and the pattern carefully planned and laid out before any cutting out will start. From then on though, it should be back on course.

I steeled myself and took my two patterns to the desk to pay to learn of the ‘too good to miss’ show deal for three patterns, so back I went and picked up the pattern which I’d almost opted for instead of the sundress.

It was an easy choice as I’d already ummed and ahhed about this one, but also because over the last year I’ve found myself wearing jeans most days, and they have become my default option and sometimes I wish they weren’t. So a casual, easy to wear dress for almost any weather could be a good addition to my wardrobe, and as you’ll know from my plans for the sundress and my love of scrappy quilts, the number of materials in the pattern also appealed.

The Essential Denim Dress pattern by Sew Different

I’m glad I chose this pattern as further around the show I fell in love with this embroidered chambray. In fact there were so many gorgeous fabrics around the show, I’m surprised I only left with this one, the panels below and plans to buy the fabric for the first dress.

The embroidered chambray fabric I couldn't not buy at the show

I think I've bought too much of the embroidered chambray, as the pattern says to use this on the back as well. Though on reflection I think the back should be plain, but I can’t say I’m that upset to have more of this fabric than I need. I just need to collect fabric for the other sections now, and I’m sure that won’t be that hard once I put my mind to it!

So I have plans for three dresses, what now?

I’ve ordered the material for the Darjeeling Frock, and I’m waiting for it to arrive. I knew the contrasting fabric wasn’t from the same place, but didn’t know where it was from so I’ve ordered a metre of two spotted fabrics to see which works best. I’ve also guessed at the amount I’ll need for a contrast frill, as the pattern uses the same fabric for the whole dress. I’m looking forward to receiving my order, but of course that will mean moving to the next step - choosing the contrast fabric, opening the pattern and getting started. Eek!
So I potentially have the fabric - or two of them - for the Fleetwood Frock, but what should have been the easiest option is more complicated and will take some concerted brain power to ensure I have enough material before I start cutting out. That’s another eek!
I’m less far forward with my plans for the Essential Denim Dress, and that’s ok. Given that I have that lovely fabric and need more fabric to complement and contrast, I know this one will follow as there’s no way that I will leave the embroidered fabric shut away for too long.

What I do need is to get started, I know that I’m a procrastinator especially when it’s something new. But I also know that it’s completely do-able, and mum’s on standby to provide advice when needed (as it will be needed) and I’m sure the sense of achievement will be immense, even if the dresses turn out a little wonkier than they’re supposed to be.

They’ll be my kind of wonky!

I’d seen the adverts for The Stitch Festival on Instagram and my interest was piqued, and then piqued again when I saw it was being held at the Business Design Centre in Islington, which is not only easy to get to but, I think, a great venue. I’d been there in February for the Garden Media Press Event.

It’s been a few years since I went along to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, which was also good - but huge and busy, even with the numbers attending reduced due to Covid. I’d done a workshop that day to create and decorate a rustic barn using material and decorative stitches on the sewing machine, and so was keen to look at the workshop programme for this event.

In the end after much deliberation I opted for two workshops, one with an early morning (9am) start and the other at lunchtime. The early morning workshop also gained me entry into the show, so less queuing and that seemed like a good trade off for the earlier start. Though as it approached I was less sure of its merits, but mainly because I’m not naturally a morning person and these winter months have seen a slower start to the day. But as it turned out it was fine, as I knew it would be. I even had time to pick up breakfast along the way.

The morning workshop was to learn from Angela Daymond how to use leaves and petals to colour white paper, creating a notebook ready to be ‘cooked’ at home. Once my notebook was stitched, and a sliver of silk added, I carefully placed dried onion skins and dried tulip petals between the paper and wrapped it around a wooden dowel, securing it with crochet thread.

My notebook is still waiting to be cooked, as I need to either find a saucepan just for crafts, or alternatively a jar that I can use in one of our existing saucepans. I’m sure I had some taller jars that would work, but they may have been a casualty of an over zealous tidy up.

I’m curious to see how it will turn out, the examples available during the workshop looked great but as Angela impressed on us during the workshop you can’t replicate the effect so if randomness isn’t your thing, then this probably isn’t the craft for you! I’m ok with randomness…

A bag of dried onion skins and petals in the foreground with my notebook wound and tied around a dowel above

Once the workshop finished and before the next one started I had a few hours to look around the show. I knew this had the potential to be dangerous, and expensive - but unlike the show at Ally Pally I also knew I had to carry my purchases home, which proved to be a good enough deterrent.

I also knew that I wouldn’t leave empty handed - it’s so hard to do that at these kinds of shows, but I wasn’t expecting to buy what I did - we’ll come onto that.

I loved the Indie Biz village on the balcony, full of independent crafting businesses many of whom I follow on Instagram, so it was really nice to see them in person. The main floor had the bigger and medium-sized stands, and were equally as busy, colourful and friendly.

As you know I’m a fan of colour, and I wasn’t disappointed - here’s just some of the stands and crafts that were there. If you want to see more head over to the ‘highlight’ on my Instagram or take a look at the Stitch Festival feed.

Rowandean Embroidery

Quilteez

Studio Flax

Sewmotion

Wimperis Embroidery

Helen Steele

Titch Stitch

Imogen Melissa

During my time in between workshops I fell in love with a dress on the SewDifferent stand, and I would have bought the made up version if that was an option. Instead I bought the pattern, found out where the material was from and well, bought another couple of patterns too. And yes, I know I’m not in the habit of making, or sewing my own clothes, but these patterns I think I could - and I like the designs so much, I think I will.

I wasn’t able to buy the material for the design I fell in love with, but I did buy some embroidered chambray to use in the third pattern I bought. The one I added when I learnt there was a show deal, that made sense to take advantage of. I’ll share more about the details of the patterns and my plans in another post, but the second pattern was for a sundress and I was hoping it would work with the material I fell in love with (and have since left in the cupboard) at the 2021 show I attended. But I have higher hopes for this latest project… Mum’s even on standby to provide expert help when I need it (as I’m sure I will).

Thankfully it was soon time for my next workshop, a beginners workshop for mixed media collage. Or basically cutting and sticking, what could go wrong? Thankfully nothing, and I spent an hour learning the basics and creating my masterpiece under the expert guidance of Jane Schofield.

My natural instinct is to fill the space, all of it - but then I realise I’ve overdone it. Here I learnt to show restraint, and the Liberty fabric I really struggled with until Jane pointed out the obvious, which was I didn’t have to keep it in the shape it was. And it was so much better for that advice.

Now this is a craft I think I’ve been collecting for my whole life! Seriously. I am that person that keeps stuff, small bits and also collects ‘things that could be useful’ too. I knew they would be useful, and this is what I’ve been waiting for. My trouble now is remembering where everything is, but I can work on that.

The other thing I learnt in this workshop was that it’s perfectly fine to use a stick of glue - I’d always felt that was somehow cheating, but glue’s glue. So once I find my stuff and re-familiarised myself with it, I’m pretty sure there’ll be no stopping me.