So Me Made May was an absolute failure- the very next day after my last post I was in my ratty RTW sweatpants and nursing a fever. Was it outfit induced?? Maybe. I valiantly tried to make a pinafore before my sewing machine broke and I went back to bed at 2pm.
I realised how much pressure I was putting on myself with this challenge, considering that a lot of my handmade items were left behind when I left home and that really, it was only a little instagram challenge.
Instead, I put my hideous, sweatpants-y failures behind me and devoted my attention to putting together the Zsalya dress by Kate & Rose Patterns. This pattern also comes in a blouse variation which is really gorgeous and gives a lot of options for contrasting fabrics on the yoke and cuffs.
It was the sample from Indiesew that convinced me to give this a go- just look at it! If you've never heard of Indiesew, definitely have a look. There are heaps of digital PDF patterns from different independent designers that cater for all sizes and tastes. I find independent patterns to always be a little bit more interesting than the bigger companies as far as style goes- often the instructions are a bit clearer and easier to understand as well!
So, on to the PDF. Can we talk about this for a second? There are 48 pages. Forty-eight! You can print out certain sections if you only want to make one of the variations, but I knew that I was going to have a go at both, so I did the whole lot. I spaced out all of the cutting and taping over about 2 days, which wasn't too bad, really. Normally I get PDF pattern regret when I realise how much assembly they require (note: once I've already printed and have scissors in hand), but not this time!
I don't have a lot of photos of the sewing process, mostly because this project went so quickly that I didn't really think to document it. The instructions are a gift from the diagram gods. The yokes at the front and back are faced and at times there is some serious confusion when trying to figure out which yoke/facing goes where, but this was almost always fixed by reading the instructions a few times over. You're also given clean and fancy or "quick and dirty" methods for attaching the bodice. As much as I wanted to go down the quick and dirty route, I used the clean and fancy method, which was a total breeze if you're an intermediate sewer.
I've been sewing on an old Frister and Rossmann machine that is inching towards death with every wobbly stitch, and at times I was concerned that I wouldn't get this project done in time. Topstitching was pretty difficult and I had to unpick and re-sew about four times, but other than that, this dress was a relatively quick and easy make. For the dress and sleeves, I used an old length of soft cotton with a subtle check pattern woven into it (from my grandma's fabric stash) and some dog-printed fabric from Spotlight that I bought 3 years ago. Good one, past me!
It is a lovely dress- my only issue is that I would size down next time. I cut out a size Small to suit my bust measurement but I will definitely go with an X-Small for the blouse, there is a lot of room around the chest and shoulders. I also took a few inches off the hem to compensate for the looseness of the skirt. I could easily wear this in summer as well as layering it up in winter, which I did today. I give this pattern a big tick of approval and I am excited to try the blouse in some different fabric!
Apologies for shitty photos and general lack of organisation
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