Next Sew-Along! (Plus a Little Blogging Vacation for Moi)

Well, I've really come to like you guys. Hence, I think we must sew-along together once again! As promised, this one is for beginners. I know the Lady Grey was intense, so this is an easy one for those still building up their skills. It's the Crepe dress, also from Colette Patterns. Don't panic, we won't be starting until December 6th. So if you want to join in, the only thing you need to be thinking about right now is ordering your pattern. Hey, speaking of which!

The Crepe pattern is 20% for all my readers during the month of November! Enter the code GERTIECREPE (case sensitive) at checkout. Thanks to Sarai for this excellent discount!

This pattern is a wrap dress, meaning that it has no closures to sew. Perfect for novices! And, of course, there are plenty of ways that experienced sewists can spice it up, like with special print layouts (as shown on the sample dress above).

A couple guidelines for this project: I want us all to use similar fabrics, so I'm proposing that we all make this in light- or medium-weight cotton or cotton blend. (Drapey apparel cottons are best, not stiffer quilting cottons.) If you're advanced and want to use a trickier fabric, definitely feel free.  However, I won't be covering the use of other fabrics in the sew-along posts. Also, I'll be showing Version 2, which has a sweetheart neckline and contrast ties. If you'd like to veer off on your own for Version 1, go for it. But, again, I'll only be covering Version 2.

I'll keep the posts pretty simple, but I will cover a few techniques outside of the pattern instructions. The special skills I'll be writing about will be 1) making a bodice muslin to check for fit, 2) underlining your dress for opacity, 3) staying your neckline with silk organza to prevent gaping, and 4) pretty-fying your seams. Why the underlining? Lightweight cottons can be semi-sheer, exposing the facings underneath. So I'll show you how to underline with cotton batiste. This is definitely optional, and not a necessity for all fabrics.

In preparation, all you need to do is buy your pattern and maybe start looking for a suitable fabric.

In the next few weeks, I'll be posting some preparation posts, including a schedule, an interview with the pattern designer, materials needed, and some fabric ideas.

I hope you'll join me!

Also, I'm embarking on a short blogging vacation to refresh after the Lady Grey sew-along and to catch up on writing my book. I'll be back mid next week!