Ray Stitch Pattern Cutting Weekend Review

As I've become a more experienced seamstress, I'm a lot more critical of fitting issues. To resolve any problems, I’d totally bodge things – add width at the side seams or shave excess fabric off the shoulders. In the end, I decided to wanted to create a custom dress block (or slider) that I could alter to create different styles of dresses. So, last year I booked myself onto the weekend Beginner Pattern Cutting course at Ray Stitch http://raystitch.co.uk/sewing-classes-london This weekend course has been designed so that you not only create a dress block but you also understand how patterns work, how to pivot darts, create design lines and make alterations. 

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Sew Over It Elsie Dress

The Elsie Dress has featured as a Sew Over It class for a while now so I was thrilled to see it being released as a paper sewing pattern. It features a ‘curved v-neckline, princess seams and dramatic pleats’ a.k.a everything I LOVE in a dress. This pattern didn't disappoint - it's gorgeous! 

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My Favourite Sewing Patterns

More Complex - Sew Over It Vintage Shirtdress

I’ve just counted and I have a total of five Vintage Shirtdresses in my wardrobe and a further two which I altered into shirtwaisters. It helps that I went on the shirtdress course at Sew Over It so have a pattern which has been fine-tuned and altered to fit me perfectly.  For example, I’m pretty much a straight size 20 but had to blend down to a 14 around the shoulders and neck to avoid lots of gaping. I love how versatile this pattern is, my denim dress looks so different to the Liberty one and my crepe version has a real 1940s feel to it. It works for winter and summer.

Adapting it into a shirtwaister was pretty easy, I just cut the skirt front on the fold and completely finished the bodice (buttons and all) before attaching the skirt. I really like the way the skirt pieces hang on this dress and I doubt I’ve sewn my last!  

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My 5 Favourite Sewing Tools

Sewing Gauge

 I think this is probably the tool which I pick up during every single project I’m working on. It’s not only useful for measuring distance but a whole host of other little tasks. I use it to mark the pivot point when I’m sewing a collar or a V-neck, to check where to align the top of a zip on the back of my dresses and to ensure my buttons are not only equal distance apart but also in line with the edge of the garment.

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