Dressmaking class.

On Saturday I attended a three hour course on 'how to make a dress' using the dress pattern V8184 by Vogue Easy Options. It was held at the Tessuti fabric shop in Surry Hills (remember I blogged about Surry Hills here?). Many of you may have noticed my post a few posts back on the tessuti online fabric shop and all the beautiful fabrics they had available. Well, the online shop is nothing compared to the actual store! What a hidden gem! If you want to have a look, check it out here and watch the video of inside the shop.

I arrived at Tessuti as doors opened Saturday morning, with my sewing machine in hand. I was feeling nervous as I do consider myself a novice when it comes to sewing clothes, and I was unsure what to expect from this lesson. My nervous eased when I met our teacher Georgia. What a gem! She was infectiously bubbly and enthusiastic about dressmaking. She had brought along a variety of dresses she had made using this pattern, and showed us how she had altered each slightly to give it an 'extra something'. Her workmanship was something to behold!

I still can't get my head around how much info Georgia managed to pack in the three short hours. I feel like I learnt so much: how to pin and cut a pattern properly, sewing a toile, fitting the toile perfectly to a body, and using the toile as an individualised pattern.

I even learnt how to sew a perfect princess seam AND bone a bodice! I am totally prepared now to make this dress, and I would definitely recommend anyone who is in or near Sydney to attend one of Georgia's classes - worth every cent!

After the class I spent time browsing the walls of fabric, until I found the perfect one...

Here are some pics.

Three hours of hard work.

My 'couture' bodice.

Princess seam & boning.

Heavy-weight cotton fabric in an oatmeal colour.

Tessuti card.

If you are interested in finding more out about this dress pattern, check out Georgia's pattern review here at the Tessuit Blog.

Sam xox

Prints Charming.

For anyone living in or near Sydney, listen up. Prints Charming is holding a Spring Fabric Sale!

Details as follows:

Saturday 4th September

9:30 - 2:00

2 Young Street, Annandale

Those of you not living near Sydney, do not dispair. You can get your Prints Charming fix hereby visiting their blog, and if you like what you see, consider buying their book:

Different countries have different book titles and covers...

In the US it is called Sew Charming --> click here to have a look on Amazon.

In most other countries the book is called Prints Charming --> click here to have a look on Amazon.

Just in case you were wondering, I am in no way affiliated with Prints Charming, I am just giving the recommendation because I love their style :-)

Sam xox

And the winner is.

And the winner is...

Comment 6 - Bianca congratulations!

Have a look at my Etsy store Buckingham Road and pick an 8X12 photograph that you like, and I will send it to you!

Thanks everyone who entered, I might do this again sometime - it was fun!

Sam xox

Progress.

I did it. I booked in for a class.

I have been toying with the idea for months, and then I found the perfect opportunity. I am doing the 'Learn to make a Dress' class at Tessuti in late August. This is the dress pattern we will be working on in the class:

It looks a little daunting, especially as the pattern calls for 2 yards of covered boning (have to figure out where I get that from). I have been in email contact with the teacher and she is happily answering all of my questions - not something that happens in all sewing classes I imagine!

Another exciting thing happened today - my pattern arrived for a skirt I would like to make.

I first saw it on Amy's Angry Chicken blog here and fell in love with it. Her blog is always full of inspiring bits and pieces, plus she is an awesome sewer. I think she did a fantastic sewing job on her green skirt and I love the green fabric/button combo!

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Don't forget my giveaway ends at 9am Sunday Sydney time! To enter, simply leave a comment on my 100th blog post here.

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Sam xox

Dressmaker dreaming.

I have spent some time window shopping researching fabrics online and I thought I might share some of my finds with you, in case anyone else out there was looking for good quality online fabric stores.

As I mentioned in this post, you can find a large range of Liberty of London fabrics for a very reasonable price on the Shaukat & Company website (I will be spending some of my first pay cheque on some Liberty fabrics from this store!).

I came across this little gem tonight: Tessuti Fabrics, an Aussie online fabric store with a great variety of unusual fabrics and prints. The website also lists their store location as being in Surry Hills of all places (remember my trip to Surry Hills recently?)!

Here are my favourites from Tessuti Fabrics' online store...

{Dark Clan - Wool - AUS$89 p/m}

This wool fabric is so beautiful, but the price ... I would have to be very confident in my sewing skills! I was thinking that I could perhaps make a lined winter skirt or coat? Maybe for winter 2011?

{Nouveau Bloom - Printed Silk/Cottom Voile - AUS$29 p/m}

This fabric captured my imagination. It does have a nouveau feel to it, and I thought it would look great with the right dress or skirt pattern.

{Osaka Sand Bloom - Japanese Cotton - AUS$29 p/m}

I like the weave of the fabric here as it looks like it would be quite textured. I am unsure what I would make from it, perhaps a summer top?

{Suki Mauve Bloom - Japanese Cotton - AUS$24 p/m}

Finally, I just think this is so cute, the perfect spring fabric.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway here, winner drawn this Sunday August 8!

Sam xox

100th blog post & giveaway.

This is my 100th post!

It will be short and sweet.

To celebrate I am holding a giveaway!

(I have seen others do this and it seems like fun!)

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How does it work? Simply leave me a comment in this post, and on Sunday 8th August at 9am Sydney time, I will draw a winner using an online random number generator. I will then announce the winner on this blog and also contact them on theirs.

The winner can then choose a 8x12 inch photograph from my Etsy store Buckingham Road and I will package it up and send it to them for free!

{Click here to visit Buckingham Road}

Thanks so much to each and everyone of you who I have connected with through this blog. I am so grateful to have this space to share my ideas, obsessions, successes, and milestones, but most importantly to be able to connect with people from across the globe who encourage and inspire me every day!

Sam xox