Some of you, if from LondonLand, may have come across the gem that is Oh Sew Brixton.
Oh Sew Brixton is a delightfully quirky sewing school run by Fiona. It was under Fiona's tutelage I first used a sewing machine and, at about this time last year, I took her three day intensive dress-making course.
I've always intended to go back for more at some stage, I like classes and I really enjoy sewing with company. Also I kinda need the help (you'll note the lack of published output of sewing efforts on the blog) but I figured I'd wait until the funding position sorted itself out. But no! Fiona has announced that she will be taking a break and going abroad for a few months. British readers will understand this decision as they will have endured torrential and unrelenting downpours over the past week. So freaking bored of rain.
Anyhow, it may be that Oh Sew will return in the Autumn but its likely to be in a different format. Fiona's announcement gave me the push I needed and I quickly booked onto the Early Fifties dress course which runs over three Thursday night sessions and started this week. If there were still courses scheduled over the next few weeks I would encourage London based readers to sign up, but alas there aren't. Instead I encourage you to keep an eye out for Oh Sew's next incarnation, I'm sure it will be worth it.
Anyhow onto the course! We'll be making Vogue 8184...
Nice. Also fitted, so hopefully I'll be able to be able to develop a basic understanding of the mechanics of achieving good fit. This make also requires boning and invisible zips, techniques I've been too scared to try.
As I signed up quickly I didn't have much time too source fabric. I did go to Goldhawk Road for the first time ever, but I went in a torrential downpour (gah!) with only a cloche hat for protection. Truthfully I found the fabric selection amazingly varied, but utterly overwhelming. I ended up slinking away, throughly intimidated.
So time escapes me (as ever!) and with my stinking cold I ended up on Wednesday with still no fabric. And yes I have a huge fabric stash, but none of it matched my vision. My vision?
Yep I want to make this dress, my inner child promises me that having a dress like hers will make me as awesome as Zooey. Could I find fabric like this? Especially at very short notice? Hell no!
I went to Lewisham to Rolls and Rems which has a fab selection of basics at fairly reasonable prices. I opted for duck egg blue flowery cotton. Its not the fabric in Zooey's dress but its blue and I like it, and after trudging through the rain, with my cold and sharing the bus with far too many people (the Queen was visiting Greenwich to reopen the Cutty Sark) I couldn't be arsed to keep looking.
I'm a bit annoyed that I have bought yet another flowery fabric (I'm getting annoyed with the tyranny of flower print) but it isn't obnoxiously flowery. Good enough.
I arrived in Brixton late (stoopid tubes, other commuters and RAIN) and ran to the studio. Luckily I hadn't missed anything. Cup of tea acquired, another upside of this school is the plentiful beverages, Fiona examined our fabric selections for suitability. I get the feeling she does this a lot. I'm pleased to say that I did better than last time, this time I managed to select fabric intended to become a dress rather than a sofa. For. The. Win!
However, my fabric is on the thin side so I've bought myself some additional work lining the skirt sections.
My fellow companions had opted for polka dots, a beautiful purple satin and checks. I admired the bravery of the lady who brought the checks, I've been too scared to delve into stripes and plaids; all that matching! Ultimately the prospect of working to match those checks deterred her too and she opted for a a lovely african print fabric from Fiona's stash. I was a bit jealous actually. Me wants.
Following introductions, Fiona gave us an overview of what we would be covering in the course and what we would need to do in-between the sessions. And then we measured. As ever, my misshapen form ended up falling across more than one size. Although when Fiona measured my bust she commented that it was '
very reasonable'. Best complement ever. I appreciate this comment was not born of a general admiration for my bosom, but rather that my size and shape was unlikely to result in a need for serious alteration in the patterns.
She then set us to cutting out the pieces for a muslin to test the fit of the bodice section. Because of my
fat thick spare-tire disproportionate waist, Fiona instructed me to increase the waist section by 5 cms at the main seams. This instruction utterly flummoxed me. I ended up eye-balling the pattern pieces, hoping foolishly that if I just stared hard enough the answer would present itself. Yes I regressed into my five year old self. Ultimately Fiona had to show me what she meant. Le sigh. Although slightly humiliating, watching how she applied the alteration did help me better understand the mechanics of alteration much better.
Pieces pinned together (and apparently I over pin!) and a few moments at the machine I had a partial muslin to test out the fit. As ever I hoped, there would be no more need to alter the pieces for fit. Alas no, once Fiona had pinned the bodice there was clearly too much fabric around and underneath my bosoms therefore adjustment required. This adjustment made resolved that issue, but didn't leave enough fabric for the zip....
Third adjustment made to the back pieces, resulted in these as the final pattern pieces (green lines show the new cutting lines).
I must say that these adjustments look so minor to my eye, and it all feels so subtle! I'll need to keep working at it though as I've come to realise I just can't live with fit issues on finished handmade garments.
Bodice muslin made we departed the class with our homework. Its like being back at school, but so much more awesome!
