By Hand London Kim Dress

By Hand London Kim Dress

I'm told I don't look like a ham here.  I'm not buyin' it.
I’m told I don’t look like a ham here. I’m not buyin’ it.

A few weeks ago, the lovely people at Minerva Crafts sent me a few yards of this lovely polka dot chambray. While chambray screams “make a Granville” to me, I wanted to do a dress. Probably because I always want to make a dress. I’d been wanting to make a Kim dress for awhile, so there you have it. Chambray Kim dress. In honesty, I was expecting the fabric to take MUCH longer to arrive (it took about a week or two), so I shamefully shelved it for a bit while I finished my other projects :/

"Hey, look how awkwardly I can stand.  Pretty cool, I know"
“Hey, look how awkwardly I can stand. Pretty cool, I know”

For starters, this dress was an absolute dream to sew. The fabric cuts and sews beautifully. I whipped through the dress in a day and a half, and that’s including the time I spent unpicking (serged) things I’d sewn on upside down. Sadly, it’s just a given that I’ll sew something upside down, or backwards, or to the wrong side…I do it every time. It’s probably pathetic.

I like how this angle really shows the wrinkles from playing with puppies.
I like how this angle really shows the wrinkles from playing with puppies.

I really, really like the bodice on this pattern. I cut a straight US 10 of version 2, and the bodice fits me pretty well, though I did take in a bit. I could probably stand to shorten the straps a bit, but I’m not complaining. The bodice has princess seams, so no darts. It’s also fully lined, which I always love. I tried to follow the bodice instructions completely, and I’m glad I did. It’s an interesting way to do things (at least to a novice like myself), but the finish is really clean and the assembly is easy. That said, it’s hard to know how it’s going to fit until it’s finished. If you’re concerned about fit, definitely do a muslin! I’m terrible about making muslins. I almost never do it and that’s because I’m both very busy and very lazy. It helps that I have a fairly standard “hourglass” figure, so my fit issues are typically minimal for sleeveless dresses. Pants and jackets are another story entirely!

Bodice/boob details.
Bodice/boob details.

For the skirt, I also cut a US 10, this time of version 1. The versions are easily interchangeable, so mix it up! I personally always prefer a sweetheart neckline to a scoop. The petal skirt is what originally attracted me to this pattern, and it didn’t disappoint. There are four simple darts and a bit of pleating (pictured above), which I adore. More details about those woes in a future post! The pattern calls for basting the overlapping front portions together before attaching to the bodice, which I liked and seemed to work well. I do think next I would slim the skirt down a bit. I would for sure like something a bit more fitted. I also think I will do a stitch to hold the front pieces together. On photo day, it was pretty windy, I only narrowly avoiding a wardrobe mishap! Like always, I added some pockets, always pockets. My apologies for the wrinkly look, but there was a puppy to play with!

Okay and maybe I did a shitty job pressing the pockets.  Hush.
Okay and maybe I did a shitty job pressing the pockets. Hush.

On the back, I omitted the hook and eye. I know it looks better to have it, but I have giant man hands and they’re tiny and fiddly and I hate sewing them. It pains me. I’ve convinced myself that the zip on it’s own doesn’t look horrible, so whatever. Now that Kim is finished, I think it’s time to get more of this fabric and make that Granville! Happy sewing 🙂

OH! And I chopped my hair off!!! What up, mid life crisis?!?

Minerva Crafts Q&A!!!

Minerva Crafts Q&A!!!

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Hey guys, exciting news!!! I was recently asked to do a guest Q&A for Minerva Crafts, and it’s gone live today! It still seems so foreign to me that anyone wants to hear my opinion, but I’m immensely appreciative, anyway.

Minerva Crafts is a really cool site, based across the pond, with some of the most gorgeous fabrics I’ve seen around. The Cincinnati area is full of quilting stores, but if you’re looking for something other than quilting cotton, and Joann’s doesn’t float your boat, you’re basically shit out of luck :/ So a new online resource is always a plus for me. Also…I can’t help but think of Minerva McGonagall, no? The more Harry Potter references I have, the happier I am! So go check them out and show my Q&A some love, pretty pretty please.