THE DRAPERY BLOG

One of the great things about sewing blogs is learning from the experience of others. Good and bad. In this occasional (well, we hope not too often!) series we will share our errors and disappointments. After all, mistakes are okay so long as you learn something from them, right? Friends, I (Jane) made a wadder. In international sewing parlance, that's a project you just want to wad up into a ball and throw across the room. I made a wadder, in silk. Gaaahh! Project: Colette Myrtle in woven fabric. Yes, it's all dodgy mirror photos for this one, which reflects (geddit?) how I feel about this dress. Mistake #1: Deviating too far from the pattern's recommended fabrics. Remember Fiona's Colette Myrtle she made in our Black Organic Cotton Ribbing? I wanted one; who wouldn't? But I thought I'd try a woven fabric. I tried on her black frock and the fit was large on both of us, but the fabric is quite heavy and has considerable stretch. So I made this up in ...

      We're celebrating FROCKTOBER at The Drapery,  to kick-start your spring and summer sewing! When you buy any dress pattern plus the fabric to make it, we'll take 10% off the price  (in store or online using code 'FROCKTOBER' at checkout).  Plus, we've teamed up with the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation ,  and for every pattern + fabric combo sold we'll donate $2 to this great cause.   Another Colette frock from us on this FROCKTOBER day - today the Laurel. If you've been in store looking to make a simple shift dress, you may have found us raving about this pattern. It's aimed at the beginner, but should by no means be overlooked by more experienced garment sewers either. The bust darts at the front coupled with a pair of double pointed darts in the back give this dress some subtle shaping without any fussy fitting. Laurel also works with a variety of fabrics and prints. Here she is as a sleeveless dress in our organ...

  We're celebrating FROCKTOBER at The Drapery,  to kick-start your spring and summer sewing! When you buy any dress pattern plus the fabric to make it, we'll take 10% off the price  (in store or online using code 'FROCKTOBER' at checkout).  Plus, we've teamed up with the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation ,  and for every pattern + fabric combo sold we'll donate $2 to this great cause. Today's frock we love is the Colette Myrtle - a pattern we've only had in stock for a month or so.  Colette are one of the rockstars of the Indie pattern world, and for good reason. Designer Sarai produces classic, well drafted & finished patterns. Every step in a Colette pattern is clearly described and illustrated, plus more often than not there is further information for some techniques available on the Colette website. Each pattern is a little like a sewing lesson in itself - which makes their beginner patterns in particular an excellent ...