Sewing on a whim: New Look 6968

Monday 11 March 2013
So all this talk of fabric stashes, and whether we'll use them in our lifetimes, whether we have the space for them, whether we find them overwhelming and so on has overlooked one of the best things about having a large and varied fabric collection: the ability to sew something on a whim without the need to go out to the fabric store.

I have finished sewing my March Burda project but I am trying to find the right trim to finish it, so it's still clogging up my sewing to do list.  But last week when I was cleaning up the fabric shelves a bright pink and yellow ikat print cotton sateen jumped out and literally landed at my feet.  Since we also had a night out with some of my husband's work colleagues at a Mexican restaurant in the city on Friday night it seemed like the perfect reason to sew up a dress that was very much not on my to do list just because.  Luckily I keep a number of invisible zips in basic colours in the stash too, so  I was able to whip this dress out very quickly.  I used New Look 6968, which I've made twice before (here and here) and is very much one of my favourite patterns because it fits my pear shape and sway back wonderfully with very minimal pattern alterations:


I did try to avoid the dreaded "headlight" effect that occurs on certain prints, but even though I made sure to place the point of the bust darts in the dark pink coloured area, I still ended up with two of the circular patterns front and centre, albeit a little lower than where the girls actually are:


Oh well, I can certainly live with it because as you've all said before no one should be looking in that so closely anyway, plus it's likely only us sewists would notice such a thing anyway.  You can see from the side view how closely the dress hugs the hollow of my lower back:


I chose to line only the bodice with a white cotton voile to avoid having to use facings at the neckline, because the fabric is thick enough not to require a skirt lining. Even though the skirt is not too tightly fitted, the skirt has a centred vent which looks neat and gives enough walking space:


Clearly I didn't pay enough attention to pattern matching at the back, but the print is so busy that it's not that noticeable that it's slightly off.

Admittedly this fabric was not a long term stash resident - I bought it in October last year from Spotlight during one of their frequent sales but it was handy having it in the stash because in the space of half a day I had a new dress to wear out.  At dinner  quite a few people remarked on my dress which is always a good sign of a winner, so I can guarantee that you'll see this dress again sometime in the future.

And now on to finishing my March Burda project.  I went to Spotlight this morning because they are having a 30% off storewide sale and didn't buy any fabrics at all but I did get some interfacing, some threads and zippers, several trims and a trolley bag for my sewing machine in readiness for the next ASG sewing day.

28 comments:

  1. Yay. You got the sewing trolley! Well done Kristy.

    And the reason I have a fabric stash is so I can make up dresses etc, when I feel I want to.

    This is a beautiful print and you've done a top job on it. Double yay.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a lovely dress! Nice job.

    ReplyDelete
  3. First can I say that the dress is amazing! I love the print you used. Second, I stash thread, zippers trims and fabric so that I can sew at a whim! My main goal is never to leave the house when I'm in a sewing frenzy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love that pattern! New Look dresses fit me really well, too. I think they must design with us pears in mind. :)

    I might pick up a copy of that pattern sometime, I love the neckline detail!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cute! I love that style, and like the other styles in the pettern you've used, hope I can find a copy of it. I havent commented on the other posts, but I LOVE your stash, and I love when someone else justifies it the way I do! I also have a zip hoard, luckily form years of op shopping when I worked part time, it's so good not to need anything when the mood strikes!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This looks lovely - what a fit! And incidentally I have that exact fabric I picked up from Spotlight on their clearance table some time ago. At $5 a metre it was such a bargain, but there was only 1.3m left. Hmmm... what to make, you've inspired me to pull it out!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love it!!! The print and colour are super on you - I can see why you received comments ...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yay for the stash, and a beautiful dress! It looks like a perfect fit and the compliments were well deserved.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Fantastic dress. I need to make a new muslin for this pattern. My original is a very bad fit!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. You look fantastic in that dress. Pinks tend to suit you really well and what a great fit.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great fabric choice and the dress looks fabulous on you. The colors really work for you! Like Carolyn, I always keep a stash of zippers, thread, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  12. your new dress looks lovely. I have this pattern and can only hope mine looks half as good as yours when it is sewn.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I adore that fabric. It really shines on that dress! Hope you had a great night out. x

    ReplyDelete
  14. What an elegant, timeless style made modern through fabric selection. It fits you like a dream and those colours are definitely flattering to you!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great pattern and beautiful fit. Did you seriously just have a baby? You look wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gorgeous dress and fit! This is a pattern I really want to try sometime in the future and I can only hope it comes out as lovely as yours!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Very cute. I love the print and that is one of my favorite patterns (although I have never made it).

    ReplyDelete
  18. Fantastic dress and the fit is spot on!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I have that fabric in my stash too - I love it, it looks great in this pattern. Totally appropriate for a night at a Mexiccan restaurant.

    ReplyDelete
  20. It fits so well and the fabric color looks really nice on you. You always make such great dresses!

    ReplyDelete
  21. This is a fantastic fit! I really love the clean lines on this- a perfect work or afternoon out dress! Nicely done :D

    ReplyDelete
  22. Once again, a winner! Great pattern, and the color is so you!
    Jean C.

    ReplyDelete
  23. The fit is great! Though sewing from an already owned pattern lacks the novelty, it's perfect for quick sewing session

    ReplyDelete
  24. This dress pattern is seriously flattering on you. Loving the style and the fabric choice... think you're right - we're the only people who would probably notice such a thing, anyway!

    ReplyDelete
  25. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  26. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Love this! The fit really is perfect. I bought this pattern, probably based on your recommendation, but recently put it in the giveaway because I've just never had luck with New Look. Now I want to pull it out again...

    ReplyDelete
  28. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete